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The patrol car idled across the street from the bank as the officers continued their vigil. It was not that the authorities actually believed anyone would try to rob the bank again. There was nothing of value left in the vault. Instead, the police presence was simply there to give comfort to nearby business owners during an election year. The two officers were on their fifth cup of coffee and third crossword puzzle. It was not surprising that they failed to see the figure descend into the alleyway from the roof of a nearby building.

The man gracefully floated to the ground like a sparrow. The figure’s long black cape blended into the shadows of the alleyway and made the man virtually invisible to anyone observing him. With the agility of a jungle cat, the figure sprinted through the alley. The figure maintained his invisibility by staying near the alley wall. Within seconds, the figure made his way to the back of the bank and was squatting near the rear entrance. With what appeared to be expert precision and practiced ease, the crouching man removed a set of picks from a pouch on his belt and went to work on the door lock. A moment later, the door unlocked with a soft click and the caped intruder quietly pulled open the grey metal door. He quickly rolled into the lobby of the White Plains Federal Credit Union and looked around the room.

Twenty four hours earlier, the bank had been the location to one of the Director’s well orchestrated crimes. Sleep gas had kept the employees unconscious for several hours after the heist. Since then, the police had investigated. The evidence of that investigation was strewn all over the floor as yellow tape and fingerprint powder littered the floor. The man carefully moved through the debris and to the center of the room.

A large mirror lined the far wall behind the counter and the caped man examined his reflection. The bright light of the bank revealed him to be a muscular man dressed in a black skin-tight leather costume, which accented his Olympic-level athletic physique. The uniform was completed by a full-face mask that hid the man’s identity and an oversized black leather belt with several large pouches. The only identifying mark on the entire costume was an outline of a small red hawk that covered the man’s right breast.

The costumed man crouched down and examined the trash and rubbish on the floor. Occasionally, he would pick up items and place them in one of the many oversized compartments in his belt. After several minutes, the adventurer stood to his full six foot height and moved to the window to confirm that the officers were still watching the door. They were. He removed a small communication device from his belt and pressed a red button. The device beeped and the red silhouette of a hawk lit up on the back of the device.

“Sparrowette, are you there?” The costumed adventure spoke into the device with a deep gravelly voice, “It’s Hawk! Are you there? “

“As always!” A woman’s voice responded, “Waiting patiently by the phone. I have been awaiting your call with bated breath.”

Hawk ignored the comment, “I have completed my investigation. It was definitely the Director. Unfortunately, too much time has passed and the trail has gone cold . . . again.”

The woman sounded sympathetic, “Don’t worry, he’ll slip up eventually. We’ll get him before . . .”

Hawk’s angry voice cut her off, “No, Sparrowette, we are not doing enough! We need to stop this maniac before he kills someone!”

Sparrowette did not respond.

After a moment, Hawk added, in a somewhat softer voice, “I took some samples, in case I missed something. I’m on my way back to the nest.”

Sparrowette broke her silence. “Well then, come home. I’ll run a warm bath for you. Who knows, you may get lucky and I’ll be waiting for you in the tub. Sparrowette out.”

Hawk smiled under his mask as he turned to exit the bank.

Suddenly, the front door of the bank flew open and the two policemen rushed into the lobby. The older officer screamed, “Freeze!”

Hawk spun towards the officers. Without hesitation, the costumed adventurer reached into his belt and removed a small pellet. He tossed it onto the floor in front of the officers.

The pellets exploded upon impact. A bright flash blinded the officers. They covered their eyes and turned away. When the officers recovered and their sight had cleared up, they realized they were standing alone in the bank. .

“Was that the Hawk?” The younger officer asked. “I thought he was dead.”

“Me too.” The older officer put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Maybe we should leave him out of our report and keep it that way.”

*****

The Director pressed the “end” button hanging up his cell phone. He turned towards Lucas, who was waiting for him with a clipboard.

The villain spoke with excitement in his voice, “It’s all set, Lucas, my dear Production Assistant. The agent will arrange for us to meet our new star upon our arrival in Salvezza.” The Director looked at his assistant, “I see you are already in costume.”

Lucas wore a tan deputy’s costume from the Portague County Sheriff’s Office. “Yes sir. I brought your costume and the car is ready. Both the black mustang and the eighteen-wheeler truck already departed with the rest of our gang.”

