Revenge of the Goddesses: Athena's Assassin
By
Julie O.
Edited
By
Amelia R.
Chapter 1
It was a little after ten as Jason Blackthorn started his last security
check before heading to bed. He stopped first to see how Lisa Barnard
was doing. She was one of the archeologists working the site on the
small Greek island.
She brushed her strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes. "Why do this
every night?" she asked as she looked up from her computer. "We've been
here six weeks and nothing has happened."
Jason shrugged his shoulders. "Force of habit, I guess, besides I want
to earn my keep."
"Trust me, Jason, you've more than earned your keep," she replied with a
wink.
"Hmm, I wonder what my old SEAL team members would think if they knew I
really got this job just to be your gigolo," he replied as he reached
down to massage her shoulders.
Jason had first met Lisa in Iraq. His team had been assigned to recover
some looted relics from the main Baghdad museum. It was after the
recovery that he had first meet Lisa, who had come into the war-torn
country to assist in securing the many priceless artifacts. What caught
her by surprise was the fact that Jason actually seemed to care about
the artifacts. She in turn helped his team identity many items, and in
spite of their many differences, Lisa and Jason had fallen immediately
in love.
At six-two and nearly two hundred and ten pounds, Jason was an imposing
figure. Lisa was barely five-three and slim. However, she found that he
also had a good sense of humor and loved Far Side cartoons. He was also
the first man she had met who was genuinely interested in her job and at
the same time wasn't intimidated by her intellect. Lisa was shocked to
find out that Jason's knowledge of ancient civilizations was all self-
educated and that he hadn't attended college.
They had managed to get together a few times since Iraq, and after he
retired she had arranged to bring him on the dig to oversee security.
None of the archeologists felt there would be any troubles, but
occasionally sites did get looted. For the most part, Jason had little
to do in terms of security, but he still took his job seriously and
helped in setting up the camp. Even Dr. Fox had to admit that it was the
most comfortable and orderly camp that he had even been in.
"You know that I brought you here for more than just sex," said Lisa
with a wink.
"Well, I won't be long; I just want to walk over to see how Nicola and
his men are doing," said Jason. "I won't be long." He then leaned down
and kissed her.
"Oh, Jason, thank you again for the ring; it was very thoughtful."
Jason had bought her the ring during his last trip to the mainland. It
was a simple silver ring with a ruby mounted in it. The man in the store
had claimed it was two hundred years old. Jason wasn't quite sure it was
that old, but he liked it enough to buy it, although he was able to
bring down the cost by throwing in a Zippo lighter with a SEAL emblem
engraved on it.
"I'm glad to hear that. See you soon." He smiled at her as he walked
out of her tent.
For the first time in Jason's life, he had someone who loved him. Jason
had enlisted in the navy right out of high school to escape the lack of
prospects in his home town in Kansas. It wasn't just the lack of jobs
that drove Jason into the service; it was also the fact that he had
bounced from one foster family to another. His father had abandoned his
mother shortly after Jason's birth. She later left him with her aunt
when he was five and never returned. His aunt later turned him over to
the state.
He found his first real family when he joined the navy. He applied to
become a SEAL just because it was the most difficult program in the
navy. Jason immediately knew he had found his place in the world. He had
excelled in his chosen profession and had retired as Master Chief Petty
Officer.
"I can't wait," she replied.
In addition to Lisa, there were three other archeologists on the dig.
There were also two local workmen and a cook.
Jason walked over and saw that Dr. Fox and his wife were examining the
statues that they had just recovered. Both archeologists were in their
fifties and had spent most of their adult lives on one dig or another.
Jason knew better than to interrupt their work and that they would
probably up all night studying the figures. He was slightly surprised
when he didn't see Daniel Morehead, Dr. Fox's assistant. Oh, well, maybe
he went to bed early, thought Jason as he walked out of the camp.
Dr. Peter Fox of the British Museum was the lead archeologist on the
dig. He was assisted by his wife, Karen; both were experts on ancient
Greek history. They were nice, although a bit stuffy, thought Jason.
Daniel had been on Dr. Fox's staff for ten years and was a little more
relaxed; maybe it was because he was younger. Daniel was in his mid-
thirties and saw himself as a bit of a ladies man. If he was jealous of
Jason and Lisa, he never said a thing, and over the weeks the two men
had formed a loose friendship. Jason liked Daniel, as they had played
chess together several times. Jason had even taught the scholar to
snorkel.
Chapter 2
The island was uninhabited and was located ten miles off the eastern
coast of Greece. It was privately owned by a Greek millionaire, who had
originally planned to turn the island into his private hideaway. Its
location and lack of year-round water supply left it undeveloped.
It was being studied as Dr, Fox believed it had been once been an
outpost for early Athenian expansion. The first month had been
disappointing, and only a few artifacts had been recovered, and nothing
of real importance. But three weeks earlier they had discovered what
appeared to be a temple to the goddess Athena. It was found carved into
a hillside. Over the centuries, it had been covered by plant growth and
partially buried by a landslide.
This was confirmed the previous days when two near pristine statues of
the goddess had been uncovered. Both were around eighteen inches tall
and carved of marble. Jason was impressed by the intricate details in
the figures. Whoever had carved them was a true artisan.
Both depicted Athena in her full armor. She was holding a shield in one
hand. Her other hand, which should have held a spear, was empty. Dr. Fox
suspected the spear had been gold. On the top of her head was carved a
helmet. A small owl was sitting on her left shoulder on one of the
statues; its counterpart's owl was missing, obviously broken off
sometime in the past. Still, they were in extremely great shape.
Dr, Fox decided to spend a few more days digging before contacting the
authorities, as he wanted more time to study the statues before the
island was overrun with government officials. He was also hoping to make
additional discoveries. The Greek officials were still wary of anyone
from The British Museum, because they still refused to return the
reliefs taken by Lord Elgin from the Parthenon. The only reason why the
Ministry of Culture had approved the dig was that Dr. Fox's reputation
was impeccable. Little did Dr. Fox know how deadly this decision would
be.
Chapter 3
The island had a small concrete dock and cottage where the workmen
lived. The temple was located a quarter mile from the dock. The
scientists had set up their tents near the temple site even though it
made getting food and water to the site more difficult. Jason had eased
this problem by bringing in an ATV to tow in supplies from the dock to
the campsite. Three times a week, the supply boat came in from the
mainland to drop off supplies and mail.
Jason walked down the path in the moonlight towards the cottage. Over
the weeks of living on the island, he had come to know every path. He
skipped the main path and used an old goat trail that he used for his
morning run. He was the only one who used it, besides the small herd of
wild goats that also lived on the island.
