Zera and the Green Man (25 page)

“Oh!” Tiffany scowled. “I can’t believe you would do this to another woman. What kind of a monster are you?”

“Tiffany,” Lily began, “ — or maybe should I say Agnes? As in Agnes Roach from Washington High School?”

Tiffany’s face flushed. “What?”

“We’ve researched
everything
. We know about your identity change after high school. It’s none of my concern personally; I just want you to know that I know. Now I’ve explained the situation and you need to deal with it. It’s that simple. By the way, we’re both human and have two x chromosomes, but that is where the similarity seems to end.”

“What about her?” asked Tiffany, nodding toward
Zera.

“She’s coming with us too.”

“Oh, I get it; even
she’s
in on it. One big, happy family.” Tiffany flashed a look of contempt at Zera, and Zera looked away, embarrassed for Tiffany, or Agnes.
Agnes Roach
. Zera stared at her shoes. Before the last few days, it would have been easy to laugh. Now, compassion blossomed in her. That explained why Tiffany acted so crazy about names, and about acceptance. More than that, Zera
felt
something strange coming from Tiffany. She could feel her fear, and that she, too, had a lot of sadness.
Sadness?

“Well,” Tiffany continued, with a defiant toss of her hair, “I don’t know what kind of demented game this is, but you’re not going to get away with it.” She glared at each of them.
“None of you. That I
do
know.”

She plopped back down on the sofa with an “I am going to win” smile.
It’s all fake
, thought Zera.
She’s the unhappiest one here.

Without a word to Tiffany, Theodore left the room. Zera noticed that as he brushed by Lily, they had a reaction to each
other, undetected by the others. Lily drew away, avoiding eye contact, and Theodore looked flustered.
I felt it
, thought Zera.
A charge filled the space between them.
 

She didn’t have time to ponder it. Bear put a hand on Theodore’s shoulder and directed him out the back door, then into the van. Zera followed. A few minutes later, after tending to Tiffany’s needs and securing the house, Lily and Drew joined them. 

* * *

As they headed down the bumpy gravel road, Bear sat cross-legged in the back of the van with Zera and Theodore. Shaking his mane of dreadlocked hair, he said, “Theo, in spite of everything, I feel for you, man.
A woman like that. Un-believable.”

From the driver’s seat, Drew needled, “You know the saying, ‘Behind every
good
man . . .’”

“I care about her,” said Theodore. “She’s a good person.”

Zera thought about Agnes Roach. She imagined a different Tiffany, young and vulnerable. She admired her uncle for sticking up for her.

Theodore gazed out the dirty van window. He’d asked Zera if she was okay when he saw her again, and she felt his concern, but then his eyes went vacant, as if he were somewhere else.

Lily, from the front passenger seat, turned to Bear and said, “You need to get a blindfold on him.”

* * *

An hour later Zera watched out the dirty window as the van crawled down a quiet street in a decayed section of Los Angeles. To her surprise, she had fallen asleep and had awakened to find her uncle, his blindfold now off, with Bear sitting beside him.

Bear asked Zera, “Did you have a nice nap?”

Zera nodded.

Before falling asleep, she had been worrying about all of them. Not only about herself and her uncle, but about Tiffany, and her grandmother — how Nonny was taking her
disappearance back home. She knew the Green Guerillas were going to be in trouble with the police, big trouble, no matter what happened next. She strongly sensed that they knew they would be caught and would have to answer for the crimes they had committed, were committing, and those they were surely about to commit.

The van turned down a trash-strewn alley and about midway along stopped behind a small brown house. 

Once inside, Zera, Theodore, and the Green Guerrillas shared a dinner of organic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with almond milk, eaten in nervous silence. Zera looked around the dining room, noting that there were no pictures on the walls, no rug on the wood floor, just the bare necessities — an old table, a few chairs, a beat-up plaid couch.
It’s just a place to meet, refuel, and then carry out whatever it is they do.

