Chapter 35

Keetha felt electric.  “This was happening.  This was really happening,” she repeated in her mind over and over between the safe house and her transport.  She had to keep her composure because hololenses were everywhere – constantly scanning, continually assessing.  The slightest errant twitch could cause problems if anyone decided to look closely.

She had done what Amnon had asked of her, she briefed Drex and the Golds on the stepped-up timeline. She had braced herself for open rebellion, for resistence, and asumptions that there was no way they could make the adjustments in time.  But, to her delight, everything seemed to be coming together nicely.   There were a couple of questions about how early Drex and Katherine would need to arrive so as not to raise too many eyebrows, but that was quickly sorted out.  It really was the absolute best outcome for that meeting that she could have expected.

Keetha wanted to celebrate but didn’t know what to do that wouldn’t draw attention to the whole operation. Zungher Dol was about to lose all power over herself and her fellow citizens, and it was all she could do to keep her transport on the road and within proper speed limits.  She thought about seeing what Amnon was up to, but decided against it.  Any visible contact with him from this point forward would only cause more problems for those with suspicious minds.  Plus, he needed to concentrate on his part of the whole operation.

Earlier, when she met Amnon in his office, she saw fear and resolve in his eyes.  The fear she expected.  Who wouldn’t have fear when facing the overthrow of a warlord?  But it was the resolve that strengthened her heart.  She could work with any level of resolve regardless of any level of fear.  He had come so far in such a short amount of time.  Keetha had no idea how this operation would turn out, but she knew that if she made it to the other side and Merlain was once again free, she would be married to Amnon Saxe.  Keetha Saxe.  She mulled the sound of the new name in her mind, even playing with the feel of the words on her lips.  Nothing had ever felt more destined to her.  She couldn’t wait for the war to be over.  But the war hadn’t started.  She couldn’t wait for it to start either.  Keetha couldn’t wait for the whole thing to be over so she could start her brand new life in a brand new world.  No, she told herself, she mustn’t dwell on that.  She couldn’t let herself get distracted.  Not when she was this close to the end.

The Golds seemed to have figured out how to play on a team, or at least as far as they were willing to stick to the plan as written.  Keetha didn’t understand these two beings.  Evan and Katherine had committed themselves to each other and yet, seemed determined to undermine each other at every step.  It was like they wanted to protect themselves from the inevitable destruction of the marriage, but they couldn’t see that it was only inevitable if they let it.  Something was missing in these Earthlings’ upbringing that failed to show them that you have to give yourself to your partner fully to protect your interests.  What was it her mother told her so often?  If both partners look out for the other’s interests, their interests get met in the process.  If both partners only look out for themself, they tend to lose everything they deisred in the marriage.

Well, she told herself, she and Amnon wouldn’t be like that.  Of that, she was certain.  She was certain becasue of the resolve in his eyes.  She’d seen it.  The same kind of resolve that would fight for the freedom of his people would have the resolve to protect and secure his family as well.  Oh, this was a good night!  She had to celebrate.  She had to.  She had to.  She had to, or she felt like she would have to sprout wings to get all of the good feelings under control.

Wings!  In a flash, she saw the whole thing.  That was it.  That was perfect.

Keetha pressed on her communicator, and Drex was quickly in her ear.

“I’m thinking of one last one.”

“Tonight?” Drex said.  “Is that wise?”

“I don’t know,” Keetha almost giggled.  “Jendi Tower.  What do you think?”

“Of the prison?”

“It’s small,” Keetha said.

“It’s a guard tower.”

“I know what it is.  What I want to know is if you can handle it.”

There was a long moment of Keetha listening to Drex breathing on the other side of the transmission.

“Yes,” he said, “if you must.”

“I must,” Keetha smiled.  “Thank you, Drex.  I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Don’t I know it?”

Keetha ended the call.  It was almost too much.  If things started to go any more in her favor, she might actually escape her body in a ball of energy.

She pulled the transport up to a dingy warehouse on the city’s outskirts.  The warehouse sported the faded insignia of the government, which kept prying eyes away and removed suspicion when Keetha’s transport parked outside for any length of time.  She rummaged around for her needed supplies.  What she had in mind would be her most complicated and risky work to date.

It did not take her long before the transport was loaded with the necessary supplies.  She had changed out of her trim executive clothes for those of a standard maintenance employee.  The shapeless coverall garment, with loose arms and legs, did a very good job of hiding her identity.

She played out her moves repeatedly in her mind.  Like a dancer, she liked to keep in mind that it wasn’t just the finished product that mattered but the way in which the product was made.  She reveled in the mental rehearsal, removing redundancy and adding efficiency.   After all, creating was the only joy she could experience.  After something is made, she reminds herself that it is no longer hers but takes on a life of its own.  If she was going to celebrate in this way, if she was going to pull this off, she would have to be flawless, even with Drex’s help on the backend.  So, she watched herself suspended high over the streets, swinging and climbing and creating in the dark.  She would feel the wind on her face and the freedom in her limbs.  Once the details had been fully worked out, Keetha looked to the street lights extinguish.  “Thanks, Drex,” she whispered to herself.

Keetha locked her eyes on the Jendi Tower and got to work.