Zette's Storybook

One



Morning Glory Sangre silently cursed as her tee shirt caught on an obstruction in the ventilation shaft's tight turn. She yanked it free and peered ahead into the darkness. Being claustrophobic did not really help in this situation. Desperation, however, drove her onward into the darkness. Something scrambled ahead, paused and hissed. Morning Glory hissed back, and it ran away. Fast.

She crawled another few feet, made another turn, and finally saw the faint outline of a grill in front of her. Finally! She slithered forward to the very edge of the light and peered out, silently praying she'd made the right turns and not lost her way.

She could see a large auditorium, and the stage below her. Several people had begun preparing for the concert that would take place in about four hours. A noisy bunch too, which helped, of course. Morning Glory had no trouble removing the screws that held the grill in place -- even though they were screwed in from the opposite side. She'd come up with a handy little patented spy screw remover that had become standard equipment at Future -- and netted her quite a bit of funds, not to mention an endlessly interesting list of the people who bought the device. Know thy enemy. . . .and thy friends. And anyone else who might cross her path. She did sometimes wonder why the Vatican had ordered such a large shipment of them, but she didn't think about it for too long or too hard.

Morning Glory looked out again, judging the ten feet to the floor of the stage -- quite perfect for surprise. With the grill loose she held it in place with the clip and the reel of string, and waited. It didn't take long before the person appeared, and not only walked right below her hiding place, but even paused there while talking to the lead vocalist of the group.

Morning Glory shoved the grill aside and threw herself out.

"Geraniums!"

A dozen startled cries ended as she landed, rolled, and bounded to her feet, grinning happily at Morning Star, her very surprised -- and annoyed -- older sister.

"New record for me," Morning Glory said, brushing her hands against her blue jeans. She sneezed three times -- damn dusty ventilation shafts -- and pulled out her notepad to make a few notes. "Let's see -- I found you in three days, so that leaves four days remaining in the week at twenty points each. Took you be complete surprise, so that gives me a fifty-point bonus -- hmmmm. You still have a fifteen-point lead. Still not bad, though, was it?"

Morning Star Sangre looked up at the hole in the wall, shook her head, and turned back to her sister. "Damn. I never expected you to come in that way."

"Expect the unexpected."

"Don't quote that kind of crap at me. You know how it makes me crazy. And what happened to your claustrophobia?"

"It gave way to desperation," Morning Glory admitted. She brushed dust from her legs again. "I knew if I didn't make big points this week, you'd take the month. This is November, and you already have five months. I don't feel like paying your way to the Bahamas again in January."

"I'm still in the lead for the month. And it's my choice next week. What do you think I should go for -- the hunter or the hunted?"

"Who the hell is this, Morning Star?" someone at last asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced you! This is my younger sister, Morning Glory Sangre. She often unexpectedly drops in on me."

Morning Glory looked skyward and shook her head, not only at her sister's pun, but at the usual round of 'but you two don't look anything alike!' comments that they drew.

However, before they could get into the rather long and sordid family history, they were both saved by the bell. Or rather the beep. Both their beepers went off at the same time, and Morning Glory looked at hers in shock while her sister drew out her own as well.

A message had appeared -- never mind that both had 'forgotten' to put batteries in the devices. Call the office for assignment.

"I can't believe they want both of us," Apache said, shaking her head. "We haven't really worked together since that fiasco in Japan last July."

"And I could have sworn Alan said something about never turning me lose again after the Halloween mess," Baby said. She shrugged. "So much for fun and games."

"Hey, maybe we'll get lucky, and Alan just wants to tell us that the FBI and CIA are sending agents after us again," Apache said. Her face brightened at the thought. "That could be fun!"

"We can only hope," Baby said, following her sister toward the phone at the side wall. They no longer carried their own, since they tended to melt still -- with the exception of the cell phone that Alan gave them, but they'd left that in Africa and hadn't gone back for it yet. The other people followed, quiet and keeping their distance. People did that a lot when the two of them got together. Must have been some sort of instinctive survival instinct.

Baby made the call, dialing the operator, and then going through the special operator. Apache stood close by, watching the crowd. Amazing how getting a beep from The Office could put them both on edge like that.

"FUTURE offices, please give your name and designation," a voice said. Baby could never decide if it was mechanical or alien. Either was entirely too possible.

"Baby -- pardon me -- Morning Glory Sangre, and last I heard I was either a courier or a field agent. You beeped me."

"We are awaiting conformation of contact with Morning Star Sangre. Please hold."

"She's with me."

"We require conformation."

Baby held out the phone. "They require your voice."

"Apache took the phone. "Morning Star Sangre, field agent -- or maybe body guard."

"Confirmed, Morning Star and Morning Glory Sangre," the voice said. "Assignment as follows: You will work under the direction of senior field agent --"

"No way in hell!" they chorused, startling everyone.

"No, no. It is one thing to think Baby and I would work together again, another thing completely to believe we would work with anyone else. Haven't we made that clear?"

"Stand by for your superior."

"Alan is coming on line." Apache smiled -- not a very pleasant look. People backed away again. "You want part of this?"

"Oh yes," Baby said, and leaned closer now that her sister didn't appear incline to random mayhem.

The phone quickly clicked over. No one wasted much time with the Sangres on the line since phones were apt to melt or explode, and it got too frustrating while everyone went scrambling for new ones.

"Hello Morning --whichever," the man on the line said, sounding rather anxious.

"Morning Star."

"Yes, I feared as much. Morning Glory is so much easier to talk to."

"Meaning she'll go along with just about any insane idea you have," Apache said.

"Well, yes."

"I'd resent that if it weren't true," Baby said.

"At least hear me out on this one," Alan said. His voice had gained a half octave already, and they hadn't even done anything yet. "We have a special assignment for the two of you --"

"Trap, trap, trap," Baby chanted.

"Look, it wasn't my idea. This came up, and the other agent asked that you to be assigned with him --"

"Oh, that sounds promising. Does the St. Valentine's Day Massacre ring a bell, Alan? You remember that little fiasco we had with other agents?"

"It's almost Thanksgiving," Baby said. She leaned back against the wall, leaving this in her sister's hands. "Time for Future's Annual Turkey Shoot."

"Look, I assumed that since the two of you stayed on with FUTURE it meant you still felt the work was important," Alan said. He seemed to be taking short, quick breaths.

"We thought about becoming sheep herders for a while, but we had a disagreement over whether to raise black or white sheep." Apache said. Baby shrugged. They still argued that point now and then.

"Fine, fine. I told Kim Tsing he was crazy for even asking for you two --"

"Who asked for us?" Apache said. She stood up straighter. Baby, seeing that look, shook her head.

"Kim Tsing. He seemed to think you two could --"

"We'll take the assignment."

"You'll what?"

"We'll what?" Baby said, echoing his startled reply.

"We'll take it," she said and held out a hand as a gesture to peace to her sister.

"You are joking, right?" Baby said.

"Kim Tsing asked for us," Apache said. She looked her sister squarely in the face, apparently forgetting she was even still on the phone. "We're going."

"Hell," Baby said. She dropped back to the wall. "Fine."

Apache put the phone back to her ear. "Where do we meet him, Alan?"

Alan said nothing for a moment. They could hear him breathing, and muttering in another language. The phone had begun to squeal as well, which didn't help.

"Meet him at Kennedy International Airport, Pan Am Lobby, no later than 1:30PM tomorrow," he said at last. "Apache --"

"Fine. We'll be there. Got to run."

She hung the phone up.

Baby looked at her, shook her head, and stared. "Did I go into a trance at some point and miss something, like you happening to inquire what the hell is the assignment is?"

"Doesn't matter. We're taking it," Apache said. She dropped the phone and turned to her friends. "Don't try to use that one. It's going to explode, most likely. They almost always do."

People backed away yet a few more feet. Apache turned and started toward the exit, Baby finally pushing away from the wall and following after her.

"You've gone nuts!" Baby finally said.

Apache turned back to her. "We're talking Kim Tsing here, the most mysterious and handsome agent in Future. I want a real chance to meet him."

"For Gods sake, Apache -- you could have just called him up for a date!"

Apache glared, and hurried away, muttering something about making flight arrangements to New York. Or maybe about getting her hair done...



Two


Baby knew the moment Apache spotted the nice looking young man with shoulder length dark hair, an aquiline face, and a tall, thin body. Baby looked where her sister did and sighed aloud, drawing Apache's attention back to her.

"What the hell is wrong this time?" Apache demanded while she brushed down her hair.

"Six enemy agents could have grabbed me and dragged me off while you were watching him, and you wouldn't have even noticed."

"Probably not, but I would have missed you eventually."

"Not until January when I didn't come through with your trip to the Bahamas. Come on. The worse thing you can do right now is look unprofessional."

Apache agreed. She led the way across the concourse, Baby a couple paces behind, playing bodyguard. Kim even stepped forward to meet them, a smile on his lips.

"You are on time. Excellent!" He greeted them with a slight bow that they both returned. Baby wondered at the accent, but this wasn't the time to get into that kind of conversation. "Shall we go somewhere to talk?"

"By all means," Apache said with a smile. "Do lead the way."

He took them a short ways to a small bar with nicely secluded tables. The waitress came immediately, eyeing the three of them with some speculation. They did make a rather exotic looking group, Apache thought.

"Order what you will," he said. "We have time. I'll have a vodka."

"I'll have the same," Apache said, smiling.