“Cast.” The Director corrected as he took the hanger. The villain entered his dressing cubicle and continued to speak, “Very good, Lucas. Soon, we’ll be on our way to Salvezza to make my masterpiece. Then, the world will know of the Director: often imitated—never nominated.”

The production assistant waited patiently until the Director exited the dressing room. He looked at the leader of his gang (cast, he mentally corrected) and tried not to laugh. The Director had put a tan Portague County Sherriff’s uniform over a padded fat suit making the normally athletic man look obese and out of shape. He also wore an oversized tan Stetson hat. The outfit was completed with an oversized mustache that the Director had glued under his lip with spirit gum.

“Very good sir.” The assistant answered. “We are expected to arrive in three days. Of course, if we didn’t have to drive, we could arrive much faster.”

But the Director had already gotten into character. “We have to drive and show that Bandit that nobody, and I mean NOBODY, makes Sheriff Buford T. Justice look like a possum’s pecker. Get in the car, Junior!”

The assistant sighed. Lucas knew any further discussions would be impossible. He took a small piece of paper from his shirt pocket and read his lines, “But, daddy. Who will hold your hat?” He exclaimed in moronic tone.”

“Get in the car, Junior! There’s no way, no way that you came from my loins. Soon as I get home, first thing I’m gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!” The Director drawled in a heavy Texan accent. Then, the Director-become-sheriff turned away from Lucas and walked toward the squad car.

A second later, the production assistant followed. Lucas was sure that it was going to be a long ride to Salvezza.

*****

Many miles away, in Salvezza, Beatriz “Betty” Ortiz looked at her scarred figure in a full length mirror. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she was standing on the porch of an old farmhouse and the scars were gone. An old loveseat swing hung on the far corner of the porch. James Jefferson lay on the swing with his feet up and a straw cowboy hat over his eyes.

Betty looked at the Southerner. She knew him well. James was a card carrying bigot, who had lost his job when the work was outsourced to a foreign country. As a result, he joined the Order of White Loyal Supremacists, the OWLs. His first mission was his last. He strapped himself with explosives, went to a bodega and blew himself up. Betty knew this because she was in the bodega that day and became his victim. And, although she appeared flawless at this dream farm, in the real world, Betty became horribly scarred in the explosion. She vividly recalled the searing heat and the pain, as pieces of James’ human shrapnel became imbedded in her skin.

The explosion also had an unanticipated side effect; it activated Betty’s latent psychic powers. As a result, she could now absorb a person’s skills through physical contact. Unfortunately, because James” human shrapnel was always touching her, they were forced to share the same body. To make matters worse, although Betty normally remained in control, when she was sleeping or unconscious, James had the ability to take over her body. He did just that once he discovered that the OWLS were going to blow up the children’s ward. The two personalities had reached a détente of sorts. Betty donned her electric blue costume and tried to stop the OWLs. Then, after Betty was knocked out, James was able to stop them at the last moment and save the hospital. He had also taken control over Betty’s body the night before, with less altruistic motives.

“James, what did you do?” Betty asked in shock.

James Jefferson did not bother to look up, “Listen girlie, do you mind, ah had a long night and really need to relax.”

Betty kicked his feet off the swing, “ˇAy carumba! I cannot believe that you and that woman . . .”

James threw off his hat, “Darling, you’re too uptight. It’s a natural thing between a woman and a man.” He chuckled. “Sort of.”

Betty did not know what to say.

James continued. “You should thank me.”

Betty exploded, “Thank you?”

James sneered “You’re welcome. You ahr just lucky I saved you in that alley.”

Betty tried to remember the night before, “The biker guy.”

James moved back to the swing, “Now you remember. It wasn’t my crazy idea to go out and pick that fight. That guy was gonna kill you, us, whatever”

Betty sat on the swing and struggled to remember the details from the night before. “We were fighting. He was so strong and I couldn’t stop him. He must have knocked me out.”

“He was gonna do worse when ah stepped up.” James sat next to her on the swing and back stretched his arms over his head, “Luckily old Jamesey had your back. Ah beat that Alan guy to a bloody pulp. Ah took out the bad guy and saved the girl to boot. She was so grateful.”