Watching Theodore eat, Zera sensed something about her uncle she couldn’t quite pinpoint. He was obviously miserable, every pore of his being screamed that, but he also seemed changed; exactly how, she wasn’t sure. The only things he’d said to her were “Are you all right?” and “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t asked a single question about how she got there. He looked older, and yet he was dressed casually, in jeans and a white T-shirt, a combination she’d rarely seen him in. She thought about the boy in the dream, about how Theodore had once been happy. She wondered if any trace of that boy still existed. 

After dinner, Lily stood up and announced to Bear and Drew, “I’m going to change. We’ve got fifteen minutes.”

Drew nudged Theodore. “You’re changing too. Let’s go.”

Theodore shrugged, stood up.

“Wait,” said Bear. “Something’s been bothering me. Give me one minute.” Bear went to the adjoining kitchen, pulled out an old, wrinkled potato from a bin near the refrigerator and cut it into fourths. He gave the pieces to Theodore. “Here, man, rub these pieces on your hands. I’ll bury them.” Bear winked at Drew. “Sorry, I guess it’s the doctoring instinct. Just can’t stand seeing him suffer. Plus, it’s a full moon tonight.
Perfect timing.” Expressionless, Theodore did as he was told. Bear went out the back door with the potatoes and a big metal spoon he had taken from a drawer.

Drew just shook his head and muttered, “Hocus frickin’ pocus.”

Drew led Theodore out of the dining room, down a hall, and into another room. Through the closed door, Zera heard him bark orders. “Clean up. Put on the suit. Be quick about it.” 

Everyone met in the living room. Zera did a double take when Lily walked in. She now wore a prim gray skirt and jacket with a white shirt and black shoes. Her hair was covered with a shoulder-length brown wig in a conservative hairstyle. Small pearl earrings replaced the dangling leaf ones, and she held a briefcase. She wore red lipstick. She looked like a completely different person. Her outfit matched Theodore’s; they looked like high-level office managers.

Theodore stared into Lily’s eyes.

“So, do you recognize me this time?” Lily asked.

“You, you were the nurse at the lab?”

“Yep, that was me — in a fat suit. We were figuring out a way to break into the lab on our own — before you came along and made it easier for us.”

“Then you should know something about my reaction . . . to those experiments.”

Lily turned away.

Zera felt the growing apprehension they all shared. Strangely enough, she felt no fear and no butterflies.

Lights from a vehicle entering the driveway flashed into the darkening room.

“It’s show time,” said Bear.

* * *

Theodore’s startled expression at the sight of the Void Corporation limousine did not go unnoticed. He hesitated in approaching it.

Bear gave him a nudge. “Man up and move it, Theo.”

Lily opened the limo’s door and in the light they saw the driver, slightly built, graying, dark eyes. When he got out of the car and came around, Zera noticed he was not much bigger than she was.

The driver greeted them all, and then locked eyes with
Theodore. “Hello, Mr. Green.”

“You’re . . . you’re Langston’s driver,” Theodore said.

“I’m Jerry. But all you know me by is ‘Driver.’”

Remembering how he struggled, and failed, to remember his name just a day earlier, Theodore couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Is Void taken care of?” Lily asked Jerry.

Jerry nodded. Noticing Zera, it was his turn to be startled. “What’s she doing here?”

“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow morning, over breakfast, when this is over.”

Jerry nodded again, accepting Lily’s statement without another word. Drew just shook his head.

Lily was the last to get in. Theodore and Bear sat on one side; Lily, Drew, and Zera faced them. Through the dark-tinted windows Zera watched the house recede from view.

Lily switched on a light. She looked over at Theodore, and her eyes narrowed. “This is the plan, Ted. Listen up. We’re going to VCC headquarters, and then taking the helicopter to the Research and Development Facility.” She gave him a moment to take that in. She continued, slowly, as if she were talking to someone who might have problems following instructions. “You and I, once we get to company headquarters, are going to go through the front doors, to the guard station. You will tell the guards at the front desk how I,
Jenny Muldoon
, was your assistant at Biotech, and you just hired me today. You’ll tell them we’re going upstairs to your office to get some paperwork. You’ll have to sign in, etc., but don’t worry; those guards are not going to dare question anything you do. You’re the new
president
.”