"Wonderful. Lovelorn and drunk," Baby mumbled. "Survival factor drops by another ten points."

Apache kicked her under the table, and bit back a yelp when her toes hit Baby's metal leg brace. Baby ignored her and smiled at the waitress. "Pepsi, please."

She nodded and moved away, glancing back once.

"Do you not drink while on assignment, Miss Sangre?" Kim asked.

"I don't drink," she said. "And you had best call us by our first names, or someone here is going to get very confused at the entirely wrong time."

"True." He looked at them both. "Morning Star and Morning Glory -- but that might be confusing as well, and encumbering in a moment of danger. They do call you by other names though, yes? Apache and... Baby?"

"I really should do something about that someday," Baby said, shaking her head.

"But yes, that is what they call us," Apache said. She looked as though she'd started to get control back again, for which Baby felt more than a little gratitude. Their drinks arrived. For a moment all seemed rather normal.

"Good. Apache and Baby. Let us discuss the assignment. As far as we know, it has not left Tibet. It won't be easy to retrieve, of course, but I've seen your records and with our combined skills --"

"Hold on," Baby said, lifting her hand. Kim looked puzzled by the gesture. "Look, Kim, can we assume for a moment that someone's older sister accepted this assignment without ever once asking what it might be, and that at least two of us at this table have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

He looked stunned, but he recovered and nodded. "I should not be surprised. They told me many times that you are both crazy."

Apache took a quick drink of her vodka.

"This time you can drop the insanity entirely on Apache's shoulders... well, maybe not. I came along, too, and still don't know what's going on."

"We are going to Nepal to retrieve a single photonic cell that dare not fall into the wrong hands."

"A what?" Apache asked.

"Photonic cell." He lifted his drink. "The power supply for a star ship."

He sipped. Apache pushed her drink away.

"We're back to that stuff again, are we?" Baby said with a sigh.

"Be honored," he said. "I could not tell such a truth to any other Terran agents. There are no others in the organization who have been trusted with was much knowledge as you two have been told."

"And what exactly does that make you?" Baby said.

"I have been with FUTURE for a long, long time. Since before the Council decided to make a base here on Earth."

Apache sighed and looked across at her sister, shaking her head. Baby shrugged and sipped her Pepsi. The vodka looked rather inviting at the moment.

"We have three hours before our flight to India. I assume all your papers are in order?"

"They are," Apache said.

"Luggage?"

"We rarely travel with luggage," Baby said. "We can buy what we need when we get there."

He nodded, sipped again, and looked from Apache to Baby and back again. "You know, there is something I -- and most of the other agents -- have always wanted to ask you two --"

"Yes, we really are sisters," Baby said, cutting him short.

He looked at her surprised. "No one said that you were telepathic."

"People have been asking that question all our lives. I know the look."

"Then I will ask a different question," he said, bowing his head to her. "Why did you take the assignment without knowing what it might be?"

Apache got a look of panic in her eyes, though she kept it from the rest of her face. Baby chose her words very carefully. "We took it because Apache -- is crazy."

She could almost hear her sister sigh with relief.

"Really?" Kim said. "The reports have always stated that you are the one to most worry about."

"Of course. Apache is crazy -- but I am, after all, still with her."

She saw Apache frown a little, but so far Baby appeared to have stayed within bounds. She'd have to push a little farther next time.

"Why did you ask for us, Kim?" Apache asked.

He paused for a long moment, his head tilted sideways as he obviously contemplated his answer. Then he gave a little shrug and a slight smile. "There were many reasons, but most important to me... I wanted to meet you, Morning Star Sangre."

Silence.

"This just gets worse and worse," Baby said, shaking her head in disbelief. She stood. "Come on. Let's get to the plane before you two forget that we even have an assignment."

Apache stood and gave Kim a nod. "I know, you can't have any fun when you have to drag your little sister around with you every where you go."

He laughed, but he stood and paid the bill, then walked at Apache's side as they left the bar. Baby played bodyguard again. People looked at them. Baby was used to it, but she thought Kim looked a little uneasy. He had better get used to it quickly, she thought.


Three


"The flight promises to be on time still," Kim said, waving a hand toward the screens.

Apache nodded, reading through the list -- she always liked to know what else sat out there. Always plan for a quick get away, or know if there is a possibility of enemies arriving. Of course, with the cases that she and her sister had taken in the last few years, any of those flights could hold someone with a grudge. Or there could be whole planeloads of such people in a couple cases.
"Plan looks good, but we may be a little late, though," Baby said. She put a hand on her sister's arm and gave a slight pull, letting Apache know where to look without being obvious. "See them?

"The three women by the window."

"Right. They have been with us through four airports now, and always within a few feet. Too much of a coincidence. Do you happen to know them, Kim?"

"No, I fear not." He bent and brushed some dust from his immaculate shoes, and came back with something small and white in his hands. "We cannot afford to lose time. If we confront them here, even should we win the exchange, the local security would not be happy, and that would delay us for some time."

"True," Apache said, watching her sister who watched the women.

"Good." He held out his hand and showed a tiny vial with a small needle attached. "Are you opposed to me using this?"

"Aside from the fact that you are the senior agent, and I have no idea what that is, why even bother to ask us?" Apache said, shaking her head.

"This contains the same drug that was given to Baby last February," he explained, and closed his hand around the vial when someone else came close by.

Although Baby never looked their way, Apache could see her blink. She wondered if Baby would have an objection.

"It wore off," Baby said finally and shrugged. "It did me no lasting harm."

"True," Apache said. "Well, unless it made you crazier, but who could tell?"

Baby flashed a bright, quick smile.

"Then I will take care of one of those women," Kim said. "I leave the other two to the two of you."

"Oh, fun time!" Apache said. Kim looked a little worried now. "You want to draw one off somewhere, Baby?"

"Are you really that desperate to get some time alone with him, Apache?"

"I'm working, Baby."

"Yes, I know. That doesn't answer my question."

"Morning Glory Sangre --"

"I'll head toward the ticket counters, shall I?"

"We don't have much time, remember. Ten minutes, and then I'll come and bail you out of whatever trouble you've gotten into."

"Hardly enough time to really start any serious fun," Baby said. She looked back at Kim for the first time. "Behave."

"Go," Apache said.

Baby smiled brightly, peered into her shoulder bag as though she and Apache had been speaking about something else entirely, and pulled out a piece of paper. She nodded and left.

Kim looked pleased. "I'm happy you two work so well together."

"Survival instinct," Apache said. "There one goes. They've really underestimated Baby if they think that one alone stands a chance against my sister. I don't know why they keep making that mistake."

"And shall we go speak with the other two?" Kim asked.

"You're the one in charge."

He bowed, turned on his heel, and headed straight for the two remaining women. Apparently he preferred the straightforward approach to spying, which rather appealed to Apache right now, especially when she saw how the two didn't really want to confront them. They started to move away, only to find Apache cutting off that direction.

"Ladies," Kim said, bowing when he came near. "I believe that we should speak, yes?"

"I don't know you!" The woman's shrill voice was sure to draw attention, a young woman in distress.

"We have not actually met," Apache said. "But we have been in the same place at least four times in the past eight hours. New at the game? Not very professional, you know, staying so close that we can reach you in a few steps. And never put a window at your back. It gives you no place to retreat."

The second woman turned to Apache with a look that made her just a little uneasy. She could see wildness in those eyes, and animal cunning -- but not anything really human. Apache tensed as she remembered where she had seen that look before. The woman was Van, even if she wasn't (at least at the moment) green.

"Would you prefer to go somewhere more private to speak?" Kim asked.

Though she watched the woman with the feral eyes, she could see Kim's woman move with extraordinary speed -- a blow toward his head, but Kim moved faster still. His hand blocked the attack and the other slapped against her shoulder.

Apache's woman had moved too, and though Apache wasn't as fast as Kim, she still managed to stop the blow. Kim spun and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. She stopped in mid move, her arm falling to her side.

"That second dosage will not hold her long. But at least we avoid some of the attention that would come from an actual battle." Apache gave a quick look around. No one seemed to be paying them much attention. Kim, speaking in a language that Apache didn't understand, waved toward the chairs. The two went and sat down. "Let us hope that your sister is discreet in her work as well."

"Baby? Discreet? The thought boggles the mind."

"Perhaps then we should locate her before she draws too much attention?"



Four


Baby Sangre had been quite pleased with how well Apache's little plan worked. One of the three had followed her immediately, so blatantly unprofessional that she couldn't decide if it amused or annoyed her. Why send three untrained people after three of the best in FUTURE?

Unless... that was all they had available here at the moment. Which meant there would be trouble... elsewhere. But then she had expected that anyway.

Baby walked around a corner into a short, somewhat dark little hall and waited. As she expected, the woman came around the corner, moving a little faster than she should have been, and without ever thinking about looking first.

"Hi there!" Baby grabbed her by the arm and spun the woman around with such force that she nearly knocked the woman unconscious when she collided with the wall. "So tell me, what brings you to New York?"

The woman looked plainly surprised. Baby put a hand on her shoulder when she started away and shoved her back again. She glared.

"Do I have your attention now?"

"Yes." She stared, her dark eyes glaring in a way that made her look not entirely human. Under the circumstances, that didn't really surprise Baby as much as she supposed it should.

"Good. Now tell me who sent you."

"The Vananadania Confederacy," the woman said, a little smirk at the corner of her lips now. "But you have no idea what that is, do you?"