Betty rolled her eyes. “You disgust me.”

James put his hat over his eyes. “You gonna keep lecturing me or get back to the hospital? I bet that Doctor Katinsky guy is worried sick about you. What you see in that j. . .”

“Don’t start.” Since the OWL incident, James had tried to behave himself and had even curtailed his use of racial epitaphs. In return, Betty agreed to leave the OWLs to the police. Still, Betty had heard the “Katinsky” lecture far too many times. She thought about what James did to her. She knocked off James’ hat, “And don’t talk to me, we’re finished. ˇNo mas! Done!”

Betty tried not to think of what Dr. Katinsky would do when he found out what happened in the alleyway.

*****

Across town, Dr. Katinsky tossed the bloody surgical scrubs into the medical waste hamper as he exited the emergency room. The middle-aged doctor slammed the door as he walked out to the nurses’ station. Aggie sat behind the desk. The older woman was working with her knitting needles. She was putting the finishing touches on a woman’s sweater.

Katinsky scooped up a clipboard and looked for a specific name, “Where the hell is she?” He slammed down the clipboard on the table with such force that Aggie jumped back in fear. The nurse’s red ball of yarn rolled off her lap and into the hallway.

Katinsky quickly realized what he had done. Aggie tried not to laugh as the middle-aged doctor rushed down the hall chasing the nurse’s ball of yarn. “Oh, leave that. You look like a giant cat.”

Katinsky returned with as much yarn as he had been able to gather, “I am so sorry, Aggie.” The doctor blushed and turned a bright shade of red.

“Oh, hush child. It’s only yarn. I’m more troubled by the way you are carrying on. You are upsetting the patients” The older nurse smiled at the young doctor. “Now, you want to tell old Aggie what’s got you in such a tither?”

Katinsky sighed, “It’s Ms. Ortiz, she’s sneaking out again.”

Aggie nodded, “I know, I just saw it on the news. Is she okay?”

Katinsky raised his voice again. “I have no idea how she is. That’s because I just spent several hours putting her sparring partner back together! She nearly killed him.”

Aggie took a moment before she spoke, “I just hope that Betty’s okay.”

Katinsky was confused, “Aggie, I just told you one of our patients nearly killed a man and you’re worried about how she is doing?”

“Of course, Dr. Katinsky, I don’t know anything about your mystery patient, but I know Ms. Ortiz. Betty wouldn’t have acted the way she did without good cause. I can’t imagine what that man must have tried to do to her or someone else.”

Katinsky shuffled his feet, “Uhm, I hadn’t though of that, I guess you’re right. I better check on her and see if she’s okay. Can you—?”

“See if who is okay?” Geir’s voice boomed. The older doctor walked down the hallway to join Aggie and Dr. Katinsky at the nurses’ station. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Katinsky gave Aggie a concerned look, “No, Dr. Geir, we were just wondering whether Ms. Ortiz was still having fun, she hasn’t signed in yet.”

Aggie returned the knowing look and nodded, “I know she mentioned that she was going to see an old family friend. She must have decided to stay the night. It’s good for the child to get out of the hospital”

Geir thought for a moment and then gave a loud boisterous laugh, “I guess I should have known that Ms. Ortiz is never far from Dr. Katinsky’s thoughts.”

Katinsky blushed to an even deeper shade of red. “Aggie, again, I am sorry about the yarn. But, I better get to the paperwork on my patient.”

Geir’s face lit up, “Ah yes, our mystery guest. Has he said anything else?”

Katinsky shook his head in the negative, “Before he went under the anesthesia, he mumbled something about ripping the ears off a gundark. He has been unconscious ever since.”

Geir looked at his watch, “That’s too bad. Let me know if there’s any change in his condition and when he’s able to talk.” Aggie and Katinsky gave him a curious look. In response, Geir quickly added, “I mean to say, if you need any assistance with the patient, let me know. I would be more than happy to help.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Katinsky politely responded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Seconds later, the two doctors went their separate ways, leaving Aggie alone to attend to her nurses’ station and to her knitting. She did not notice the man in the Armani suit with the blackberry that watched her from down the hall.

Betty slowly worked her way across town. She did her best to ignore James’ voice in her head.