For many men, the island would have been boring, but Jason enjoyed his
days there. In addition to helping the archeologists and spending time
with Lisa, he found time to explore the coastline, as the snorkeling was
excellent.
As he walked towards the cottage, the full moon inspired him to start
humming the tune to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising. It
was one of his favorite songs. As he looked at the full moon, he thought
about the lyrics.
"I see the bad moon rising. I see trouble on the way."
As he came down the hill towards the cottage, it was very quiet, and
that's what set off Jason's internal alarms. Usually there was a radio
playing in the cottage as the men played cards into the wee hours of the
night, drinking homemade ouzo. Jason could usually hear the men long
before he reached the cottage. He wondered why they had turned in so
early that night.
All his years of being in combat came back in a second; when something
felt wrong, it usually was. He cautiously walked into the cottage and
found the three men lying on the ground. He then saw cartridges from a
nine-millimeter on the ground by the doorway. Quickly, he examined the
men and found that all three had been shot. Judging by their body
temperature, they had just been killed, and since he hadn't heard the
shots that meant that whoever did it had used a silencer. He looked
around and listened for the intruders, but he didn't hear or see
anything.
He checked the two-way radio that served as their contact with the
mainland, and found that it had been smashed. He immediately knew that
getting help was now out of the question.
Jason kept a Mossberg shotgun in his tent, but that wouldn't do him any
good right now. He then remembered that Nicola had a large knife. Jason
rolled the body over and found the knife. It had a blade of nearly seven
inches and was razor sharp; it wasn't much, but it was better than
nothing.
He looked out into the Aegean and noticed a large white yacht anchored
several hundred yards off the coast. In the moonlight, he could just
make out the name Dolphin on the stern. He would worry about that later;
first, he had to make sure that Lisa and the others were safe.
He then noticed a Zodiac tied up to the beach; he moved slowly towards
it. There were seven sets of prints leading from boat. At least he now
knew the odds; seven to one wasn't good, especially when all he had was
a knife, but he knew he had to do something. He started by slicing
several holes into the Zodiac, making it more difficult for the men to
leave the island.
Jason quickly headed towards the tents of the archeologists. He skipped
the main path and again used the goat trail. This would also allow him
the advantage of height. As he approached the tents, he heard two men
talking. He also could smell their cigarettes. They were either careless
or overconfident; either way, it would cost them their lives, thought
Jason. The fact that they had so ruthlessly killed three men in cold
blood meant that Jason couldn't take any chances with them.
He froze and saw them standing in the middle of the main path a few
hundred yards away from the encampment. Both appeared to be armed with
pump action shotguns. He slowly worked his way towards them.
The words to the song began to run through his mind.
"Hope you got your things together, hope you are quite prepared to die."
He knew the odds were against him, even a trained commando would have to
be very lucky to take out two armed men with just a knife, but he had no
choice. One of the men had his shotgun slung over his shoulder, and the
other was holding his in his hands. Jason decided he would take out the
second man first. He had the added difficulty of taking them out as
silently as possible, so the other intruders wouldn't be alerted.
Even though he had trained with knives, he had never actually used one
on another human in combat. Still, Jason knew that the lives of the
others depended on his actions. His years of training came back as he
stalked the two men. He moved like a cat in the darkness and was soon
within striking distance of them.
They were looking towards the encampment and had their backs to Jason.
He could hear them talking and noticed that they were talking in what
sounded like Spanish.
Jason made his move; with one hand, he covered the man's mouth, and with
the other hand he slit the man's throat. The second man was caught off
guard and hesitated in reacting to his friend's death. This momentary
delay was all that Jason needed as he quickly killed the second man. He
was surprised at how easy it had been to kill them with the knife.
Jason was also pleased that he had dispatched both men without alarming
the others. The odds were better, but they were still five to one. He
examined the men and found that one had a pistol with a silencer. He
pulled out the clip and found that it had been fired six times. He
searched the man and found two more clips. He loaded the pistol with a
fresh clip and slipped the others in his pockets of his shorts.
He grabbed the two men and pulled them back into the brush. He slipped
the pistol into his belt and grabbed one of the shotguns. He checked to
see that it was loaded, and then he tossed the other into the brush. He
moved towards the encampment, hoping he wasn't too late.
Chapter 4
Jason again skipped the main path and used the goat trail route. When he
reached the top of the ridge, he crouched down to study the campsite.
Jason saw a figure standing outside the main tent, outlined by the
kerosene lamps. He was smoking what smelled like a cheap cigar and was
holding a shotgun. The man looked into the tent and pointed the gun
inside.
He estimated the distance and figured he was close enough to shoot, but
he decided to move closer, and he slowly slid down the slope towards the
campsite. He was soon only ten feet from the men. Jason looked out from
the brush and tried to decide what to do next.
"If you want to live, keep your mouths shut," the man at the tent stated
in heavily accented English. "You will only talk when we tell you to!"
Two other men dragged out Dr. Fox, who appeared to have his hands tied
behind his back.
One of the men then punched Peter in the stomach. As Peter collapsed to
the ground, the man kicked the archeologist in the ribs. He then began
to laugh loudly as Peter groaned.
The other two men joined in the mirth and watched as their partner
roughed up Peter. The men tossed insults at him as he struggled to get
up.
"Come on, Karl, hit him again!" shouted one of the men. "He'll tell us
if he's hidden anything else."
It was obvious to Jason that the men would soon tire of this game and
kill Dr. Fox. He had no choice but to move quickly and risk detection.
He quietly chambered a round in the handgun and moved towards the men.
Jason wasn't sure, but the man attacking Dr. Fox sounded as if he was
German. Either way, it didn't matter as he would soon be dead.
Jason thought of his training - shoot for center mass, two shots each.
He took careful aim with the handgun and put two quick shots in the
small of the man's back. Karl fell facedown on the ground in front of
the injured Dr. Fox.
The other two men turned, and before they could unsling their weapons,
Jason shot both of them, two rounds in the chest each. They slumped to
the ground without crying out.
Jason ran up and confirmed that the men were no longer a threat. He
helped Dr. Fox up and helped him into the tent. He looked around and
found the others huddled in fear. Thankfully, they were all safe. He
immediately put his finger to his lips.
"Where are the other two men?" he asked softly.
"They went down to the temple," said Daniel. He seemed shocked to see
Jason. "They said you were dead."
"Not hardly. I'm going after them," said Jason. He untied the others as
he spoke. "I want the rest of you to move up into the hills and hide.
Help Peter; he's been hurt."
The two women began to lift the injured archeologist up.
"Does anyone know who to use a gun?" asked Jason.
"I do," said Daniel.
"Okay, take this shotgun and guard the others," ordered Jason as he
slipped a fresh clip into the handgun. "It's loaded and ready to shoot."