"That would be the green people, right? I suppose that you're after the photonic power cell as well."

Her eyes went wide. "You know."

"The power cell, the time machine, the alien invasion -- the whole sordid mess."

The woman cursed. Baby didn't know the language, but she knew the sound. The woman straightened, as though Baby had given her the final resolve that she needed. Not entirely the reaction she wanted --

"This knowledge will mean your deaths. We suspected as much. We will not allow the Terrans off this miserable world. You and your sister are dead."

Baby pinched her arm. "Not that I noticed."

"Baby, what are you doing?" Apache asked. She and Kim stood at the end of the hall.

"Just having a friendly little chat with our shadow here."

"Well, do take care of this. We have a plane to catch."

"What do you want me to do with her?"

"Something quick."

The woman took that moment to reach toward her belt. Baby swung back with one hand, and sent her flying back against the wall. She sagged unconscious. Baby pushed her back into the corner.

"Will that do?" she asked, looking at her sister.

Apache smiled appreciation. "Very nice. Come on. It won't be long before her two friends come out of it. With any kind of luck, we'll be in the air by then."

"They want us dead, Apache."

"Well, them and half the other people who ever met us," Apache said.

"Only half?" Kim said, surprised.

They still let him come along on the flight.

Baby even finally allowed them to sit side-by-side while she took another spot nearby. She could hear them discuss music, movies, which people in The Office dressed the worse, and Apache's odd taste in pets.

All in all, Baby thought an actual date would have been far easier on all of them.



Five


About half way across the Atlantic, with many of the passengers bored out of their minds or asleep, Baby took Kim's seat, and Kim knelt in the aisle beside them, ready to discuss some of the case. They drew a few stares at first, but after a little while the people turned away, and the three finally went to work on the case.

"The woman I dealt with said she came from the Vananadania Confederacy," Baby said.

"Not a surprise," Kim said.

"You might have mentioned them before this," Apache said.

"They are... not happy with FUTURE, or our use of local people."

"As though we don't have enough enemies just on this world," Baby said. She shook her head. "Still, it can't be helped now. You want to tell us a little about these people?"

"They are a tightly knit group of planets, all sprung from the same colonial port, and rather aggressive. We think it might be inbreeding... but never mind that part. They have dedicated their life style to military operations and conquest."

"Sparta," Apache said.

"Yes, your Earth history --" Kim stopped and smiled brightly as a steward went by, eyeing them curiously. "Yes, the stories of Sparta bare a strong resemblance to the lifestyle of the Van."
"They aren't much as far as hand-to-hand fighting goes," Baby said.

"They are somewhat hampered here on Earth. They know that if they show themselves the Council will take direct action against them. They remain somewhat discreet, though even that seems to be losing its hold. They shot down the ship and tried to go in for the cell, but members of the crew had managed to drop it in a rather inhospitable area before the ship went down."

"Tibet? Nepal?" Baby said.

"Somewhere in that area."

"So you're sending us in to get it?"

"It's your world," he said, and gave a little smile that Apache no doubt found adorable. Baby gritted her teeth.

"So, why do they want this cell? Don't they have ones of their own?"

"Yes, but not as good as ours," Kim said. "And they are more worried that it fall into your hands."

"Yes, well, once our scientists start in on something like that --"

"No, no -- I literally mean your hands. They're very much worried that the photonic cell will fall into the hands of the infamous Sangre sisters. You've had rather spectacular results with other items, after all."

If Baby had had a knife on her right at that moment, there was no telling what might have happened. Apache caught hold of her arm when she started to move, and Kim looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Let's change places, Baby," Apache said.

"What? Afraid I'll kill your friend before your first date is over?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Apache said.

"Ah. Good point."

They traded places. Good. Baby always liked the window seat, especially when they flew over such incredible cloud formations. She let Apache and Kim talk 'in private' for a while. Her mind filed away all those little snippets anyway. And she got to watch the pretty patterns of lightning... moving not so randomly...

"Well, that can't be right," she said aloud.

Amazing how that got the attention of both her sister and her sister's companion.

"You want to fill us in on that one?" Apache said, trying to look out the small window with her sister.

"Just watch for a moment," Baby said. "One two three, there. One to three -- again --"

"Ah. Interesting."

"Yes?" Kim said.

"I think we're being tailed," Apache said. She dropped back into her seat. "They wouldn't do something like take down a plane, would they?"

"I wouldn't think --" Kim said. But stopped in a way that made Baby very nervous. "I don't think --"

"We're in a hell of a lot of trouble, aren't we?" Apache asked.

He stood and looked around. "Stand up."

Apache started to, and sat right back down, looking startled. Kim began to curse, once again in another language. He pulled something from inside his pocket and slapped it at the back of Apache's neck, but when he reached for Baby, he found his hand intercepted, obviously more quickly than he expected.

"The last time one of you people did that move with me, I was not at all happy with the results."

"It's all right, Baby," Apache said. "I feel better already."

"I --"

"Don't argue."

She glared at her sister, turned around and held her hair up. She felt a little sting at the back of her neck, and then... clarity. She hadn't expected it since she hadn't felt particularly muddled before. Although now she realized that she'd been watching those clouds for far longer than she should have, and Apache and Kim had been talking about things that made little or no sense.

"What the hell happened?" Apache said.

"They infiltrated the air system. Everyone on board had started to slip into a trance state."

"Everyone?" Baby said. "Like, you know, the pilots and such."

"Yes."

"Great. And what did they intend to do with everything now that it's in a trance state."

"I imagine that they thought they would take over the controls and ... be done with us."

"Oh would they," Apache said. "Baby --"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I don't have a damn car license. Why am I the one to always ends up piloting the jets?"

"Kim and I have other work."

"You know, if I didn't trust you like... well, like my own sister, I'd half believe you bribed the Van to do this so you could keep me busy while you have time alone with Kim."

"Trust you like my own sister. There's an odd line," Apache said.

"Yes, I thought you'd find that one amusing," she said, and went past Apache and around Kim. "Get them all secured. There's no telling what's going to happen."

"We're on it."

"Just so long as you're not on each other," Baby said, heading up toward the cockpit.


Six



Apache began seat belting the people into place before Baby had even gotten all the way to the front. Kim, on the other hand, watched the younger Sangre sister and when she had finally disappeared into the cockpit -- he didn't ask how she would handle the pilots -- he turned back to Apache.

"Is she always..." He stopped and looked back at the door where Baby had disappeared.

"Always what?" Apache asked, straightening people and buckling them into their seats. "This crazy? This quick? What?"

"This hard to work with?"

"Hard to work with?" Apache said, looking back at him. "Let me point out a couple things, Kim. She's here on my whim. She's done everything she's been asked to do. She has not tried to kill you even once yet, which she has done with my dates and senior agents before. Baby doesn't get much more cooperative than this."

"I'm doomed."

"If you had read our reports you would have realized that before you asked for us."

Kim started to say something, but at that moment two unconscious pilots came tumbling out of the cockpit.

"Do go take care of them, will you Kim?"

"Does it matter to you that I'm the senior agent, and I should be giving the orders?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter to me much at all," Apache said, grinning. "You can go ask Baby if it matters to her, if you like. I'll be at the other end of the plane."

"Ah. I'll just go see to the pilots, shall I?"

"Sounds like a wise idea."

Apache continued to make certain everyone, including the stewards, were all in place. She had no idea what her sister might do. In fact, she found herself far more worried about what Baby planned than what the Van intended for them. She wondered if she should mention that to Kim, but he seemed to be having enough trouble accepting the situation he had gotten himself into.

She tried to feel sorry for him. She really did.

"Apache, you there?" Baby said over the intercom.

Apache walked over to the intercom. "No, I'm not here. Kim and I decided we'd rather go out for dinner and dancing."

"Ah, good. Then I can have full discretion to do whatever the hell I please?"

Somewhere farther up in the craft she heard Kim give a startled, and rather panicked, yelp.

"By all means."

"Aaaaaiiiiiieeeee!"

"What was that?" Baby asked.

"Kim getting a little too excited."

"Right."

Kim had come racing back through the plane and caught hold of her arm. He looked rather worried for the first time.

"You just gave your sister permission to do whatever she pleases!"

"Yes?"

"Have you never read her file, you fool! Do you know what she did with the last jet she had in her hands?"

"Well, yes. I was with her at the time. Unconscious for a good part of it, but I was in the same plane. I seem to remember a rather unorthodox landing and something about playing chicken with -- what was it? A squadron of RAF jets that refused to get out of the way?"

He stopped and stared at her for a long, silent moment.

"It had not occurred to me until now, but you are quite as crazy as your sister, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," she said, smiling. "We come as a team. You should have wondered how we had both survived each other for so long."

"Yes, a stupid mistake," he said. "Am I going to survive it?"

"You might. Baby hasn't killed you yet."

The plane bounced. Apache reached out and grabbed Kim, pulling him into her arms. She grinned and hit the comm. "Thanks, Baby."

"Thought you'd appreciate it," she said.

Kim looked at Apache, shaking his head. "She can't know ...You didn't ... I shouldn’t be here."

Apache gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and went up toward the front to be with her sister. She'd never trusted Baby's driving much. No telling where they might end up. Her sister had odd ideas of where they ought to spend their vacations.

Kim came scrambling up after her. She couldn't decide if that showed wisdom or not. But he came right into the cockpit with her and took the engineer's spot, doing such a nice quick check of the boards that she suspected he might even know what he was doing. Good. One of them should.