An hour later, Katinsky was still sitting at the front lobby desk. He was finalizing his paperwork when he heard the automatic doors. The doctor looked up to see Betty come through the front entrance of St. Margaret’s. She was dressed in a baggy university shirt and extremely tight blue jeans. Gloves covered her scarred hands, and a white scarf with dark glasses hid her disfigured face. Katinsky could tell by the way the girl was hobbling that she was hurt.

The doctor rushed over to her. “Do you need a wheelchair? Can I get you something?”

Betty weakly responded, “Si, una nueva cabezza, a new head. This one is too crowded.”

Katinsky let Betty lean on him as they walked back to her room. Once there, he locked the door and turned toward his patient. “Okay, take off your clothes.” Betty’s shocked expression made him clarify, “I need to examine you.”

Reluctantly, Betty did as she was instructed and stripped down to her bra and panties. Unlike the sweatshirt and jeans, at least they were her own and not the property of Niki, the professional. She tried not to feel self conscience as Katinsky ran his fingers over her scarred body. Suddenly, Betty tensed, “ˇSu guantes! You forgot your gloves.” Betty waited for the all-too-familiar tingle that manifested when she absorbed someone’s skill. It did not come.

Katinsky smiled, “I had a theory about that. It appears that once you do that touch and learn trick on someone, you have to wait a really long time before you can get anything out of them again—maybe even years. I think it’s because people don’t really learn very much on a day to day basis. It’s quite a sad statement on society if you ask me.”

“Good to know.” Betty winced as the doctor touched her ribcage.

“I better wrap this up, I don’t think you broke anything, but we can’t be too careful. You may have fractured a rib.” Katinsky spoke softly.

Betty patiently sat as the older doctor silently tended to her wounds and taped up her rib cage. Finally, Katinsky spoke, “Okay, what happened? I was angry before, but Aggie talked me down. Now, I just want to know what happened.”

Betty took a deep breath, “These uhm professional women were attacked in the alleyway by this Alan guy.”

“I didn’t know his name was Alan?” Katinsky nodded. “But, I saw what Psi-Kotic did to him.”

Betty gave Katinsky a sad look, “It wasn’t me. I mean Psi-Kotic did it, but I . . .” Betty’s eyes began to tear.

Katinsky put his arms around Betty and embraced her. “James?”

Betty sobbed an “uh huh” into his shoulder as she fell into Katinsky’s arms.

The pair sat on the bed holding each other for several minutes. Katinsky caressed Betty’s hair as the woman cried. When the tears were gone, she tried to continue. “James did horrible things.”

Katinsky nodded, “I know. I treated Alan’s wounds. He needed reconstructive surgery in areas . . .”

“No.” Betty interrupted, “I mean after . . .”

Katinsky didn’t understand and Betty didn’t clarify. Instead, she began to weep. After a moment, Betty looked up at Katinsky; there was a fiery anger in her wet red eyes. “We need to get him out of me!”

The Doctor was stunned by the statement, “But we can’t. There is no way.” Katinsky had spent months researching to find a method to remove the human shrapnel. He had failed.

“ˇNo puedo hacer esto!” Betty sobbed again. Katinsky knew Betty well enough to wait for the English translation. It came immediately, “I can’t do this. I can’t let him take control like that ever again.”

After a moment, Katinsky asked, “What does James have to say about this?”

“It doesn’t matter!” Betty’s temper flared again. “James doesn’t get a say. We’re not speaking. We aren’t speaking.”

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere, girlie” James yelled in her head. Betty ignored the voice as it expounded on the situation.

Katinsky could see the strain on Betty’s face. “He’s talking now?”

“I don’t care!” Betty winced.

Katinsky stood up and offered her a handkerchief. “C’mon, I’ll buy you dinner in the cafeteria.”

Betty took it and wiped away her tears. “Gracias, I would like that,” she sniffed.

Betty put on a clean shirt and the two exited the room and proceeded down to the cafeteria.

*****

Meanwhile, across town, Lee Sherman sat in an ornately decorated leather chair and reviewed the contents of a Manila folder labeled “St. Margaret’s.” The folder’s other contents, various photographs of the hospital and its staff, were scattered in front of him on the large antique mahogany desk.