“We’ll hang out in your office for a few minutes while the tapes are being set up. Zera, you’ll go with Bear and Drew. When we’re finished, we’ll meet you at the helicopter.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea for Zera to come?” Theodore said. “Isn’t this going to be dangerous? Do you really want to risk harming a child?”

“I’m not a child, Uncle Theodore,” Zera said. “It’s okay. I’m supposed to go.”

“What?” Theodore rubbed the back of one hand. “I don’t even know what you’re doing here, how you got here . . . that tree.” His voice took on a faraway quality, and he looked out the window again. The scenery had changed as they neared downtown. Strip malls, lights, heavy traffic.

“Don’t worry,” Zera said. “There’s no time to explain now, but,” she lowered her voice, “I saw your dream.”

Theodore jolted. He met Zera’s gaze and for the first time that afternoon he was fully there, he didn’t seem to be straddling two worlds, the world of living-in-the-now overshadowed by the world of his private nightmares.

“I saw it,” said Zera.
“The meadow with the tree, the plants.
I saw you when you were
young
.”

Theodore’s eyes widened behind his glasses, and she felt his disbelief, worry, a tiny bit of gratitude that someone may have witnessed his suffering and may actually know the terror he’d been through. “But . . . but, that’s impossible, Zera.”

“It’s not,” Zera’s voice remained low. “I was there too.” She looked around at the others, who were absorbed in their conversation. “I know I’m supposed to be here. Nonny told me some amazing things about our family, the Green family. We’re supposed to be protectors of the Green World, Uncle Theodore.”

“What?” There was something deeper than disbelief coming from her uncle. Zera could feel the word “protector” turn over in his mind.
A glimmer of something akin to remembrance. 

Drew was listening in. “Some protector,” he spat the words. “God help us
all
.”

Lily tapped Theodore on the knee as he star
ed at Zera. “All I have to say to you is, don’t mess this up. Don’t try
anything
. Because if you do, your little Tiffany may be out in that farmhouse for a long time.”

“Now,” said Lily, “We’re going to go over it again. What’s my name?
”                                                                        
.

The limo glided to a stop at Void Corporation Headquarters’ front entrance. Jerry got out, strode around the car, and opened the door for Theodore and Lily.

“You’ll be going in through the back entrance,” Lily said to Zera. “I’ll see you soon.” After smoothing her skirt and grabbing her briefcase, Lily whispered to Theodore, “Remember,
Jenny Muldoon
. Your former assistant at BioTech.”

The lobby was dim as most of the lights in the building had gone off after five. At the front desk sat two men in uniform. They made for an odd couple; one large and flabby, with bulldog jowls, the other smaller and pale, with sharp features and wavy hair. As Theodore and Lily approached, the smaller guard stood.

“Hello, Mr. Green,” said the large one. “We missed you today.”

“Yes . . .” Theodore eyed the man’s name badge, “. . . Fred, I had business in Colorado I needed to attend to.” He signed the check-in sheet, pressing down hard so his hand wouldn’t shake. His heart lurched as he thought,
if ever there was a time to try to turn the tables, it’s now.
He thought about what would be the worst that could happen.
She’s not armed, and Zera has no fear of Bear and Coop, um, Drew. I don’t think they’d harm her. I’d be a hero, to some. . . hated by others . . .                             

He handed the pen to Lily and her eyes bored into his.
No, I can’t consider it. I won’t risk anything happening to Zera, and . . .
the next thought turned his heart to lead
. There’s no winning outcome, not for me. All I wanted was to make good, and . . . everything’s gone wrong.
Theodore cleared his throat. “This is my former assistant from Biotech Multinational, Penny Muldoon. We’re very lucky she’s decided to join the Void team.”