Odd. When she arrived she could see nothing at all out of place. That worried her far too much.

"Okay, what the hell are you up to, Baby?"

"Hey, you're the one who said I could have fun," Baby replied. She flipped a number of switches, and then gently banked the plane to the south. "Communications is out, by the way. And so is radar."

"The authorities will likely believe we have already gone down in the ocean," Kim said.

"I figured that," Baby said. She turned the plane again. "Ah, there. That should do it."

They faced what looked like a dozen glowing balls of light, each twice the size of the jet.

"Those are Van fighters," Kim said. "A single one of them has the firepower to take out an entire Earth city in a couple shots."

"Oh, really," Baby said. She looked back at her sister. "Do get strapped in this time, unless you'd rather be unconscious for this one, too."

"There is a draw to that idea," Apache said. But she took the seat next to her sister anyway and pulled the belt into place.

Baby glanced at Apache, smiled, and turned away. Apache grabbed hold.

And they moved... in ways that jet planes probably shouldn't move at all. It did certainly seem to take the Van fighters by surprise, as well as Kim who yelped again, but didn't say anything more.

They swept toward -- and then under -- the fighters. The glow momentarily brushed across the plane. A good amount of the equipment sparked and went dead at that moment.

"Well, that's not good," Baby said.

Kim frantically worked at the engineering board. He said things in the language that Alan often used when he was in such close quarters with the Sangre sisters. Apache was almost to the point where she could understand it.

Baby had gone around the alien crafts somehow. She turned and headed back toward them.

"Why --" Kim said, still frantically working at his board.

"Because I have to assume that they are far too dangerous to leave at our backs."

"Ah. Yes."

Apache looked back at Kim. That he agreed with her sister... oh, that didn't look good at all. She considered literally bailing right then. It would probably be the wise thing to do. But, alas, she had her own reputation to protect.

Baby pushed all the power she could into the engines and leapt straight ahead. Closer -- time counted in rapid heartbeats -- and the touch of the green light --

The ships scattered. Scattered so quickly, in fact, that two of them had an unfortunate collision, and they kind of bounced --

"Oh, look -- we're playing bumper ships! My favorite!"

Baby swung the jet around again and charged straight at another craft. It seemed to shift right, left up -- and Baby slid right under it, green light illuminating the jet, and for a moment Apache could see the craft inside, bristling with what looked like canons, all swinging in their direction --

"Baby?"

"No problemo."

And apparently it was not. The jet turned and light flashed by on all sides. They did not, apparently, take a hit.

And then they headed straight into the clouds and the heart of the storm. The plane hit the turbulence and bounced, but Baby and Apache fought it back into order as best they could.

"What now?" Apache said.

"As much as I would like to play a few more games, we do have more passengers than I'm willing to risk," Baby said. She flipped switches and shook her head. "No good. I can get us to London and land -- well, as long as no one warns the RAF that I'm the one piloting. We wouldn't have a chance in hell if that got out."

"How do we explain all of this?" Apache said, waving a hand back toward the rest of the people."

"We won't have to," Kim said. He flipped a few more switches. "The humans -- the people are in a light trance state. I can convince the crew that everything went well, despite a malfunction in the electrical unit and a loss of communications. I think we will be close enough to on time that they need not consider anything else, right?"

"Right," Apache said. She nodded her approval. "Need help?"

"How long do we have, Baby?" Kim asked.

"A little less than an hour," she said.

"Then yes, I think you had best help me," Kim answered. "I'll show you how to handle this."

"Fine." Apache nodded and stood.

And then she saw Kim reach over and put a hand on Baby's shoulder -- that got a startled reaction from her sister. "You did well, Baby. But no more bumper ships, all right?"

"Only if they stay out of my sight," she said and grinned back at him.

"Fair enough," he said and left the cockpit.

Baby looked back at her sister, shaking her head. "We should have looked at his file, you know. I suspect, maybe... this could be dangerous, the three of us..."

"I don't want to think that, Baby. I really don't."

"It was your idea."

"And I'm going to suffer for it now, aren't I?"

"Oh, well -- I had intended that anyway."

"True. Don't crash. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Baby nodded and went back to the work of flying a jet with quite a few of the controls not working. Apache watched her for a moment, and then went to help Kim. And she tried very hard not to think this could get worse, and that maybe her sister had things better in hand than she did. No. That thought really troubled her far too much to consider.

She'd be happy to get back on the ground.

Seven


The plane put down with a bit of hoopla, because of the bad communications, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Airport personnel came to greet the passengers. The only panic hit when the airport manager saw the Sangre Sisters had been on the flight.

"God help us," he whispered. He stepped up in front of the two, but he looked at Apache. "Tell me that she never had her hands on the controls."

"I'd be glad to tell you that. She never had her hands on the controls."

He looked at Baby. She smiled.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God."

And he hurried away. Kim, who had been ahead of them had turned back, shaking his head. "Well, at least there is no way that he'll ever really know."

"Well, not until they dust for prints, of course," Baby said.

"You forgot to remove your prints?" Kim said.

"Forgot? Of course I didn't forget," Baby answered. "But this way the poor man will have his answer. He would have suspected it for the rest of his life anyway. People like that deal far better with facts than imagination."

"I'm going to go arrange for a private jet," Apache said. "We don't dare take public transportation any more."

"Good plan," Kim said. He looked past them toward a growing commotion. The name Sangre seemed to be growing louder. "Do be quick."

"No time for sightseeing?" Baby said as she leaned against a wall. The airport manager looked her way. She waved. Then, as he started screaming louder, she turned back to Kim. "You're marked now, you know. He'll never forget the face of someone who stood with the Sangre sisters."

"I'm not surprised." Kim waved as well, and Baby smiled. She could get to like this guy. "But then I marked myself with some far more interesting people then those here on -- around here when I asked for the two of you."

"So why did you do it?"

"I wanted to meet Apache."

Baby sighed. "Story of my life."

"And I needed a team quickly who wouldn't ask questions about the nature of the job. You two actually surpassed yourselves there, since I thought you would at least ask where you were going."

"That would have taken far too much of the fun out of this assignment," Baby said. But she nodded. "Okay, I can see where Apache and I, having dealt with the alien side of this mess already, were a natural choice. But tell me what kind of trouble this puts us in with. . . those other interesting people you know."

"Alan stands between you and them. He's a very powerful man in a very dangerous position. No one expected Earth to be such. . . ."

"Trouble?"

"Oh yes, that is the word exactly."

"I rather suspected it would be, having hung around here for so long and all."

"It is a wonder that you and your sister have survived so long," Kim said. He looked entirely too serious now, and Baby wondered about the change. "You have had a few close calls."

"Yes, we have," she said. Serious as well, and that seemed to take him by surprise. "I'm not really sure if we've survived because we're crazy, or we're crazy because we've survived."

"Ah. Ah." He nodded, and she suspected that made a whole lot more sense to him than it should have.

"Tell me about how you grew up," Baby said.

He gave her a startled look. "Maybe,when we have more time. It deserves a longer tale, the story of life at court. Besides, the riot is nearly about to start, and your sister is frantically waving at you to get moving."

"I know," Baby said. "Every now and then I like her to realize that I'm not at her beck and call."

"And you do this at a time when others are starting to get frantic for their own reasons?" Kim said, waving toward the passengers and airport personnel who stared, their voices growing louder again.

"Oh yes," Baby said. "I choose my times very carefully. They must have figured out that something odd had happened, but they're not really sure what. Ah well, if Apache is that anxious to head for the mountains and the snow, I'm certainly not going to slow her down any more. I should warn you that she loathes snow, by the way. If I were you, I'd go and have it cleared away before we get there."

As they walked away, Kim had the look of someone considering having Tibet cleared of the white stuff. Wise man.

Apache led them to a small jet that the ground crew had started servicing already. Baby didn't want to think how much this was going to cost -- but at least it would be on FUTURE's bill this time. She climbed in and started toward the controls, but Kim actually pushed past her this time.

"You and your sister can rest for a while," he said. He grinned when she started to protest. "Really. I insist, at least until we're out of British airspace and away from the RAF."

"Fast learner," Apache said, throwing herself into one of the little chairs. "Sit down, Baby. Let the man earn his keep. We don't often get chauffeured to work."

"Excellent point," Baby said. She sat down and smiled at Kim who looked as though he wanted to reconsider the situation again and redefine his senior agent status. "Let's do go, Kim. We'd hate to be caught up with the rabble causing so much trouble in the airport, now would we?"

He glanced back out the door as he swung it shut, looked at the Sangre sisters for a moment, and then headed for the controls. Baby kicked back and watched out the window, waiting for whatever trouble came after them. Kim, at least, quickly talked his way through security and got them off the ground.

He did have another quick discussion with someone in which he repeatedly swore that Morning Glory Sangre did not have the controls, nor would she as long as they flew in British airspace.

"You know, I'm tempted to pick up a car license in Great Britain, just to see what kind of reaction I would get," Baby said.

"Yeah, that might be fun," Apache agreed. "We'll have to try it out sometime. Though I suggest we come into the country quietly -- say by boat. That way they won't have any warning at all."

"You two do this sort of thing for fun?" Kim asked.

"Oh yes," Apache replied. "And don't give us that look. Considering that you're doing the same with the Van, and with us as hamsters --"

"Gophers," Baby corrected.

"Guinea Pigs?" Kim asked, looking back at them, obviously terribly confused.

