Jennifer Government: A Novel (24 page)

“US Alliance, for its part, denies any involvement in the subsequent
death of Nathaniel ExxonMobil. The Government also considers this unsatisfactory.

“We are now going to exact compensation. We’re going to demand unheard-of penalties. Our most senior people, including the President, are now en route to London to conduct a negotiation.”

London!
Jennifer raised her hand. The man pointed to her. “Yes?”

“The corporates won’t roll over just because we tell them to. I hope you guys have a better plan than asking nicely.”

Elise whispered in his ear; another woman touched his shoulder. He convened with them, then nodded. “Jennifer? You’re right. If we can’t hit these guys with anything more than harsh words, they’ll continue to break the law when it suits them.

“Therefore, the Government is reassigning twenty thousand agents, effective immediately. In two days, we will conduct simultaneous raids against every company involved. We’ll arrest every executive we can. We will, if necessary, incarcerate every member of senior management, pending trial, until they concede to our demands.”

Agents were murmuring. “Holy shit,” Calvin said. “Is that even legal?”

Jennifer kept her hand up. “Who gets to do the raids? Excuse me? Who gets to go?”

Some of the agents around her snickered. “The raiding parties will be comprised of every field agent we can spare in London. And we’ll be flying in agents who have particular expertise.”

“I have particular expertise,” she said. “Even before the Nike Town killings, I—”

“Yes, Jennifer,” he said. “We know. You’re going to London. Tonight.”

When Billy woke, there was a man with a chestful of ribbons sitting beside him.

“Ah, good,” the man said. He was short, crisp, and compact, with gray temples and sharp eyes. “Billy, I’m General Li. Do you mind if we talk?”

“Uh, sure,” Billy said. He tried to sit up and discovered his wrists were tied to the bed. “What the—”

“Good! Then let’s start with this. Can you tell me what it is?”

The evening sun was streaming through the window, and Billy had to squint. The General was holding his cigarette packet, his bug. Billy suddenly felt more alert. “That’s…hey, that’s what that Bill guy had. And, man, I think he was talking into it.”

“Mmm,” General Li said. He pondered. “Let me put this another way. Billy, I know you’re a spy.”

“Oh.” He tugged at the restraints.

“The shame of it is, we killed a good soldier. I understand how it occurred, but it really is a pity. Ironic, how he survived a mission against the Government only to be killed by us. I have to explain that to his family somehow.” General Li was wearing a beret; now he took it off and scratched his skull. “Such things happen in the friction of war.”

“Now—I never wanted to carry that thing,” Billy said. “The Government made me. I can explain!”

“Ah,” General Li said. “Please do.”

Billy started talking. He told his whole sorry tale from Abilene,
Texas, to New Zealand and active NRA missions he didn’t know anything about to Government espionage. The General seemed vaguely sympathetic.

“Well,” he said finally. “That is a story. That is a story indeed.”

Billy waited.

“There’s some debate about what to do with you. There are officers who believe you should spend the foreseeable future in a military prison. That’s the field-book solution.”

“No, you can’t put me in prison!” He felt his throat constricting. “I just wanted to go skiing, that’s all I wanted! Please!”

“Other officers, however, would prefer to have you shot.”

“Ag,” Billy said.

“But there’s something that interests me, Billy. Before this debacle, you were being recruited by us. You had been selected because you demonstrated exemplary skills.”

Billy blinked.

“Marksmanship,” Li said helpfully.

“Right! Yeah, I can shoot real well. Better than anybody.” He felt his wrists growing slippery with sweat where the restraints held them.

“If that’s true, I may have a special need for you.”

“Sure, let me show you—”

“I assume you know what kind of job I have in mind.”

“Sure, sure.” He thought. “Like, sniper stuff?”

“Would you have a problem with that?”

He contemplated this. Yes, Billy would have a problem with that, but his most pressing problem was getting shot for treason by NRA soldiers. “No way! Give me a gun and I’ll blow away whoever you—”

“Yes, all right,” General Li said. “In good time. If things work out, we’ll have assignments for you. Away from the Australian Territories and the local Government.”