Daniel nodded as he inspected the weapon.
"What about Nicola and the others?" asked Lisa.
"Dead," replied Jason as he shook his head. "The radio is also broken,
so we can't expect any help."
She gasped and put her hands to her mouth.
"Be careful, there are four more of them," said Peter as he moaned
softly. "Two were sent to stand guard by the dock."
"No, only two more, I already got those two," replied Jason. "Now, go up
in the hills and be quiet, I'll get you later, don't come out until you
hear me."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that nothing happens to them," said Daniel.
He was holding the shotgun with both hands.
Jason looked over at Lisa and winked. "It's going to be okay, love."
She ran over and hugged him. Tears were rolling down her face. "They
said you were dead."
"I'm not dead yet," quipped Jason. He then turned to Daniel and put his
hand on the man's shoulder. "Daniel, I'm trusting you with their lives."
"You can count on me," replied Daniel.
Jason nodded, turned around, and headed down towards the temple. He
heard what sounded like a thunder clap. The blast from the shotgun sent
him flying forward and he collapsed on the ground. The pain was intense,
and he tried to get up, but as he struggled to stand, the second shot
ended his life.
Chapter 5
Jason took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. That had to be the
most realistic dream that he had ever had, he thought.
He then noticed his surroundings. He was lying on what appeared to be a
marble bench, and everything around him was white. He sat up and looked
around; there was nothing to see in any direction. There was no horizon
or walls. It was just a big white nothing. The only thing he could see
was the marble bench.
"Okay, Jason, keep calm," he said to himself. He stood up and then
noticed for the first time that the front of his shirt was bloody. He
could also see that he had a large wound in his chest. He cautiously
reached down and touched it and, to his surprise, felt no pain. He then
reached around and touched his back and found that it had a great wound
in the center, yet it too didn't hurt.
He then remembered being shot. It then hit him that he might be dead. He
looked around and wondered where he was. He had never considered
himself very religious and had never really thought about what happened
after death. Well, it looked like he was about to find out, he thought.
"I see that you've awakened," said a comforting woman's voice.
Jason spun around but could see no one near him. He also couldn't place
where the voice was coming from; it almost sounded like it was coming
from all around him.
"Okay, I'm either dead or crazy," he said aloud.
"You're not crazy, Jason Blackthorn," replied the woman.
Jason looked around again, and he still didn't see anyone else. "That
doesn't help," he mumbled aloud to himself.
Suddenly, a bright light of pure white energy formed in front of him. He
had to shield his eyes to prevent from being blinded by it. In a moment
the light faded, and the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen was
standing in front of him.
She was dressed in what looked like a long white toga with golden armor
over her gown. On her head was a golden hoplite helmet. It was resting
on the top of her head, allowing him to see her beautiful face. What
immediately caught his attention were her eyes; they were gray in color.
A spear was held in her right hand, and a golden shield was held in her
left.
A small owl perched on her shoulder and looked back at him with what
looked like curiosity.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked softly, almost compassionately.
Jason hesitated for a second. If he answered logically, he had no
answer, but earthbound logic didn't seem to apply in this situation. He
then thought of his studies of Greek Mythology. The figure in front of
him matched the descriptions he had read.
"You the goddess Athena," he replied. It was the only answer that made
sense.
She turned to the owl and smiled. "I knew he was smart. Yes, Jason
Blackthorn, I am Athena."
Jason didn't know what to do next. He debated bowing or dropping to his
knees, but instead he just stared back.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what to say or what to do," he replied. Oh,
that sounded really stupid, he thought. "I mean, where am I? What
happened?"
"You were killed by a traitor," she replied.
"Daniel Morehead," stated Jason angrily. The bitterness of being
betrayed burned in his consciousness.
"That is correct," she replied.
"And the others?" he asked hopefully.
"They are all dead," she replied.
Jason felt a wave of anger sweep through him, which was followed by a
sense of deep loss at knowing that Lisa was dead.
"You are a true warrior; you were able to kill many of the attackers,"
said Athena.
"Not good enough, I'm dead, and so are the others," he lamented.
"Death isn't the end, it's just a phase. Now, I have come to you with a
request," continued Athena.
"A request? From me? You're a goddess; you can do whatever you wish," he
said. Oh, that sounded even more idiotic that his previous comments, he
thought.
"Within limitations," she replied with a comforting smile. "I want you
to get retribution for me for what was done to my temple, for your
murdered friends, and your murdered lover."
"Your temple?" asked Jason. "What happened to the temple?"
Athena nodded. "Of course, you don't know. I am about to show you what
happened after you were betrayed and killed. It will not be easy for you
to see, but it is necessary. Do you wish to continue?"
Jason stared back. "Yes, I want to see."
"Very well," she replied. She swept her hand parallel to the ground.
"You will now see the past."
Jason looked to where she was pointing and watched in horror and
fascination. He saw himself stalking and killing the first five men. He
then saw Daniel point the gun at his back and shoot him. When he rolled
over, Daniel shot him a second time. Daniel then shot Dr. Fox twice and
then started to led Lisa and Karen by gunpoint towards the temple.
The other two men ran up to join him.
"What the hell happened?" asked the first man. He was large and had
curly black hair with a matching moustache. He spoke with a Spanish
accent.
"Your men failed to kill the security guy. He killed five of your men
before I took care of him," Daniel bragged, as he propped the shotgun on
his hip. "I told you he was dangerous; I warned you not to take him
lightly. It's a good thing I pretended to be one of the captives."
"You bastard," screamed Lisa.
Karen was sobbing uncontrollably and was near hysterical as she broke
away. She then crouched down and cradled her dead husband's head.
"Why, Daniel, why?" cried Lisa.
"Shut up, bitch. Now you notice me; I never understood what you saw in
that caveman," he snapped back. "If you keep your mouth shut, I'll kill
you quickly."
"What about the professor?" asked the second man. He was slightly
shorter and had short had brown hair. He spoke with a German accent.
"I killed him," said Daniel "We can't leave any witnesses."
"What about them?" asked the shorter man pointing to the women.
"It's up to you, but I personally don't kill women," said Daniel.
"I do," said the larger man. He then grabbed his crotch. "But first, why
let them go to waste?"
"You don't need to see what happens next," said Athena as she swept her
hand over the images stopping them as if she had hit the pause button on
a VCR.
"They raped and killed them," said Jason softly.
"Yes," she replied. "I'm sorry."
"What happened next?' he asked.
Athena moved her hand again. Jason watched as the bodies of the murdered
archeologists and workmen were thrown into the temple. Jason's own body
was added to the pile, along with the men he had killed. The shorter man
then placed what looked like plastic explosives around the temple. He
then poured gasoline over the bodies and stepped back.