"Whatever. You are using us as small rodent-type creatures --"

"Loses something in the translation," Baby said.

Kim made a strangled little sound and turned his full attention back to the controls. Baby and Apache grinned, and kicked back to get a little sleep while they could.



Eight


Baby knew something had gone wrong the moment her sister gently tried to wake her up with a soft touch on her arm and a whisper of words.

"You need to wake up now, Morning Glory --"

She came straight awake, sitting up so fast that Kim had to leap back out the way.

"See," Apache said. "I told you that would work."

"What the hell has gone wrong?"

"We're down in Italy."

"I don't recall that we were going to Italy," she said. "I missed something?"

"A dogfight with two more Van ships. I let Kim have the fun this time, but he says there are far too many of them up there for us now, and it's better that we take to ground cover for awhile."

"No more bumper ships?" she asked, looking out the window.

"Not over a populated area," Kim said.

She nodded and still stared outside. "We seem to have a definite lack of civilization out there."

"I landed on an old World War II airstrip," Kim explained. "And I used equipment that kept us off the radar. The locals are not likely to know that we're here."

"I want that equipment," Baby and Apache chorused.

"Later," he said, and he seemed to mean it. "We need to get out of the plane and to some better cover. The Van will know we landed in this area, and the little toys I used won't particularly slow them down. We don't want to be sitting in such a nice open target."

"I suppose we're going to have to walk, right?" Baby said with a sigh.

"I fear so." Kim stopped and looked at her. His eyes flickered down to her leg and back. "This is not a problem?"

"Not really," she said. "I have managed to survive assignments where I've had to walk before, you know. I've even had to run a couple times, but then you get used to that if you live with Apache for long."

"Oh, like you've never started trouble that I've had to run from," Apache said as she stood and stretched.

"Of course not. Everyone knows you're the troublemaker."

"Shall we go back to the Reservation and put it up for a vote?" Apache asked.

"Well, if you think that's wise," Baby said, and started out ahead of her sister. "But I think if we were that blatant about having them consider all the trouble you and I have started, we might as well plan on it being our last visit there for awhile."

"True."

Kim followed, closing the craft up behind them. Baby looked back at it, wondering if maybe she could... well, drive it to town. But that might not be wise. She didn't know the direction, after all.

A biting wind blew down from the mountains behind them. She could feel snow in the air -- though it would likely be warmer tomorrow. She wondered where they would be for Thanksgiving this year, and if she should mention the fact that they were working yet another holiday.

"Any idea where we are?" Baby asked.

"Italy," the two chorused.

Apache and Kim looked at each other, startled. Baby decided to just stay out of this one. In fact, she felt a strong temptation to maybe slip off into the countryside, do a little ruin exploring... far away from these two.

"We're somewhere between the heel and the toe," Apache said. "Cosenza is a few miles west of here, if I have things right."

"Oh, nice," Baby said. She looked around the dark night, noting mountains on all sides and nodded. "Can we stay long enough to look for Alaric?"

"You know someone here?" Kim said, suspicious and worried.

"Alaric the Goth, died about 1600 years ago," Apache said.

"Yes? And that means you don't know him? Why then would you want to look him up?"

"It's a part of Earth history, Kim," Apache said. "He was a warrior who took Rome -- you know about Rome?"

"Oh yes. We study all the great warrior states. Seems... wise, somehow."

"Alaric is at least someone you don't have to worry about," Apache told him.

"We worry about every Earther, dead and living. It makes us -- "

"Even more paranoid than Apache and me," Baby offered.

"Very careful," he said. He gave her a smile.

"I can see how careful you are," Apache said. "Joining up with Baby and me and all."

"Oh, but far better with you than against you."

Well, they couldn't exactly argue with that one...

They followed a road for a little while, then a narrow path that wound through the foothills and down toward the plain where two rivers headed toward the Tyrrhenian shore. Baby would have preferred being here, say, in late summer. The freezing weather didn't exactly make the countryside more enduring.

She almost said as much before she remembered that they would head for Tibet next. Best not to bring up cold, snow, and other unpleasantness to remind Apache of the work ahead.

So she followed docilely down the hillside, through the rows of new housing, toward the distant freeways and thriving metropolis. Apache apparently had a goal in mind, or if she didn't, she pretended very well. Some times Baby couldn't even tell the difference.

Apache bought a car at the first car lot they found, which helped a great deal, especially in getting across those freeways. In an hour she had traded the first car for something far more to her liking, and they took to the road, heading northward.

"Are we going to drive all night?" Baby asked.

"No," Apache said. "Maybe as far as Naples tonight, then sleep through most of tomorrow and start out toward sunset again. That a problem, Kim? Or do you think the three of us would be inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed in broad daylight?"

"Sounds most wise," he said with a bow of his head. "Although the Van... well they have ways of finding us, day or night."

"We noticed that last Christmas," Baby said, leaning forward from the back seat. "Odd little devices that seemed very capable of tracking Apache and me in the Arizona mountains. Will being in among other humans help?"

"Well, it probably would if I weren't along," he said.

Tempting, Baby thought. And she knew Apache thought the same thing. Kim, wisely, changed the subject, which somehow drifted quickly toward the differences between Terran and alien anatomy. With a shake of her head, Baby leaned back and tried to go to sleep. She had not joined FUTURE to be a chaperon to her sister, although the way her career had been going lately, it didn't seem so bad. As she drifted off, she tried to remember why exactly she had joined. Apache said it had been a true sign of insanity, and she should know -- after all, she had become a FUTURE agent as well.

She napped all the way to Naples and found the two still discussing anatomy by the time Apache found them a hotel. Baby barely kept from saying that she seemed in a hurry to get to a room. Baby and Kim went in to register while Apache dealt with the car. Baby knew her sister's methods. They would be driving something else in the morning.

Kim appeared to be fluent in Italian, but he let Baby make the room arrangements. The night clerk looked suspiciously at them, but Baby's Gold Card proved a good salve for his dislike, and he handed over the room key with only a little sniff of disdain.

The old historic hotel, although well kept, had an air of decadence, but the single elevator didn't work. Baby looked at it with a sigh of regret and turned toward the stairs, Kim walking with her.

The staircase looked like it had come out of some fancy Hollywood movie. She half expected to see Errol Flynn come leaping around the curve and slide down the banister.

"Problem?" Kim asked.

"Stairs are my one true bane," she admitted, going slowly up the steps. The knee didn't move much with the brace.

"Ah, of course. You booked us only one room," Kim said, looking at her. "Why?"

"Because I am not spending the night alone."

He laughed, but then bowed his head in agreement. He didn't press her to hurry up the stairs. Lucky she had booked a room on the second floor. He went to the end of the hall, checking the fire escape while she got the door open. She thought about going and checking the fire escape herself, but she could do that a little later. It wouldn't hurt to show a little confidence in his ability, after all.

The room turned out to be rather nice -- plush carpet, the scent of real wood, and a décor of dark blues and greens. The bathroom looked large, and done in real marble. She went to one window and checked it, while Kim checked another. He tended to look up at the sky more than at the ground. She supposed she should start getting into that habit.

"Safe enough for now," Baby said. She pulled a chair over by the window and sat down, stretching her leg out a little. The car had been cramped, the stairs an annoyance.

Kim sat on the foot of the bed and looked at her, his head tilted. "May I ask you a question?"

"Certainly. It doesn't mean I will answer it."

He smiled again. "I like the two of you. Even knowing what I am, you are not put off by it."

"Senior agents have never impressed us over much," she said.

He laughed again and made that same little elegant bow of agreement. "I suppose not. But my question -- what happened to your leg?"

She looked at him, surprised this time.

"It is too personal?" he asked, looking worried.

"No, not at all. It's in my files, after all. I assumed you would know."

"My apologies. I am not as good at reading your languages as I am at speaking them."

"Fair enough. Apache and I were still cops in Phoenix --"

"Cops?"

"Police. The case we were working on went bad, and as it happened, there was a FUTURE agent involved. One of our own people had gone over to the other side. Apache and I tracked him down. He put a bullet straight through my knee."

"He did it purposely."

"Oh yes. He told me that we'd ruined his career, so he intended to ruin mine. And it did get me off the police force, but I joined FUTURE as soon as I was on my feet again."

"And Apache just came along, naturally."

"Apache does nothing naturally," Baby warned. She looked out the window, seeing her sister walking by. She'd be up to the room soon. "Actually, she spent a year and a half in the mountains of Tibet before she joined FUTURE."

"A year and a half? Why?"

"Vacation."

"But she hates snow," Kim protested.

"Very much so. It does show you the lengths to which she will go to get away from me, though. She knew that because of my injured leg I would have a hard time mountain climbing to find her."

"What made her come back?"

"She didn't, actually, until after I parachuted in."

"And you did this because?" he asked, looking fascinated.

"I needed help on a mission. I had a partner already, but he'd gone squirrelly on the first day. I didn't trust him. That turned out to be uncommon wisdom. Apache ended up killing him."

"Double agent?"

"No, just a homicidal maniac."

"And your missions, they've continued like this ever since?"

"That was one of the tame ones, to be honest," she said. "And this last year, with the Van and all-- well, it's been interesting, at least. I would hate to have to quit being a spy because it got boring. I don't know what kind of trouble Apache and I would have to find then."

"Gods help us if that ever happened. I shall tell Alan that you must be kept adequately employed and amused."