Lily beamed at the guards and held out a hand to Fred. “I’m happy to meet you.” She turned to the wavy-haired guard, whose nametag read Howard Blake. Howard extended a skinny hand.
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” he said in a vague southern accent. As they shook hands, Theodore thought he saw Howard wink at Lily.
My god, could the guards be in on this too?
A weird relief that he didn’t try anything filled him, even as he felt like a coward.

“Yep,” Theodore said. “Plane just got in, and we, um, wanted to do the paperwork tonight.”

“No problem, sir,” said Fred, obviously unconcerned with Theodore’s story. Theodore and Lily walked to the elevator and Howard called after them. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Let’s hope not,” Lily said under her breath. 

She turned, smiled, gave a little wave. “Thank you!”

In the “CEO Only” elevator Theodore looked at Lily. They were alone for the first time. His heart skipped a few beats, but he couldn’t help himself, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was gorgeous. Lily avoided his gaze and seemed preoccupied with the elevator buttons. She’d told him in the limo that the elevator would be bugged, and warned him not to say anything.

Up they went swiftly, eighty-two floors to the top. Weak-kneed with emotion, Theodore was unable to think about anything but whether Lily felt anything but disgust for him. He thought back to when they’d dated, how they’d spent almost every minute of their free time together their senior year of high school, sharing lunch every day, going out every Friday and Saturday night, taking long hikes in the mountains until nightfall . . .

The digital voice of the elevator announced with a soft, feminine tone, “Executive floor.”

They entered the lobby. A woman sat at the desk — a familiar buxom blonde. Theodore gasped. “Crystal?”

The woman looked up and smiled. She smiled differently than Crystal, not as wide. Another Crystal-look-alike, like Langston’s secretary Brigette, this one with short blonde hair and gr
ay eyes. Theodore breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re Mr. Green aren’t you? I recognize you from Brigette’s video directory. I’m Meg
; I came in this evening for a couple of hours to finish some work for Brigette. Mr. Void worked late; he just left a little while ago.” She stood and offered a pretty hand. “I was just getting ready to leave myself.”

Theodore shook her hand, quickly and nervously, introducing “Jenny Muldoon,” and cringing as he remembered that he’d called her Penny downstairs.

“Unless you need anything; then, of course I would be happy to stay,” Meg offered.

“Oh, no,” said Theodore. “We’re quite fine . . . I’ll see you around.” He led Lily down the hallway. 

“Nice going,” muttered Lily. “At least you got my name right this time.”

They walked past Langston’s office, with its gigantic double doors inlaid with the large, gold letters —
“V” on one, “C” on the other. The next office, his, showed a brand-new metal sign. A gold planet Earth with three lines written across it in script
:
Theodore F. Green, President, Biotechnology Divisio
n
. Without thinking, his hand went up to touch the lettering.

“You finally got what you wanted,” Lily said.

Theodore jerked his hand back. For an instant he felt courageous. He met Lily’s eyes and said boldly, “No, actually I never did.”

She looked away. “Let’s go in, shall we?”

They entered an office, smaller, but nearly identical to Void’s.

“Nice,” Lily said. Her sarcastic tone told Theodore that she’d obviously made a quick recovery from Theodore’s surprise statement. His heart sank. Lily opened her briefcase and took out a notebook. It held a hidden scanning device. She pressed several buttons and looked at the display. 

“Great job, Drew,” she said to herself. “He successfully de-bugged it.”

“You mean the room was bugged?
By Void?”

“Ted, if the situation wasn’t so serious, your naiveté would almost be cute.”

Theodore’s face felt hot.
The way she said that . . . could it be possible she doesn’t totally hate my guts?

“Drew’s electronics wizardry, along with ‘Howard’s’ help down at security, is going to ensure that no one suspects a thing. At least not until it’s too late. They’re not even going to know we’re leaving the building by helicopter. All we have to do is
wait for Drew to give the signal. That should occur in,” she looked down at her watch, “about ten minutes. We’ll wait it out till then.”

She walked to the leather sofa and sat down. “How about offering me a beverage?”