Daniel nodded, and the man set off the explosives. The temple was
destroyed. The bodies began to burn.
"Why?" asked Jason as he turned to Athena.
"A rich and powerful man craved those statues. The traitor in your group
was blinded by greed and traded your lives for his reward," she replied.
"Daniel was on his payroll and sent word of their discovery to the men
on the boat. They were stationed there for just such an occurrence."
Jason thought of the times he had seen Daniel using the radio, and it
all made sense now.
"But why did they destroy the temple too?" asked Jason as he stared at
the image of the destroyed site. "It's seems such a waste."
"Why? To be destructive, that's why!" replied Athena, her voice starting
to show anger. "Why does man take such joy in destruction?"
Jason didn't reply; he thought it best not to interrupt the goddess,
especially as she was getting angry.
"If this was the old days, I would rain fire down on them!" Athena
vented as she stared at the destroyed temple.
Jason wasn't sure, but he thought he heard thunder in the distance, and
he wondered if he was about to see cosmic justice.
""Why don't you strike them down? It would serve them right," said
Jason. "They deserve to die."
Athena seemed to regain her composure, turned to Jason and smiled. "I
cannot directly touch them in this day and age; however, you can... if I
send you back. You are a true warrior, Jason, and I am asking you to
take on this quest; kill the men who desecrated my temple and killed
your friends.
"I'm dead," he said. This seemed a stupid response, but it was the first
thing that came to his head.
Athena chuckled. "Yes, that is true. Jason Blackthorn is dead, but I can
give you a new body, a new identity, and in addition to the skills you
possess, I can give you additional abilities," she explained "Now,
before you agree, I must tell you everything."
Jason stared at the goddess and nodded.
"I cannot return you as a male. You will be a woman, but do not fear,
you will still be a warrior and more than a match for those you will be
hunting," she said.
Jason hadn't counted on that.
"Next, once your task is completed, your life will come to an end, and
you continue to the next level of existence," she said.
Okay, I can handle being a woman, if it means taking out the people that
killed Lisa, he thought. "I'll do it," he replied.
Athena smiled. "I was hoping that you would agree. I knew another Jason,
eons ago, and you are much like him."
"You mean, Jason who sought the Golden Fleece?' he asked.
"Yes, your parents named you well," she said. "He was brave and
intelligent, and knew when to use his mind and not just brawn."
"At least they did one thing right," he muttered. "So, who do I have to
get?"
"The men who raided the island, the traitor who killed you, and of
course, the man who financed the attack," replied Athena.
"I know Daniel's name, but what about the others?" he asked.
"You will have to find out on your own; it is the way it must be," she
replied. "I will start your task near one of the men. I have selected
you because you possess brains as well as brawn; use what you know,
trust your instincts, and you will succeed."
"Okay, but wouldn't it just be easier to strike them down with a
lightning bolt or something like that?" he asked.
Athena smiled. "It's not the way things are done these days... pity."
"Won't it be more difficult as a woman?' he asked.
"In some ways that may be true, but men will underestimate a woman;
don't forget this. Also remember sex appeal can be a very strong weapon;
you can use this to distract the men you hunt."
Jason hadn't thought of that. While he didn't like the idea of coming
onto a man, what did it really matter, because as soon as the men were
dead he would also die.
"When do I start?" he asked.
"Now," she replied.
Chapter 6
The morning sun felt warm against Jason's face as he woke up. He half
expected to open his eyes and see the top of his tent back in Greece,
but he instantly knew that everything had changed.
Jason sat up and was immediately aware that it hadn't been a very weird
dream, as she was now a woman. She threw back the covers and stepped out
of her bed and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
She was totally naked, and it was obvious that Athena had kept her word.
She was slightly shorter and quite shapely. She flexed her right arm and
was pleased to see that she still had muscles, although not as
prominent.
She had shapely breasts, which she instinctively knew were 34-C. Her
skin was slightly darker than Jason's, and she suspected that she had a
Mediterranean heritage, possibly Greek or Italian. Her hair was short
and reddish brown. She then noticed her eyes; they were gray, like
Athena's. Overall, Jason had to admit that she was now very attractive;
she seemed to ooze a sense of sensuality, which Jason figured she could
use to her advantage as she hunted her killers, just as Athena had said.
Jason turned to look at her back and saw the small tattoo on her right
shoulder; it was a small owl. Jason figured that wearing the mark of a
goddess couldn't be so bad.
"So, who am I?" she said aloud. Her voice caught her by surprise as it
had an exotic quality to it. She couldn't quite place the accent. She
then reached for her purse and opened it up to check her identity.
Jason pulled out her ID and saw that she was now Tessa Phoenix. She
couldn't help but laugh at Athena's sense of humor. Without knowing why,
she immediately knew that Tessa meant reaper in Greek, which seemed
appropriate, considering her task on Earth. She also liked her new last
name, which was also fitting, as she was reborn from the flames that had
burned Jason's body.
She knew that she was now twenty-two and held American citizenship,
although her mother Greek.
"Okay, now where am I?' she said aloud. She slipped on a silk robe and
looked out the window. She immediately recognized the skyline, as she
had spent several memorable port calls here. She was in Palma, Majorca,
Spain.
Chapter 7
Tessa showered and dressed and ate the breakfast that she had ordered
through room service. The hotel was first rate, which meant that Tessa
was well off financially.
She found a laptop and turned it on. The room had an Internet
connection, and she logged on. The first screen asked for her name and
password, which she typed in without thinking. The first thing she
checked was her finances, and she was pleased to see that she had a very
large bank account. So money wouldn't be a problem.
Next, she did a search on several news sites and found out some
information on the attack on the island. The authorities were at a loss
for who did it, although they suspected international smugglers.
They were also unable to identify the men that Jason had killed. Tessa
wondered if they were withholding information from the press.
Next, she picked up her wallet and found that she had several high end
credit cards. She also found that she had a large quantity of cash, both
dollars and Euros.
Next, she looked in her suitcase. She instinctively pressed against the
lining and a secret panel popped open. Inside, she found several
passports, listing her as French, Greek, Spanish, and British. The names
on the passports were all different. The surprises kept coming, she
thought.
Tessa then looked in her closet and found that, in addition to a large
wardrobe, she had several wigs of various styles. On a whim, she began
to try them on. She was shocked at how drastically her appearance
changed from one wig to the next. She put the wigs away, and looked
through the rest of her belongings.
She found that, in addition to simple bras and panties, her wardrobe had
several pieces of rather sexy lingerie, including several teddies and
nightgowns.