She laughed this time. And by then she heard Apache in the hall. Kim must have as well. Good. She liked to think he could guard, if need be.

Apache knocked, and Kim let her in. She looked around the room once and nodded.

"And your room is where?" she said, looking at Baby.

"Right here," she said.

"You are not my chaperon."

"And like I told Kim, I am not spending the night alone. We're going to have to take turns guarding, you know. Or did that part of the assignment slip your mind during that rather long and detailed anatomy discussion?"

Apache growled. Never a good sign. Baby held her place and Apache finally gave in.

"All right, fine. I'm going to take a shower and get some sleep."

She turned and stalked to the bathroom, all but slamming the door shut.

"Ah --" Kim said.

"She took that pretty well," Baby said. "She didn't even draw a weapon. I'm impressed."

"That was good?" he said.

"Oh yes. Very good. Kim, can I make a suggestion?"

"Certainly."

"A nice warm shower is a wonderful place to make a closer study of anatomy differences."

"Pardon?" he said, his eyes going wide.

"She didn't lock the door."

He smiled quite brightly and headed into the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.

At least they were quiet...



And she really hated to interrupt them, but an hour after they went into the bathroom, trouble started showing up on the street. And on the roof across the street.

She knocked on the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Apache demanded.

"Fine, fine. I'll go handle the Van invasion force by myself, shall I?"

"Well why the hell do you think I brought you along?" Apache asked.

"Then I get to do whatever I want?"

"Sure --"

The bathroom door burst open, and a figure darted out, nearly knocking Baby down. Kim at least had his pants on, though he had his shirt in hand and his long hair looked snarled and wild. "No! No, not even for a few more moments with your sister, will I turn you loose upon the world."

Apache came out of the room, fully dressed, her hair combed, and a knife in hand. Well, it didn't surprise Baby to find out her sister had rather kinky tastes. And Apache had probably warped poor Kim beyond any saving now. God knew what the man would tell the rest of his people about humans and sex.

She trusted her sister had at least been creative, but she really didn't intend to pry for the details. Besides, Kim had already crossed the room and shouted in dismay as he saw the enemy outside.

"He is rather excitable, isn't he?" Baby said, watching Kim pull his shirt on with haste while he stared out the window, obviously marking the locations of the enemies. "You'd think he didn't trust me out on my own or something."

Kim had begun something in that other language again, but when he turned back to the two, he did look nominally saner. "A Van elite attack squad. They are serious this time. I had not expected it, though I cannot say I am truly surprised. They are getting more desperate and daring. I suspect they can not find the cell, and they fear that we will."

"And what exactly would we do with it if we got it?" Apache asked.

"Oh no. No. I will not make it easier for you."

Apache smiled. And she tossed the knife to Baby, who caught it easily, startling Kim again. She suspected that he wasn't used to bladed weapons.

"The Van use weapons that do not require that they get close to you," Kim warned.

Baby tossed the knife and embedded it in the door, right in the 'you are here' section of the hotel diagram.

"I don't have to get close either," she said. She went to the door and pulled the knife out. "I'm going to check the fire escape since I suspect we have company coming that way."

"Take this," Apache said. She tossed her sister a second weapon -- one of the fancy little guns they'd taken from the Van earlier in the year.

"You know how to use that?" Kim said, looking worried yet again.

"Oh yes. And don't worry, I won't melt anything, or leave a bunch of dead Van lying around the streets of Naples. I really don't want to be caught here during the ensuing panic and riot over finding aliens on earth."

"Ah, yes. Of course." He drew his own gun that looked like the one Baby had caught, and the one Apache drew out of her bag as well. "Take care, Morning Glory."

She nodded and slipped out of the room. The hall had remained empty. She hoped the rest of the patrons slept through this.

Then she went back to the door and pushed it open and, looking back inside. Apache and Kim already stood with their arms around each other.

"Stop that right now," she said. "We have work to do."

"Honestly, I'm never taking you on a date with me again," Apache said.

"Yeah, I've heard that one before."

She left. Apache had a gun in her hand, and Baby didn't want to know if she would use, or at what setting. Besides, she could see some fun waiting for her at the fire escape -- a dark head with a definite green tint at the edge of the window. She slipped over to the side of the hallway and waited while they did the work of getting the lock open. Baby could have done it much faster, but she didn't want to show off.

The Van started to climb in, but before more than the head had entered, Baby had her knife to the intruder's neck. That did stop her.

"Hi. My name is Baby Sangre. And you are?"

"You people are doomed--"

"Well, listen Doomed. I'm not real big on being followed around and having my nights interrupted. I'm the polite one, by the way. You don't want to have this conversation with my sister. So, what do you say we have a nice little discussion on Earther manners another day and another place?"

The Van moved, and quickly -- but Baby had been watching for the signs, and as the woman brought her arm up, Baby slapped it back. The Van ended up slapping herself in the face.

And she went very still -- glassy eyed and waiting. Baby, who had been on the other side of that drug, knew exactly what to do now.

"Go and gather all your friends and take them back home," Baby said. "Do it immediately. You will not take no for an answer."

The Van turned around and headed straight back down the stairwell, grabbing one of her companions along the way. When that one protested, she hit her across the back of the head and draped the limp body over her shoulder. And kept going.

"Oh my," Kim said from behind her. "That was very well done. My compliments."

They could hear a disagreement down in the street. It got louder. She saw a flash of blue.

"So, supposing she does manage to gather them all, how long will it take until the drug wears off?"

"Oh, I would say half way back to the Van worlds," Kim said. "She is not going to be happy with you."

"Yes, well she interrupted my night. She got what she deserves. Go on back to the room. I'll keep watch here for a while, though from the sounds of things we aren't likely to have more trouble from them tonight."

Kim stood there looking at Baby. Then he looked back toward the room's door for a moment before he looked at Baby again and gave a gracious bow.

At least it kept Apache out of trouble.



Nine


They left Naples just before noon the next day. The leisurely morning, which included a room service breakfast, put all three of them in a better mood. So did see on the news that rival gangs had apparently had a confrontation in a Naples suburb, but no sign of the groups could be found the next day.

Baby slid down the banister the next day, much to the amusement of her sister and Kim, and not much to the hotel people. Baby explained in rather fluent, and colorful, Italian that she would have much rather used the elevator, but if they preferred, she could rappel down the outside of the building in the future.

They took her surprisingly seriously.

Apache arrived with a slightly more comfortable car when they went out in the late morning.

Baby settled into the back seat of the car where she had lots of room to stretch out this time. She mistrusted it, but nonetheless, she slept for most of the way to Rome. It wasn't a matter of trust. She just needed the sleep. Besides, Apache and Kim had begun discussing clothing, and that turned out to be even more boring than the anatomy discussion.

A small jet waited for them at an airport outside of Rome. It looked enough like the previous one that Baby half suspected it had followed them like a lost puppy. These days she didn't discount any possibilities.

They took off without a problem, heading upward and northeastwardly, toward the mountains. Baby avoided discussion about that destination (and a possible fist fight with her sister) by going back to sleep again. She'd long ago learned that sleep was her natural survival instinct kicking in.

And she woke up to the scent of turkey, pumpkin pie... all the trimmings.

"Ah, you did remember," Baby said, sitting up.

Kim looked back from the pilot's seat, frowning. "You will not even ask how she managed it?"

"Should I?" Baby asked. "Bottom line -- do I really want to know?"

"Ah. Okay." He turned back to the piloting.

"Any sign of trouble?"

"No. So it should hit at any moment," Apache said, sitting a plate of food in her sister's lap. "Eat fast. We're very nearly over Tibet."

She glanced out the window. White. Mountains.

"Looks cold."

"Yeah."

She glanced at Apache, but her sister had turned her own attention to the food. Baby didn't trust that much at all, either. And the fact that the meal went very well only put her in a more anxious state.

"This is about it," Kim said."

"Good. Baby, time for a walk."

"Pardon?"

Apache took the plates and came back with a parachute. She tossed it to Baby. "Get ready."

"Look, Apache, hermana mia --"

"Or you could go out without it."

Baby stood and pulled the parachute on. Apache handed her a large duffle bag. "You'll need that."

"One minute to drop zone," Kim said.

"See you later," Apache said. She already had her hand on the door.

"Look, if you wanted some time alone with him --"

She shoved the door open and pushed her sister out.

Baby thought maybe they should have discussed this first. . . .


Ten


"Do you really think that was wise?" Kim asked.

"Oh no. She's going to be pissed as hell. But it was fun," Apache said. She fought the door closed again and stood there, grinning. "And we do finally get a little time alone."

"Very little. I estimate that the Van will be on us in the next two minutes."

"Ah. Too bad." Apache walked forward to the cabin and slid into the copilot seat. "Baby will be on the western edge of the search zone. I think we'll still make the eastern edge. Any lock on the cell?"

"Only a vague one," he said. He tossed Apache a small device that she caught. "Homing beacon, locked into the photonic cell's power gradient. That will get you to it."

She pushed it into her pocket, and looked up at the sky where something flashed bright overhead. "We have company."

"Yes, we do. Ready for your own walk?"

"Not really, but I suspect the Van are not going to listen to reason. What do you think they are going to try?"

"I have no idea what Van think," Kim said. He sounded, if nothing else, rather tired of the game. "I can set the plane to home on one of their ships. That should keep them busy for a while."

"Oh good." Apache took the controls for a moment while he manipulated a rather non-standard device he had shoved onto the board. The controls no longer obeyed her hands at all, so she let go and stood.

