Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 33: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Fire

Annabelle was flying through the stars munching on celery. Elizabeth and the others had gone to another world to reconnoiter Lord Yin's fortress while she went to the U.S. planet Saratoga. She scrolled through some encrypted information on her phone; it was a file on David Korelish, a crazed Kasangar cultist and leader of a local branch that law enforcement kept tabs on for years. His minions recently raided a laboratory and stolen a deadly pathogen; the theft on top of their suspected hoarding of plastic explosives put law enforcement on high alert and got a search warrant approved.

Annabelle only hoped to reach David's compound before law enforcement did. She entered Saratoga's atmosphere and broke through the cloud banks. She admired the city's own artificial beauty, but the gloomy weather made her mind wander to the day she left for basic training, when her mother relentlessly tightened her dress and fixed her hair, much to her chagrin.

"Mom, please, it's fine— "

"It's not fine!" Eva said as she wrangled her hair with the brush. "You need to get this under control! You look like you just came back from dancing!"

Annabelle was certain her hair couldn't get any straighter. She looked and saw the carriage she reserved the night before parked outside. "I've gotta go now."

"Why are you in such a hurry?! Hold on a second!"

Annabelle realized this was about more than hair. It always had been. "Mom, are you alright?"

"This isn't about me. I'm not the one who's going to the Council with a rat's nest on my head!"

Her mother's voice was stern, but Annabelle saw that expression in her eyes only one time before: when her father passed away. "No, really, are you okay?"

Eva stopped with the brush and did her best not to break down. "You enlisted, but don't let them take you away."

Annabelle vividly remembered looking back as the carriage rolled away from the cottage and she could see her mom and sister waving. She didn't feel the weight of her words until she went on her first combat assignment. Every kill made her think of her mother and sister waving as the carriage pulled away. They seemed further away now; their faces were unclear and the cottage was a distant memory.

"What the?" Annabelle was ripped away from her train of thought when she saw the road leading to the three-story compound was cordoned off by an armada of armored vehicles, law enforcement officers, and news reporters. The officers looked ready for war in their black uniforms, tactical helmets, and shoulder and knee pads.

The rational side of her said to forget about it and regroup with Elizabeth and the others, yet she continued flying toward the sea of feds. She landed in the middle of their formation and approached the nearest agent.

"Who's in charge here?" she asked.

The agent's widened eyes complemented his stupid brown mustache. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"That's for me and whoever's leading this little gaggle to discuss. Would you kindly point me to where he is?"

She was led to a trailer that was refurbished as a command post, with satellite imagery and documents plastered all over the walls. Standing at the far side was the stocky officer-in-charge, who spoke to his two subordinates without missing a beat while stuffing his face with a steak and cheese sub. The other two men noticed her over the boss's shoulder first, making him turn to see what the hell they were looking at.

"Hi, there!" Annabelle said. "It seems you got to my target, first."

Boss Man was shocked. "Torch?? What the fuck are you doing here?"