"What the hell did you volunteer for?" she asked aloud, as she held a
black silky baby doll against her body. She shook her head in disbelief
as she placed it back in the drawer.
Next, she went through her cosmetics and toiletries. She examined the
razor and then looked at her legs. Thankfully, they were pretty smooth,
so she wouldn't have to deal with shaving them her first day as a woman.
Then she saw something that stopped her cold; it was a box of tampons.
She gingerly picked it up, as if she picking up a bomb. The implications
of their being in her belongings slowly hit her; she was completely
female in every respect. She sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Shit, I hadn't counted on this," she said aloud. "Well, hopefully I
won't be around long enough to have to use these." She then set the box
down and began to think about what she would do next.
"Okay, Tessa, time to get to work; why are you in Palma?" she said
aloud. Athena had said that she would start near one of the killers. She
then remembered that several of the men had spoken Spanish. It was a
start.
Tessa looked at the newspapers that had been delivered with her
breakfast and saw that it was now three months since the attack. She
wondered why Athena had waited so long, but she sloughed this off, as it
wasn't wise to question a goddess. It also bothered her that she hadn't
noticed the date change sooner. Stop thinking so conventionally, she
thought, you're dealing with the supernatural now.
As Tessa poured herself another cup of coffee, she made her next
discovery, she could now read Spanish. It was like second nature, and
when she spoke aloud she was pleased that she also could also speak the
language. Well, Athena had said that she would have additional skills.
She paged through the local paper, and then she saw something that
caught her eye; it was a photo of a several women standing by the
harbor. The women weren't important; it was the yacht in the background.
It was the same one that she had seen off the island; it was the
Dolphin. It was a starting point, she thought.
Chapter 8
Another surprise for Tessa was how automatically she did things as a
woman. Things like putting on makeup and styling her hair came
automatically to her, as if she had been doing it her entire life.
Tessa noticed that she had no issues about her new gender; it was like
she had been a woman since birth, which considering her rebirth, made
sense. Tessa figured that Athena had eased the natural confusion one
would feel about suddenly waking up in the body of the opposite gender.
She had been reborn to complete a task, and she didn't need any
distractions.
Tessa decided to recon the yacht first and then try to get onboard. She
decided to go out as inconspicuously as possible, so she dressed in just
a t-shirt, jeans, and sandals. She looked at herself in the mirror and
was satisfied with her look; she would blend in with the locals.
She decided to take a taxi down to the pier where the Dolphin was
moored. She remembered the area from one of her past visits to Palma, as
it was a popular area for the tourists. Tessa also remembered with a
smile a girl that Jason had met in a caf? near the very same docks. But
those thoughts quickly passed from her mind, as that was from a life
which didn't exist anymore.
It didn't take long for Tessa to spot the yacht in question, and she
knew immediately it was the one that had brought the killers to Greece.
She sat down at a small caf? and pretended to read the paper as she
watched the yacht.
Two hours and several coffees later, she headed back to the hotel. There
only appeared to be two crewmen on the boat. One was obviously a local,
and she figured he had been hired to do basic labor. The other man was
in his thirties and was definitely in charge.
The man was five-ten and average build. He had curly hair and was clean
shaven. Tess thought he looked like he could be related to one of the
men from the island back in Greece.
The man bossed the younger man around and was constantly correcting his
work. He obviously enjoyed being in charge. Tessa suspected that he
would be the one she should try to question, but how?
On the way back to the hotel, she passed a small boutique and noticed
the skimpy outfits they were selling. Tessa looked down at her body and
then at a particularly short skirt in the window. Athena had said that
some things would be easier as a woman. Her body in that outfit would
definitely get the attention of a man, she thought. She took a deep
breath and headed into the store. The things I do in the line of duty,
she thought.
Chapter 9
Before heading out to check out the yacht, Tessa decided to see just
what her new body was capable of doing. She found a pair of running
shorts, top, and shoes in her closet. She then realized that she had
forgotten to put something on and searched the drawers of the dresser
until she found what she was looking for, a jog bra.
Tessa headed out of the hotel and ran along the harbor and down the
coast. She ran without effort and was pleased with both her stamina and
endurance. She estimated that she ran ten miles by the time she returned
to the hotel.
Okay, she thought, I'm in good shape, but what about strength? The hotel
had a gym, and she went inside to check it out.
As expected, she wasn't nearly as strong as before, but neither was she
a weakling. She also tried out a few of her martial arts movements and
found that in some ways her reflexes were even faster.
Tess returned to her hotel room to change with the confidence that she
could take care of herself.
Chapter 10
Tessa chose the long blonde-haired wig to wear with her disguise. In
addition to the skirt, she'd bought a push-up bra, a low cut top, and a
pair of high heels. After dressing, she examined her appearance in the
mirror. She made one change as she adjusted her bra so her breasts were
more prominent. After all, she was trying to attract the attention of
the man on the yacht.
She didn't want to look cheap and slutty, rather rich and sexy.
Thankfully, the jewelry in her wardrobe was all top of the line, so she
didn't have to buy anything new. She picked out a pair of diamond stud
earrings and a gold chain. She also had a gold Rolex watch and a diamond
tennis bracelet.
Tessa styled her hair and makeup until she achieved the look she was
going for - a spoiled rich girl, just the sort of look that would get
her on the yacht, and hopefully, the leads she needed to get her prey.
An hour later she walked slowly down by the piers. She pretend to talk
on her cell phone as walked slowly past the numerous yachts. The crews
of the boats immediately noticed her and made all sorts of comments,
mostly sexual in nature. She pretended not to understand what the men
were saying, even though she found that she understood everything that
was said, in Spanish, French, and Italian. She only hoped the man on the
Dolphin noticed her.
She walked along the docks towards the boat, acting bored and
occasionally stopping to look at the other yachts. Tessa wondered what
her old friends on the teams would think about what she was trying to
do. Deep down, she knew they would approve; she was just doing what it
took to get the job done.
As she approached the stern of the Dolphin, the man she had seen earlier
smiled at her. He was up on the bridge of the boat and obviously had a
bird's eye view of her prominent breasts.
"Good afternoon, senorita," he greeted her.
Okay, she thought, so far so good. She looked up and, pushing her
sunglasses up on her head, smiled back. "What a beautiful boat. It's so
big!"
"Thank you," he replied, as he stepped down towards the main deck. He
couldn't help but notice what a sexy young woman she was. He had bedded
many women by bringing them on the yacht, and this blonde would be a
nice addition to his list of conquests. "Would you like a tour?"
"I'd love it," she replied with a big smile on her face. "My daddy is
thinking of buying a boat like this, and I've always wondered what they
look like on the inside."
The man smiled and moved closer to Tessa.
