saunter over by the food court, about twenty yards away, near a large loud gathering of children around an overworked, sunburned woman in a bulging dress. The children, pale and freckled, from two to eight, capered noisily among the tables. One boy, about six, was busily harassing his younger sister by poking and prodding her, and she began to cry. The woman saw this, yelled in a cigarette voice at the child, who promptly stuck his tongue out at her. She dropped her purse, covered the distance to the boy in three jiggling steps, and reared her arm back to deliver a star-inducing blow.
Maria, ten yards away, had observed all of this quietly, but the second the woman’s arm cocked back, she bounded over like a cheetah after a gazelle, and caught the woman’s arm in a viselike grip, throwing her off balance. The woman, startled, turned and narrowed her eyes at Maria. “Git your hands off me, lady. I’m keepin my boy in line,” in forty-grit sandpaper voice.
“There are better methods,” Maria said calmly, releasing the woman’s arm. The children were suddenly quiet, staring at her. “That’s not how you treat those weaker than you are.” The two security escorts were approaching to defuse the situation and appear invisible, and failing miserably.
“Git your bodyguards away from me, or I’ll call the cops, bitch,” the woman said.
Maria backed away, clasped her hands in front of her. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” The woman twisted her mouth to speak, but turned angrily on her heel and stalked off, the children in tow all looking back at Maria.
The trip lasted the entire afternoon, and Kelly judged it a success. Three more followed, and Maria became more adept at navigating her way through the consumer maze. She reported back to Crane, who took it all in with intense interest. The first time he saw her in one of the new dresses, in her room, out of the corner of her eye Kelly saw Crane halt, freeze, and heard his breath rush out, as if in recognition, seeing someone after a long absence.
The next day, she asked Maria about the incident in the mall. “You’re learning your lessons well, thanks to Tallulah here.” Maria held Tallullah to her breast, felt the vibrations of a rumbling purr. Tallulah relaxed, closed her eyes.
“Yes,” Maria replied. “It comes from the Book of Jeremiah, chapter twenty-three. But I also remember it from Before.”
“Before? Before when?”
“I’m not sure.”
10
“Fifty on one,” the leathery sergeant major said. “Doesn’t seem quite an even match.” He eyed Maria, in form-hugging set of camouflage BDU shorts, an olive t-shirt and tac boots, with her long curly dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“It will be, trust me,” Danner said.
She was in camouflage BDUs, the trousers and arms with a knife-edge crease, her colonel’s eagles shining in the summer sun. The sergeant major looked at Danner, then at Maria, and shook his head. There were a few confident smirks from the young soldiers in full combat gear standing behind him, taken from the 4th ID stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“You say so, ma’am.” He shot a glare at the soldiers, who immediately fell quiet.
Several Humvees sat off to the side; one of them had a canvas tent attached to the rear, with communications equipment and laptop computers set up on a table underneath it. Several soldiers were busy setting up the small intelligence center.
The plan was fairly simple, as it went. Maria would start from one location, having been given instructions to reach another point ten miles away, through some rough terrain. The two platoons of soldiers would start after her from a different point and try to intercept her. It was a variation of the old capture-the-flag exercise.
Kelly watched from a distance, fuming. Six weeks after their first shopping expedition, and after several other outings around Denver, Crane had announced the test to Kelly and Maria. Kelly had taken to having Maria read
Maria, ten yards away, had observed all of this quietly, but the second the woman’s arm cocked back, she bounded over like a cheetah after a gazelle, and caught the woman’s arm in a viselike grip, throwing her off balance. The woman, startled, turned and narrowed her eyes at Maria. “Git your hands off me, lady. I’m keepin my boy in line,” in forty-grit sandpaper voice.
“There are better methods,” Maria said calmly, releasing the woman’s arm. The children were suddenly quiet, staring at her. “That’s not how you treat those weaker than you are.” The two security escorts were approaching to defuse the situation and appear invisible, and failing miserably.
“Git your bodyguards away from me, or I’ll call the cops, bitch,” the woman said.
Maria backed away, clasped her hands in front of her. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” The woman twisted her mouth to speak, but turned angrily on her heel and stalked off, the children in tow all looking back at Maria.
The trip lasted the entire afternoon, and Kelly judged it a success. Three more followed, and Maria became more adept at navigating her way through the consumer maze. She reported back to Crane, who took it all in with intense interest. The first time he saw her in one of the new dresses, in her room, out of the corner of her eye Kelly saw Crane halt, freeze, and heard his breath rush out, as if in recognition, seeing someone after a long absence.
The next day, she asked Maria about the incident in the mall. “You’re learning your lessons well, thanks to Tallulah here.” Maria held Tallullah to her breast, felt the vibrations of a rumbling purr. Tallulah relaxed, closed her eyes.
“Yes,” Maria replied. “It comes from the Book of Jeremiah, chapter twenty-three. But I also remember it from Before.”
“Before? Before when?”
“I’m not sure.”
10
“Fifty on one,” the leathery sergeant major said. “Doesn’t seem quite an even match.” He eyed Maria, in form-hugging set of camouflage BDU shorts, an olive t-shirt and tac boots, with her long curly dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“It will be, trust me,” Danner said.
She was in camouflage BDUs, the trousers and arms with a knife-edge crease, her colonel’s eagles shining in the summer sun. The sergeant major looked at Danner, then at Maria, and shook his head. There were a few confident smirks from the young soldiers in full combat gear standing behind him, taken from the 4th ID stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“You say so, ma’am.” He shot a glare at the soldiers, who immediately fell quiet.
Several Humvees sat off to the side; one of them had a canvas tent attached to the rear, with communications equipment and laptop computers set up on a table underneath it. Several soldiers were busy setting up the small intelligence center.
The plan was fairly simple, as it went. Maria would start from one location, having been given instructions to reach another point ten miles away, through some rough terrain. The two platoons of soldiers would start after her from a different point and try to intercept her. It was a variation of the old capture-the-flag exercise.
Kelly watched from a distance, fuming. Six weeks after their first shopping expedition, and after several other outings around Denver, Crane had announced the test to Kelly and Maria. Kelly had taken to having Maria read
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