“And if—if things don’t work out…”

“I was leaning toward the prison option,” General Li said. “Probably.” He stood. “Rest up. Tomorrow morning we’ll see what you can do.”

“Thanks, man. Thanks.” Just before the General left, Billy said: “This place where I’d go—the place where I’ll do assignments…are there mountains? Snow?”

General Li smiled. “No.”

“Okay,” Buy said, when Jennifer walked in the door. “I decided on casserole. I was thinking tuna bake, but that box of bread crumbs of yours expired six months ago.” He looked at her reprovingly.

“Oh,” Jennifer said. “You’re cooking?”

“I got restless.” Buy had arranged to meet at Jennifer’s house after work, but when he arrived she was on the way out to pick up Kate. So she let him in and told him to amuse himself. He now had three pots bubbling on the stove top and a dish in the oven. “I hope you don’t mind. I thought…”

“What?”

“There’s a girl,” Buy said, “hiding behind your legs.”

She looked down. “Buy, this is Kate. Kate, meet Buy.”

Buy waved. “Pleased to meet you.” Kate didn’t say anything. She had dark eyes, like her mother. Buy felt a twinge of nervousness. He didn’t have much experience with kids.

Jennifer said, “Kate, why don’t you get changed?”

Kate left wordlessly. There was something going on here, Buy thought. Kate’s face looked like a storm; Jennifer’s was tired and strained. “She’s cute,” Buy said. He stirred a pot.

“Yeah. She is.” Jennifer looked at him. “Look, I have something to ask… a favor. A big one.”

“Sure.”

“I’ve been given an assignment in London. I don’t know how long it will be. Maybe a week.”

“You’re leaving? When?”

“Tonight.”

Buy looked at his casserole. “Do you have time to eat?”

“No.”

“Oh. Lucky I’m hungry.”

“You can say no…but I need someone to look after Kate.” She watched him.

Buy almost laughed. “You want me to take care of your daughter?”

“You’d only have to pick her up after school or aftercare, feed her—”

“Isn’t there anyone else you’d rather do this? Family? Her father?”

“Look,” Jennifer said, “I’m asking you, okay?”

“Okay.” He hesitated. “You don’t know me very well.”

“Sure I do.”

“Well, okay, then,” Buy said. “I’d be honored.”

“Thanks. Thank you.” He could see the relief on her face. “I thought maybe you could stay here, so Kate’s not in a new environment. Is that all right?”

“Sure.”

Kate reappeared in the doorway. Jennifer said, “Honey, Buy will be looking after you while I’m away.”

Kate looked at him.

“All right? He’s cooking a nice meal for you.” She waited.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You don’t have to eat
now
. It’s not ready yet. You can eat later.”

Kate was silent.

“I’m sorry,” Jennifer said. She pressed her hand against her forehead. “Kate, I’m so sorry. I have to pack.”

She left. Buy and Kate looked at each other.

“Well,” Buy said. “Looks like you and me are in for a fun time.”

Kate looked at the stove. “What are you cooking?”

“A casserole. You like it?”

“What is it?”

“You don’t know what a casserole is?”

Kate shook her head.

“What do you eat?”

“Spaghetti, mostly.”

“Well, then,” Buy said. “You’re in for quite a treat.”

“You speak funny.”

“That’s because I was born in France. I can teach you a few words of my language, if you like. You can impress your friends with your command of
français.”

“What?”

“Français,”
Buy said, “is French for French.”

“What’s French for Kate?”

“Kate,” Buy said.

“Oh.”

“Most of the other words are different,” he assured her. “You will sound very sophisticated.”

“Okay.” She smiled a little. “I think I am hungry now.”

Kate set the table and over dinner they talked about French cheeses. Kate wouldn’t believe that France had five hundred types and she asked Buy to name them. He struggled to get past ten, and anyway she accused him of making up Roquefort.