"Really?" he replied as he helped her onboard. His eyes were locked on
her exposed, pushed-up cleavage.
"Yes, he owns hotels back in America," she answered in a matter of fact
way.
"My name is Sergio; I am the captain of the Dolphin."
Tessa figured that he was lying, but she played along. "Really? A
captain, wow!"
"And what's your name?' he asked.
"I'm Kristen, Kristen Trump," she replied in a matter of fact way.
"Trump? As in Donald Trump?' he asked.
"He's my uncle," she said innocently. If he can lie, so can I, she
thought.
"Well, Kristen, let me show you the Dolphin," he stated. He took her by
the hand and led her inside.
Tessa immediately knew she was on the right track as she looked over at
Sergio's wrist. He was wearing a large diver's watch that had a SEAL
trident on the face. It was Jason's old watch. It was the one on his
wrist when he was killed.
She then noticed the knife he wore on his belt. Tessa recognized the
handle as the knife that she had taken from Nicola. So, he liked to wear
trophies of his triumphs, she thought.
He showed her around the yacht for nearly an hour. Tessa played her part
and asked what seemed to be innocent questions. Soon she knew that he
was the only crewmember currently living on the yacht, as the rest of
the crew were temporary and wouldn't be needed until the next time the
yacht got underway.
"I have an excellent bottle of champagne chilling; would you like a
drink?" asked Sergio. "The view of the harbor in early evening is so
beautiful."
Tessa smiled and sat down, making sure she crossed her legs slowly and
seductively.
Sergio retrieved the bottle of champagne and two flutes and sat down
next to her. He opened the wine and filled the glasses.
"Here's to the most beautiful woman that I've seen in Palma," he said as
he touched his glass to hers.
Tessa smiled back, sipped her wine and giggled. "Oooh, it's very good."
Sergio slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He
then leaned over and began to kiss her.
Tessa played along and was shocked that she wasn't disgusted by the fact
that she was kissing a man; maybe it was all part of her change, she
rationalized.
Soon his hands were on her breasts, and he started to undress her.
Okay, kissing was one thing, but she decided that she wasn't about to
have sex with him.
"Can we go somewhere a little more private?" she whispered into his ear.
Sergio nodded and led her into the main cabin. When he turned his back
to close the door, Tessa hit him across the back of the neck, knocking
him down to the deck.
Before he could recover, she hit him a second time, knocking him out. It
was all too easy, she thought. Sergio never suspected that she was a
threat.
She pulled his unconscious body up onto the bed and tied him up. She
then removed the watch from around his wrist, turned it over, and saw
the engraving that confirmed it was Jason's watch.
Tessa searched his wallet and confirmed that he was Sergio Franco. She
also removed the knife from his belt and waited for him to wake up.
Sergio woke up nearly fifteen minutes later. He tried to sit up and
discovered that he was tied up.
"What the fuck?" he shouted.
Tessa held a finger to her lips as she calmly placed the knife blade
against his throat. "Be quiet, please."
Sergio's eyes opened wide with fear. "What do you want, bitch?"
She pressed the knife slightly harder against his throat "Watch your
mouth. I want information. Tell me about this watch. If you lie, I'll
hurt you," she said coldly. "Don't underestimate me because I'm a woman
either."
"The watch? Why?" he asked.
Tessa pressed the knife a little harder against his throat, it started
to break the skin, and a trickle of blood ran down his neck. "I'm the
one asking questions. Now, where did you get this watch?" She asked as
she held it up. She kept her tone flat and unemotional as she had always
found that this worked best when interrogating someone.
Sergio hesitated, as if he was trying to think of a lie. 'It...it was
given to me."
"By whom?" she asked.
"My... my cousin," he answered.
"What's your cousin's name?" she asked immediately. As Jason, she had
interrogated several prisoners and learned that once they started to
talk, not to give them time to think, but to keep pressing them; don't
give them time to think.
"Marco...Marco Franco," he replied.
"Did he give you this knife too?" she asked.
Sergio nodded as he wondered how the woman knew such things.
"Why did he give them to you?"
"I... I did a job for him," he replied.
"What was that?" she asked.
"I drove took them to Greece on the yacht," he answered.
"Tell me more," ordered Tessa.
"Marco came up to me and told me that he needed the yacht. He paid for
six weeks use, and so who was I to argue. We sat off shore for a few
weeks, then Marco got a radio message and we headed to the island. I
swear that's all I know!"
Good, she thought, she was definitely on the right track. "Did you go
ashore?" she asked.
His eyes opened wide in terror as he shook his head. Obviously, the
woman knew what had happened on that island. "Dear god, no. I read what
happened later. I had nothing to do with what was done to those people."
He then began to cry.
"What was the name of the other man?" asked Tessa, ignoring his cries.
"I don't mean the Englishman, I know who he is."
"His name is Dieter... Dieter Schultz," he replied quickly.
"So, he's German?" asked Tessa, as she remembered the shorter of the two
men in the image that Athena had shown her.
"I... I think so, he was a friend of Marco when they served in the
legion," he replied.
"The French Foreign Legion?" asked Tessa.
Sergio nodded. "They met when they were stationed in Djibouti with the
13th," he replied.
Okay, that will make things a little more difficult, she thought. The
men she was hunting had military backgrounds; still, she would put her
training up against theirs. She had worked with some legionnaires a few
times and they were good.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"Marco lives here in Palma; I think Dieter lives in Hamburg," he
replied.
"What's Marco's address?" she asked.
"I can't tell you... he'll kill me," pleaded Sergio.
"He won't get a chance; if you don't tell me, I'll kill you. I have his
name, and you're telling me will just save me time," she replied. "You
know, Sergio, this is a very sharp blade, and I can cut your throat like
as easily as cutting through butter."
"You're a woman...you wouldn't kill me," said Sergio, a nervous smile
growing on his face.
"I've killed many men, Sergio; what's one more?" she replied. "Give me
his address."
Sergio obeyed; even if he lied, she still had a name to work with.
"Now, the other men who went on the island, were they also in the
Legion?" she asked.
Sergio nodded. "Yes, Marco recruited them all from his old unit."
"What about the Englishman, did he leave the island with you?"
"How do you know about him?" he asked.
"Answer my question," she ordered as she pressed the knife back against
his throat.
"Yes, he came back here with us. He left a day later with the German. I
didn't like him; he drank too much and was rude. He barely talked to me;
I think he thought he was better than me."
Tessa nodded. She began to debate what she would do with Sergio. She
couldn't leave him here, as he would be found. She didn't see a need to
kill him, as all he had done was sail the attackers to Greece.
Then he helped make the decision for her. He struggled to sit up and the
gold chain that hung around his neck slipped out of his shirt. Around
the chain was a small silver ring that had a ruby mounted in it.