Kim nibbled at a dinner roll as they went back to the door. A shame they didn't have time to stay for desert. She pulled on a parachute and he picked up a bag that looked much like the one Baby had taken with her.

He wrapped his arms tight around her as she opened the door.

It proved to be a very interesting jump. A shame it came to an end in the snow. But then again, maybe she'd just not been in the snow with the right people. Really, rolling around with Kim in her arms wasn't so bad.

A shame about the Van ship strafing them, though. She'd have to discuss this behavior with them later. At the moment she and Kim scrambled through the snow and down a hillside, looking for the best cover they could find.

The Van stopped paying them much attention, though, when the plane they had been in started playing 'moth to the flames' with them, trying to annihilate itself against whichever of the glowing globes came closest. They tried to shoot at it, but the plane had an uncanny ability to throw itself into the direct path of another Van ship, and they ended up hitting two of their own in quick succession.

By then she and Kim had managed to get down the hillside and stood on the edge of a cliff with a breathtaking -- and it wasn't just the thin air -- view of the mountains around them. She'd have stood there longer if it hadn't been for the Van still looking for them.

"You have the homing device?" Kim asked.

He brushed snow from his jacket sleeve as though he had found some offending bit of dust. She didn't think the cold affected him much. Fine. She could do the same.

"Yes, I have it," she said. She pulled it out of her pocket and held it out. The screen brightened, then dulled as she pointed it toward him. It went very dark when she pointed it back the way they came, and a bare hint of light to the right. Forward brightened, up dulled. She pointed down the cliff and it glowed like a tiny nova gone off in her hand.

They both looked down.

It looked as though the mountain had been sliced off. The cliff dropped for at least half a mile, down into the darkness of shadows, an abyss that she couldn't even see into.

"Well, that looks promising," Kim said.

A Van ship swept down from the summit toward them, its laser cannon searing a line of melted snow and rock as it came toward them.

Kim pulled her close.

And they jumped. The Van ship went overhead, sweeping past as they fell, the parachute fluttering feebly. The ship disappeared again, and Apache viciously shook the halter straps, but it didn't open.

"So help me, if you don't open, you are going to be so sorry --"

"I think we'll be the ones a bit more sorry," Kim said, breathlessly.

"Don't count on it."

The parachute opened, caught, and slowed their descent. They swept too close to the cliff side, and Apache swung them outward away from the rocks and to the longer drop. She ignored the cold... or maybe she just didn't feel it as much with Kim wrapped so tightly around her still.

She tried not to feel guilty about insinuating that there hadn't been another parachute back on the plane. She'd just not mention that part.

"Do you think they know we're still alive?" Apache asked. The ground -- white and wide -- spread out below them. All in all, she thought she might like the flying part better than the hiking part.

"I suspect they think we fell to our deaths," Kim said. "I don't know if they will come to look for the bodies. Where do you think Baby is?"

"The other side of the valley. If the cell is between us, we should be able to meet up there."

"She doesn't have a homing device."

"Baby doesn't need one. She's going to be so mad about me shoving her out the plane that she'll find me no matter where I go. Since we're going to the cell, she'll be heading in the same direction. She'll keep that path cleared of any trouble."

"And besides, now we finally get some time alone."

"Right."

They hit the ground, rolled -- damned cold, deep snow. Apache sat up and held out the homing device. It glowed brightly as she pointed it straight ahead. Kim stood, started to brush snow from his legs, and stopped.

"Well, that would be useless, wouldn't it?" he said.

Apache unhooked the parachute and stood, reaching for the bag they had dragged down with them. Snow shoes, food, coats, tent, supplies of all sorts packed into the little space. Before long, she and Kim went merrily on their way.

Well, merrily wasn't the exact word, but at least they had started moving.

And the discussion of clothing styles turned out to be very... interesting.


Eleven


Baby climbed up over another damned snow dune and looked out across the valley. More snow. What a surprise. After three days of this little jaunt, she had started coming up with ever more creative ways to let her sister know how thoroughly unhappy she was at this little trip. Probably just as well that she could see no one in sight. She had an uncommonly strong desire to beat the hell out of something right now.

Something moved in the air. Baby had gotten used to seeing the Van ships, and she knew to dive straight into the snow, although for half a heartbeat she considered standing her ground. However, she might not survive an unarmed battle with a space ship -- which meant she wouldn't have her chance to have words with Apache about this, and that finally overcame her anger. She threw herself into the snow dune, burrowing downward. She had begun to feel like a damn frozen hamster. Gopher. Whatever.

Before long she heard the whistling sound of the ship going past. She waited, and as usual it came back not long afterwards. Far too predictable, these Van. And annoying-- a bad combination, and they would find that out as soon as she had words with her sister. First things first.

By the time she had pulled herself back out the snow and wrapped the parachute around her again, the sun had started to go down. A cold wind blew down the mountainside, and she pulled down her ski mask and pushed her hands into her pockets again. And started walking.



Sometime around midnight she started hearing Sibelius. The Finlandia Tone Poem, in fact, and quite possibly the Sir Colin Davis version. This didn't upset her nearly as much as it probably should have. After all, she had a secret liking for Sibelius. The fact that she could see absolutely no sign of civilization didn't bother her much at all. She'd encountered far strangers things in the last year.

Actually, she was about to surprise someone -- a group of people, in fact -- far more than they could ever have surprised her...

She saw the igloos at the bottom of the hill, each with a goat or two guarding the roofs. The goats looked very unhappy with the terrain. Someone came out of an igloo and picked up one of the goats, carrying it to the feeding pen. Obviously the animals had stopped walking in the snow some time before.

They looked like a harmless, friendly enough group, with a nice taste in music. When the man had deposited the goat, he turned around and headed back toward his igloo. Baby thought he looked oddly familiar, even swaddled in furs, goat skins, and what looked suspiciously like a Bedouin robe.

The incline between her and the village looked smooth. She stepped forward and let momentum take her the rest of the way.

"Hi there!" she said, sliding into the middle of the village.



Twelve


"Odd. I don't think we're anywhere near Finland."

"What --" Kim said his head tilted slightly.

"Sibelius," Apache said. "Nice version, too."

"Music," he said, looking back at her as though she had gone mad, rather than the world around them.

"Yes. Music. You've heard music before."

"Not out in the middle of nowhere!"

"Huh. Well, you haven't spent time with Baby and me." She brought up the homing device and it glowed like a little star going off. "Yup. Music and photonic cell are in the same place."

Screams of terror...

"Ah, and that would be where Baby is as well."

Kim looked like his face had frozen into that perpetual 'this is not going well' look. But he still followed Apache down the incline and toward the screams. She wondered, really, why people always did that -- as though her heading for something somehow made it all right.

They found igloos at the bottom of the hill. Not exactly the sort of thing you expect to find in Tibet. (Or were they in Nepal, now? She had lost track.) But she didn't find Eskimos standing out in the middle of the little snow village. They found instead a group of former Future agents, whom she'd last seen in the Gobi Desert a few months before. They even still had their goats, though those animals didn't look happy. She didn't think she'd want to live with a herd of unhappy goats.

Mark spun at the sound of her approach.

"You're following me!" he accused.

"I am not following you," Apache answered indignantly.

"You expect me to believe that it's a total coincidence that you turned up in the Gobi Desert and the snow fields of Tibet?"

"Yes."

He stopped, and took several deep breaths. "You know, if it was anyone but you and your sister, I wouldn't believe it. But yeah. I can bet it is coincidence if you two are involved."

"I assume that Baby is around here somewhere?"

"Sh-she was," the man said, his eye starting to twitch. He looked frantically around while his companions began packing goats up in sleds. She thought she heard Antarctica mentioned a few times, and the words 'ends of the earth' in a tone that said it wouldn't be far enough. "I don't kn-know where sh-she went."

And obviously that unsettled him more than having Apache in his sights. She couldn't say she blamed him for that one. She didn't trust Baby much either. And under the circumstances --

A snowball hit her squarely in the back of the head. Kim leapt for cover and Mark and his team just hit the ground.

"Baby --"

She turned. A snowball hit her in the face. Oh my. Baby was not happy.

"Baby --"

The next snowball hit her. She hadn't seen it coming -- odd since it had a diameter of about six feet, and it flattened her to the ground.

A moment later a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her up through the layers of snow. She looked into the face of her rather perturbed sister.

"Next time you shove me out a damn plane into the snow, don't forget my coat."

"Oops."

"In fact, I'm tempted to take yours and leave you wandering around the wasteland with a parachute for warmth. Does that sound like fun?"

"Maybe. Can I take Kim?" she asked.

Baby shoved her back into the snow. And piled a bit more on top as well. And then rolled her for quite a ways until she found a nice slope...

By the time Apache had crawled back up again, she found Baby and Kim roasting marshmallows over a rather odd looking cook stove. It glowed with a florescent purple and green flickering light.

"Marshmallows. Great!"

Baby pulled them back and scowled. "Are you going to think about shoving me out a plane again?"

"That's not much of a challenge, Baby. I think about shoving you out of planes all the time."

She conceded that part with a little shrug and a sigh. Then she handed Apache a knife so that she could roast marshmallows, too.

The village looked abandoned, but when Apache looked toward the hillside she could see the former Future agents trudging off into the moonlit night, goats draped across their shoulders. It presented rather... unique silhouettes.

"So, this is what we came for?" Apache said, waving a hand toward the cook stove."