The sound of classical musical was interrupted by the harsh ring of a telephone. Sherman closed the folder and picked up the receiver. “Is it done?” He asked in a harsh tone.

“No, but we are in position, sir.” A voice responded on the other end of the line.

“You are wasting my time. Call me when it’s over.” Sherman picked up one of the surveillance photos and examined a photograph of Dr. Geir and Beatriz Ortiz standing outside the hospital. Sherman added, “Don’t let anything stand in your way.”

“Yes sir!” The voice acknowledged before the line went dead.

Sherman slammed down the receiver onto the phone with a loud crash. A moment later, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Absent mindedly, his hand caressed the scar on his face.

*****

The man hung up the payphone in the lobby of St. Margaret’s Hospital. He opened the door and emerged from the phone booth. He ran his fingers through his blonde crew cut and adjusted his black trench coat. He addressed the three similarly-dressed men sitting on the leather coach. “We are a go! Let’s move out!”

“Yes, sir!” The men responded in a conspiratorial whisper as they rose up to join their leader. Then, all four men moved to the elevator. Before anyone could press the call button to summon the elevator, the door opened. Inside, was a clean cut Doctor in surgical scrubs and a horribly scarred Spanish woman.

The woman spoke, “I’m sorry I wasn’t very good company at dinner, Dr. Katinsky. This whole thing is . . “ She tried to look for the right word.

Dr. Katinsky never let her find it. Instead, he simply smiled as he exited the elevator. “We can talk later, in private. Right now, I should do my rounds. See you later, Betty.”

Betty held the door for the men in trench coats and let the four people on the elevator. Suddenly, there was a loud ringing in her skull as James screamed directly into her brain, “Girlie, you have to listen! We’se got trouble!”

Betty did her best to ignore him and instead focused her attention on the men who had entered the elevator. She noticed their trench coats, “I hadn’t realized it had gotten so cold out.” Betty smiled at the blonde man with the crew cut. The man ignored her. Betty was used to the effect her appearance had on some people. But, she had to admit, it still stung. She shuffled to the back of the elevator in an effort to avoid calling further attention to herself.

Still, there was something familiar about the blonde man that she couldn’t quite place.

James’ voice yelled again, “Ah got to says something.” Betty felt as if her skull would explode.

The elevator stopped at the second floor. The men moved off the elevator. Betty could see Aggie sitting at the nurses’ station. The older nurse gave Betty a quick wave, which Betty returned, before the doors closed.

“Girlie!” James insisted.

“I am ignoring you.” Betty scolded. “So you might as well just shut up.”

“Listen Kid!” He continued.

Betty began to hum loudly along with the elevator musack. She thought it sounded like an Aerosmith song.

James finally fell silent and Betty enjoyed the remaining elevator ride in silence. Finally, the elevator doors slid open on Betty’s floor and she walked to her room.

James spoke again. He did not yell, but spoke slowly and quietly. He enunciated the words with the full force in his embodied voice, “Betty. If you don’t hear me out, somethin’ real bad is gonna happen to people you care about.”

This statement incensed her. Betty opened her door and rushed inside. She slammed the door and closed her eyes.

*****

When she opened them, she was again on James’ porch. As usual, her scars had faded at the dream farm. James stood in the doorway to the house with a concerned look. Before James could speak, Betty rushed at him, knocking him against the closed door, “You’re threatening me!”

“No! Betty, No!” James implored.

She mocked his accent, “You said, ‘somethin’ real bad is gonna happen to people you care about.’’”

James was taken aback, “What? No, Ah din’t mean ah was gonna do it. Those fellas on the ‘vator. They was OWLs. I trained with ‘em. They must be here to cause some mischief. I was worried about our friends.”

Betty let James go and turned away from him, “ˇMadre de Dios! No wonder I thought they looked familiar.” Betty had recognized them through James’ memory. “We have to stop them.” She turned to James, “Or rather, Psi-Kotic does.”

James smiled, “Truce?”

Betty returned the grin, “Truce. ˇHora de sacar la basura!”

James made a fist, “Yeah yer right, it’s time to take out the trash!”

Betty concentrated and willed herself back to her room. She quickly donned her electric blue uniform and, a second later, Psi-Kotic rushed down the long hallway from Betty’s room to the emergency stairwell, which led to the second floor treatment rooms.