Tessa immediately recognized it as the ring she had given Lisa.
"Where did you get that ring?" she demanded angrily as she reached down,
snapping the chain and holding up the ring. She felt a fury growing
inside.
Sergio's eyes opened wide in fear. "Please... please don't hurt me."
Tessa felt her rage growing with each passing moment. "Answer my
question, NOW!"
"I'm sorry, I took it off one of the women," he confessed. He began to
cry again. "It seemed a pity to let it be burned with her body."
"You said that you never went ashore," she stated. It then hit her. "You
lied to me! You raped and killed the woman who owned this ring, right?"
"I... I didn't kill her," he stammered.
"But you raped her and then stole this ring?" demanded Tessa. "ANSWER
ME!"
Sergio nodded as he cried. "They were going to kill her anyway: what was
the harm?"
In the blink of an eye, Tessa reached down, and in a twisting motion
that she had practiced many times but never actually done, she snapped
his neck. It was surprisingly easy and less messy than slitting his
throat.
Tessa stared at his dead body; her only regret was that he had died too
quickly. She looked at the ring in her hands and began to cry.
Chapter 11
Tessa was able to get off the yacht without being seen. Before leaving,
she had untied Sergio and made it look as if he had been killed during a
robbery.
She disposed of the blonde wig on the way back to the hotel. The rest
of her outfit would be disposed of as soon as she changed back at the
hotel. The killing of Sergio had happened so quickly that it even caught
her by surprise. She didn't mourn his death, as he deserved to die;
rather, it was the way she had reacted that bothered her. As a SEAL, she
had killed many times, but never like that. She had been in a rage; as a
SEAL, she had always been in control. Acting in anger led to mistakes,
and she couldn't afford any missteps. She wondered where she would end
up by the time this was all over.
The next morning she read the paper and watched the news on TV. There
was a small story about a murder and robbery on a yacht. The police
believed it was done by local criminals. Tessa knew she was lucky and
that the next time she would have to be more careful. She also worried
that Sergio's death might tip off Marco.
She pulled out a city map and found the address that Sergio had given
her. It was only a few blocks away from the hotel. She decided to recon
the neighborhood later that afternoon.
Fighting off her curiosity, she avoided the waterfront that day and
instead walked into the downtown shopping district. She sat down at a
caf? and tried to read the paper, but was lost in her own thoughts.
Tessa looked at the ring that she had once given Lisa. She had planned
to ask Lisa to marry her when they finished the dig. She stared at the
ring and then thought about her reaction after she killed Sergio. It was
the first time that Tessa could ever remember crying in her entire life.
As soon as she thought about Lisa, the pain started to return, and she
had to do everything possible to stop the flow of tears.
No, she thought, I can't allow myself to get caught up in the emotions
of this. She had seen people die before and had lost two members of her
team, but their losses paled to how she felt about Lisa. Tessa slowly
regained her composure and thought about how she would deal with Marco
and the others.
Chapter 12
Tessa walked down the street to the address that the now deceased Sergio
had given her. She walked past the address without stopping. It was
located in a five story apartment building. Judging by the apartment
number, Marco's place was on the top floor.
She continued up the street and stopped at a small caf? on the corner.
She ordered lunch in Spanish to blend in better and sat down at a table
that would allow her to observe the building.
It didn't take her long to figure out that it would be difficult to get
in and out easily. She knew she'd been lucky with Sergio, and the last
thing she wanted was to end up in a Spanish jail. No, she would have to
do Marco somewhere else. She thought about just shooting him from a
distance, but she wanted to question him first, as she still had to
confirm the locations of Dieter and Daniel. Then there was the man who
had financed the attack. Tessa figured that she would have to get that
information out of Daniel. It was obvious from what Athena had shown her
that the other men were just hired for muscle, and from what she knew of
Daniel, she suspected that he wouldn't have shared any important
information with them.
As she casually watched the building for a sign of Marco, she saw a man
walk by. He looked familiar, and she noticed that he was also studying
Marco's home. It took her a second to realize who the man was; he was
Lisa's brother.
She had never met Jonathan Barnard, but Lisa had shown her several
photos of her brother. Lisa was very proud of him, as he was an award
winning investigative reporter. He was four years older than her and had
worked for several newspapers before becoming a fulltime writer for the
Boston Globe. In addition, he had written several books on international
crime.
Tessa had read several of the books, including one on the international
sex slave trade. He had helped uncover a major sex tourism business,
which led to the arrests of many prominent people. .
He had a rugged look, sort of like Harrison Ford, although his hair had
more gray in it. Lisa had said that his hair had started to turn gray
when he was in his twenties. She was convinced that Jason and Jonathan
would get along famously, but alas they'd never met.
Tessa immediately figured that he was investigating the murders in
Greece, and while she was glad that someone was trying to catch the men
responsible, the last thing she needed was publicity. Her task had just
gotten more complicated.
Chapter 13
Tessa spent the next few days hanging out in the area of Marco's
apartment. She only spoke Spanish and was soon treated like a local and
not a tourist. She saw Jonathan a few times in passing, but so far he
hadn't paid her any attention. She suspected that he was also seeking
Marco.
Tessa hit pay dirt two days later when she saw Marco walk into a
restaurant down the street from his place. She immediately recognized
him from the vision that Athena had granted her.
He was wearing a short sleeve shirt that allowed Tessa to see a tattoo
on his arm; it was the emblem of the Foreign Legion. Tessa knew she had
the right man; the question was what her next move should be.
She was dressed in a short skirt and silk blouse, nice but not sexy
enough to attract a man like Marco. She went into the ladies room of the
restaurant, adjusted her bra to make her breasts more prominent, and
unbuttoned two of the top buttons of the blouse, to better show off her
breasts even more. She applied a fresh coat of lipstick, used some
additional mascara, and a few drops of perfume.
As Tessa examined herself in the mirror, she wished she had time to go
back and change, but this would have to do. She walked out of the
lavatory and slowly strutted over to the bar, slowly swaying her hips.
She sat down at the bar, crossed her legs and ordered a glass of wine.
Marco was sitting alone at a table across from her. He ran his eyes over
her and then went back to his lunch.
Short of walking over and sitting down at his table, there wasn't much
else she could do, so she drank her wine and read the menu. Trying to
attract a man wasn't something that they taught her in the SEALs, so she
considered this on the job training. Maybe he's gay, she thought, as he
continued to eat his lunch. In spite of herself, she started to giggle
at the thought that he might have been more attracted to Jason.
Chapter 14
Tessa was about to order another glass of wine when she sensed that
someone was standing behind her. She turned slowly and saw Marco
standing in front of her. He had a sly smile on his face.