"Yeah. It kind of fell into their laps," Baby said. "I don't know why they didn't think of you and me then, and started running right away. Mark admitted that he should have considered of us immediately. At least that's what I think he said. He stutters something awful these days."

"Only when you are around. Or mentioned," Apache said. She sat down by Kim. "And we are waiting for the Van now?"

"Sure. See that cable?" Baby asked, waving toward a black line in the snow. "It runs back to the village power generator... well, where the generator used to be. Mark and his friends took it off with them, too. So Kim and I rigged up something fun in it's place."

"And that would be?"

"A trans gravitational pulse engine with an inverse to mass trigger," Baby said.

"And that means?"

"Well, let's just hope that the Van enjoy hiking through snow as much as I do," Baby said. She nibbled at a marshmallow.

Kim grinned.

So Apache sat down and waited for the show.



It started just a little bit before dawn while she and Kim were talking about food, clothing and anatomy, and her sister had starting to make noises like she was going to drop them both off a cliff soon. Sounded like fun to Apache.

But it turned out to be worth sticking around to see what happened when the Van ships -- four of the bright green glowing circles, came streaking across the sky and down at them.

Kim held up the homing device. Apparently it worked a little differently now. When he hit a button, a ray of light shot up from the center of the igloos, and then fanned out like a fancy laser light show.

It caught the four ships and held them in what looked like a bone-wrenching stop.

"Now that you have them, what are you going to do with them?" Apache asked.

"Oh, we'll just let them hang around for a while," Kim said. He shoved the device back in his pocket. He began to unhook the photonic cell as well. "The harder they try to pull away, the more it feeds power into the beam, so they're actually trapping themselves now. It's going to be a while before they figure that part out. The problem is, once they stop fighting it, the power will drain from their ships rather quickly and they're going to find themselves ass deep in the snow. I don't think we want to be here then. Each of those ships hold over three hundred Van."

"Ah. Yes," Apache said. She stood and stretched. "How long do we have?"

"About four days."

"Good. Time for a nice leisurely walk. I take it we can take the cell with us now?"

"Oh yes. They're powering the beam themselves now. Very nice, Baby. I never would have come up with this myself," Kim said. "Obviously the Van had every reason to worry about you two getting your hands on that cell."

"Any other technology you think we shouldn't have our hands on?" Apache asked.

He got a very panicked look suddenly.

Baby and Apache grinned. It looked like they were going to have a very nice walk back. . . .



Thirteen


When the three of them walked into the FUTURE headquarters in New York, they created quite a stir. It always happened when she and Apache showed up, but Baby couldn't decide quite why. After all, the building always survived, and no one had died there yet.

The man sitting at the front desk leapt up and ran, the guards scattered, and in a moment the lobby had completely emptied.

"I didn't even bring a pet this time," Apache said, shaking her head. "Baby --"

Baby had already sat down at the desk and clicked her way through some equipment. "Alan is in, but he's on the phone. I can't get through. We might as well just go up."

Kim looked around the area, shaking his head. "They moved faster than even Mark and his people."

"Probably helps to not be carrying goats," Baby observed.

Kim just nodded and followed along. The woman still stood her place at the security scanner, but after a moment she sighed and shook her head, then reached over and turned it off.

"The sooner you two are through the building, the sooner we can get back to work. And you would be?" she said, looking at Kim.

"Kim Tsing, senior agent."

She had to look him up on the computer. Kim didn't even seem particularly upset or surprised, and at least she did the work quickly and passed him through with the two.

"There is a very nasty little lizard that has taken up residence in the middle elevator. We've fire proofed it. Not sure you want to use that one."

"Oh, is that where she is," Apache said. "Good."

The woman just nodded.

It didn't surprise Baby when they stood before the middle elevator, waiting as the other two came and went before that one showed up. She'd rather have gotten all of this reporting crap done and gone for food a bit sooner -- the lack of Taco Bells in her life lately had been appalling -- but it was almost worth it when the door to the elevator snapped open and that dreadful little gecko stood there on her hind legs --

And panicked.

"Nooooooooooooooo....."

She huddled at the back as Baby and Apache stepped in. Kim watched the gecko, who had put both 'hands' over her mouth and had started burping smoke through her nose.

"I take it this... creature knows the two of you?" he said as he finally stepped in.

"Oh yes," Apache said. She stepped closer and leaned down. The lizard backed into the corner. "I'm thinking it might be time to pack her up and drop her back into the jungles of Africa. Nice little gecko like this ought to go far, don't you think?"

"No, no, no, noooooooooooo...."

"Hey, you know, I think she'd make a great addition to your pet collection," Baby said. "Between the camel and the intelligent seaweed --"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..........."

"Or she could stop bothering the people here at FUTURE," Apache said and leaned closer, looking the little creature in the face. "She could remember that there are worse places to be."

The gecko nodded, several times. Obviously she'd picked up a lot of the language since last May.

The elevator stopped. Baby and Kim stepped out. Apache waited a moment longer, still looking into the creature's wide-eyed face. "Do we have an understanding? If I hear you've created more trouble, Baby and I will come back and find you. And if you think that we can't, think again. I believe you left a very nice book of magic in that cave, and I'm sure it would be full of wonderful --"

The lizard fainted.

"Well, hell," Apache said. She stepped out and shrugged. "I think she got the point, at least."

"Yeah. Come on. I'm hungry."

The woman who sat at the desk outside Alan's office just looked at them, eye twitching (why did that happen so often, Baby wondered), and waved them in. She almost asked about Kim, but Baby just held up a hand.

"He's with us."

"Oh, sure. Fine."

Kim whispered a little curse. Or a prayer.

Alan stood with the phone in hand when they came in, talking in that 'other language' again, but that didn't matter much this time. There hadn't been much to do on that long hike out of the Himalayas, and Kim had taught them many things, including a few new languages.

"I don't know where they are! I don't know about any damned blackhole in the mountains, and Van ships sucked into it. What the hell were the damned Van ships doing there anyway? And I am not going to mount a rescue mission to save the nasty little bastards from a blackhole that doesn't exist --"

"Actually, it's a trans gravitational pulse engine with an inverse to mass trigger," Baby offered.

"AAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" He held the phone out, waving it like some kind of magic wand that would ... Baby wasn't sure what it was supposed to do. She didn't trust phones much, though. They tended to explode.

"Do you have a few minutes, Alan?" Kim asked. "I thought we could make a quick report. Then Apache and I are going out on a date."

"ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

"Put down the phone, Alan, before you do yourself harm," Apache suggested.

He dropped it. Kim picked it up. "Hello? Yes, we are back. Yes, I am alive, really. We had a very interesting trip. I'll file a report later."

"Much later," Apache said.

"Ack. Understands," Alan said, waving a hand toward Apache.

"We got bored," Kim said, putting the phone back on the desk. "So we traded languages. They're really quite adept at learning things."

"Ah. Eee." Alan sat down. "You... Van. Trap?"

"Baby's work," Kim said. The three of them took the chairs by the desk, and Alan pushed back a little, apparently to get more distance between them. At least his eye had stopped twitching. "Quite well done. I'm sure the Van were impressed."

Alan nodded, though it had a mechanical look. "They have four crashed ships that we're trying very hard to keep from the eyes of the Earthers. I'm going to have to send in a group to rescue them just so we don't start an even worse problem if the are found by locals."

"Personally, I'd leave them there until their toes turned fuchsia and fell off," Apache said.

"The cell -- it's what is powering the trap?" Alan asked, suddenly looking worried again.

"It did initially," Baby explained. "But once they fell into the trap, their own power fueled it. We took the cell out, don't worry."

"Oh. Excellent."

"And on our way home we visited Mishi Tananka and left it with him. He said he thinks it's just the missing piece he needs for his matter transmission device," Apache explained.

Alan started to say something. He squeaked instead.

"Well, if that's about it?" Kim said, standing.

Squeak.

"Excellent," Kim said, nodding. "Baby, can we give you a ride to the airport? I believe you'll be home in time for dinner at Taco Bell?"

"That's the plan," she said, standing. "You two sure you don’t want to join me? I mean we haven't finished our discussion about historical rebellions in the Dectu sector and their impact on modern day space ship design."

Squeak, Squeak.

"True. What do you think, Apache?"

"Oh hell, why not? It wouldn't be much of a date without Baby along."

Alan had his head down on the desk when they left.

And the gecko hung over the control keys of the elevator when they entered.

"Down, please," Apache said.

"Going down," the gecko squeaked...



The End

From: Alan Orion, Head of FUTURE
November something, I think
Report # -- Does it really matter any more? No one reads these things. I might as well be talking to myself. Or to the Sangres, for all the good it does me.

In reply to your previous request for information, I am forced to tell you, yet again, that I am not certain of the current whereabouts of either Morning Glory or Morning Star Sangre.

Nor am I going to go look for them.

Perhaps, if the council would actually take the time to read my previous reports, they would stop asking me this same question. I cannot track the Sangres. I would not even attempt to. It is far too dangerous.

I can, however, tell you that Agent Kim Tsing has asked to go on an assignment with the two despite my insistence that it might not be wise. That odd things happen when the Sangres are involved in anything. And that they have yet to come back with a senior agent in one piece. Or alive, for that matter.

I believe the Sangres are still on earth. I will not claim knowledge of either their location, or even the time frame.

And remember. . . . you can always have me replaced as the Head of the Terran Bureau.