“It’s real,” Jennifer said, coming into the room. “I’ve seen it myself.” Kate didn’t say anything. Jennifer looked at Buy, and he noticed again how tired she looked. “Thanks so much for this. I’ll call as soon as I can.”

“Sure.”

She squatted beside Kate. Kate stared at her plate. “You know I don’t want to do this. Right? As soon as I get back, you and me will go down to the dog shelter. The minute I get back.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“I love you. I love you so much.”

Buy said, “Do you need help with your bags?”

She looked up. “Thanks, no. My shoulder’s a lot better.” She kissed Kate, then him on the cheek. “I’m sorry, I really have to run.”

“Have a good trip.”

“Thanks.” She dragged her suitcase out the front door.

Buy played with his fork. Kate stared at her empty plate. When Jennifer had invited him over, this was not how Buy had envisioned the evening.

“Okay!” he said. “Should we see what’s in the freezer for dessert?”

Kate sniffed. Buy realized she was crying, or about to. He felt panic.

“Hey…” He rose and went over to her, feeling awkward. What did he know about kids? Nothing. “She’ll be back before you know it. I bet.”

Kate’s lip was trembling; her eyes were filling. Buy didn’t know what to do. Then she reached out for him, and he hugged her. Her tiny arms felt strange around his neck. Strange and nice. He stroked her hair.

“You’re a very brave girl.” He held her for a long time, until she stopped trembling. “Some dessert now?” he said, and felt her nod.

Everyone was very worked up when Hack arrived at the parking lot. “Have you seen the news?” Leisl demanded. Leisl had green hair and heavy makeup; her main beef was with genetically modified food but she was basically willing to stick it to anyone who was making a lot of money.

“What news?” Hack said.

“They
shot
some people. One company went in and shot some people from another company. It’s like organized crime. It’s like the
mob.”

“Oh, wow,” Hack said. “No, I hadn’t heard.” He wondered if Nike was involved.

“That’s why tonight is so important,” Thomas said. Thomas was the youngest, just a kid, really. He hated inequality, like how only rich people got to ride first-class in airplanes. “Right, Hack?”

“Right,” Hack said. “Hi, Claire.”

“Hi.” She smiled. Her breath fogged in the night air. “You still want to go ahead with this?”

“Hell, yes,” Hack said. “Bring it on.” He wondered if he should make a little speech.

“Yeah!” Thomas said. Thomas was pretty excited. Hack guessed they all were.

“Well, we’re all set,” Leisl said. “I’ve secured the guy ropes. Any time you’re ready.”

“Okay.” He wasn’t totally confident about Leisl, so he checked the ropes himself. It was six stories to the ground. Hack didn’t want to find out halfway down that Leisl had used hemp rope or something. “Then let’s do it.”

On the side of the parking lot was an enormous billboard, on which a model advertised stretch pants for The Gap. The model was four stories tall but her arms were like sticks. He and Claire were going to go down and spray-paint a speech bubble that said FEED ME.

They got trussed up and stood together on the ledge. Claire’s cheeks were red; from the excitement or the cold, Hack didn’t know. She took his hand. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“Bombs away,” Hack said, and stepped over the edge. The street, sixty feet down, swung out before him. His head spun. His body screamed out for him to get vertical.
What are you doing? Hack, you don’t do things like this!
But Hack was doing it. He started to get
the knack of it and pushed off from the side, then swung back. It was kind of fun. Soon he was rappelling down the billboard in great leaps. He stopped when he reached the model’s neck and looked up. Claire was still edging down. “You okay?”

“Yes!”

He blew on his hands to keep them warm. Hack was getting a pretty good view of the Punt Road shopping strip from here. The traffic looked like a metal river. He wondered what the drivers made of him and Claire.

Claire slowly made her way down. “What are you, some kind of stunt man? Jumping and leaping like an idiot.”

He grinned. “It’s fun.”

She smiled, studying him. “You know, I’m proud of you.”