"Do you speak English?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. Then she switched languages. "But my Spanish isn't
bad either."
He nodded as his smile grew. "Touch?."
She then switched to French. "Mais oui."
"Let's stick to English," he said. "I always hated speaking French." He
sat down next to her. "My name is Marco."
"I'm Tessa," she replied.
"Pretty name," he said. "I don't usually see tourists around here; they
usually stay closer to the main section of town."
"That's why I'm not there," she replied. "I don't like tourists either."
"You're too pretty to be a tourist. I noticed you the other day. I'm
glad you came back," he continued. "The question is why?"
"I was bored downtown, besides the food here is excellent and so is the
wine."
Marco nodded. "Your glass is empty, would you like a refill?"
Tessa smiled back. "I thought you'd never ask."
Chapter 15
They made small talk for a while, until Marco looked at his watch. "I
have a business engagement that I cannot afford to miss in an hour.
However, I'd like to take you out to dinner. You interest me, Tessa."
"I'd like that," she replied.
"I'll pick you up at ten," he said.
"Sounds good," she replied. "I'm staying at Costa Azul." She saw no need
to lie to him at this point.
"I know," he replied with a wink.
So the hunted has become the hunter, she thought. "Really?"
"When I saw you here the other day and followed you back. Sorry, old
habits die hard," he said.
Tessa smiled back. "You must tell me more about these habits over
dinner."
Marco laughed. "If you only knew, my sweet."
A short time later, Tessa was heading back to her hotel. It bugged her
that he'd been able to tail her without her knowing, but that was water
under the bridge; she wouldn't underestimate him again.
Tessa also had to admit that if she hadn't been a woman, there was no
way she would have met Marco so quickly. A large man, like Jason, would
have stood out in the neighborhood, but an attractive exotic woman, like
she was now, was a definite advantage. She silently thanked Athena.
Chapter 16
Tessa decided to wear a short black sleeveless dress that night, along
with a pair of black pumps. Thankfully, she had no trouble walking in
high heels.
She also wore the black lace panties and matching bra. She told herself
that it was all in the line of duty. Still, she had to admit that she
looked pretty good, and the lingerie felt nice against her body.
Marco arrived on time and nodded in approval at her appearance. "Very
nice, classy, unlike many women these days."
Tessa thought about Lisa and that this monster was one of those
responsible for her death. She was able to smile back. "Thank you."
He took her to a small seafood restaurant. "They make the best paella
here," he explained. "The nice thing is that the tourists don't know
about it yet."
As they ate, Tessa had the strange feeling they were being watched. She
doubted it was someone working with Marco, as he seemed like the type of
man who didn't need or want assistance. She did her best to act as if
nothing unusual was going on as they ate.
She told him that she was an heiress, and that she was spending a few
months in Europe. He seemed to believe what she was saying, and she
suspected that he was the type of man who wouldn't see a woman as a
threat.
Dinner lasted until well after midnight, and they moved into the bar for
after dinner drinks. While she knew that he was a murdering criminal,
she found that he was a very charming man. She then made the decision
that she would go back to his place if he asked. She knew that she
couldn't kill him the way she had Sergio; too many people had seen them
together, but maybe she could get some info out of him.
She let him seduce her, and she wasn't disappointed as he suggested that
they go back to his place. Tessa knew that she had to do this in order
to find out the location of the other killers, even if it meant going to
bed with him.
Chapter 17
The sex wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought it would be. She guessed
that part of her transformation was that her sexuality had changed, as
she wasn't disgusted about having sex with a man. Yes, she was creeped
out about having to be in bed with the man who had killed her Lisa, but
it was a necessary evil. She pretended that Marco was the greatest lover
in the world and complimented him on his lovemaking skills.
They made love twice before drifting off to sleep.
Tessa woke up the next morning alone in bed. She looked around as she
got out of Marco's bed. She took a long shower, dried off, grabbed one
of his shirts and slipped it on. For now, she would play the role of his
lover.
She walked into the kitchen where she found Marco. He was dressed in a
white linen suit. He greeted her with a long passionate kiss, his hands
cupping her ass with both hands as he pulled her close. It took all of
Tessa's self control not to kill him right then. She just played along,
knowing that soon he would be dead.
"I have a business meeting. I promise I won't be too long; promise me
that you'll stay here," he asked as he leaned down and kissed her again.
"Okay," she replied.
"Thanks, I won't be long," he said as he left.
Tessa waited for a while before she started snooping around, as she
wanted to make sure that he was really gone.
His apartment was strangely devoid of personal touches. Her hotel room
seemed homier than his place, she thought. The one thing that caught
her eye was his computer.
She couldn't believe her luck, as he had left it turned on. Before she
used it, she checked around the room for security devices. Tessa figured
that he had just been sloppy and left the computer logged on, but there
was no sense in taking chances.
After twenty minutes, she was satisfied that the room was clean. She sat
down at his computer and did a quick search of his files.
In his address book was the number for a D. S. with an address in
Hamburg. She couldn't believe her luck when, right under it, was another
address for a D.M. in the Bahamas. She would go to Germany first and
take care of the other legionnaire before paying a visit to Daniel
Morehead.
Tessa then opened a photo file and saw a group shot of men in uniforms.
She recognized several of the men including Marco, and Dieter. There
were several other men who looked familiar and then Tessa realized these
were the ones that she had killed back in Greece.
The question remained, how would she dispose of Marco? Too many people
had seen them together, so she couldn't kill him like she had his
cousin.
She looked around his place and across the street. There was a building
right across the street that was two stories higher. She then examined
the windows and found that they were regular glass, as an idea formed in
her head.
Chapter 18
When Marco returned, he found Tessa watching TV. She was still dressed
in just his shirt.
"Damn, I wish I had time for another round of lovemaking, but I have to
leave for the mainland. I'll be back in two days; will you still be in
town?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
Tessa nodded as she kissed him. Two days could give her enough time to
figure out a way to take him out.
Marco dropped her off at the hotel, and she watched him drive away. She
went up to her room to think.
The first thing that came to her mind was how much she had actually
enjoyed the sex with Marco. She was disgusted by him personally, but the
physical act was very enjoyable. She also felt no guilt at all over
having sex with a man, and for this she thanked Athena.
She studied the map of the neighborhood. It would be impossible to kill
him up close; even if she did, she was on an island and getting off
would be very difficult. As he had military training, he wouldn't be as
easy to overpower as Sergio, and even if she succeeded, she would look
like she had been in a fight.
No, she would have to do it from a longer distance, but where would she
get a gun? Then it hit her, and she pulled out the phone book.
An hour later she was walking down a side stre