Balance (37 page)

“Blonde, huh?  That’ll be a look.  You’ll have to let me know
if they really do have more fun.
” Michael
jokes.

Rena does not
take part
in his levity.

S
ensing
her mood
,
he
immediately becomes
serious
,
“What aren’t you telling m
e?”

“Frienz has had several attractive companions
over the years
, but very few can be accounted for after any extended time together.”

“What’
re you thinking …
f
lesh
trades
?” Michael asks
, looking very concerned
.

“Or something worse.
I’m going to spend the next couple weeks doing research, try to figure out what and who he might be tied into.  We
’ll
need to establish multiple extraction points with this guy.”

“I’m
on it.
W
here do we start?’

“Michael … remember, this guy,
he might not be a true
SuperElite,
but he
’s
pretty
damn
close and we’re going to confront him directly. 
W
e have to be careful.”

Takada and
Ms. Smith
giv
e
Rena
free reign to build her
own
infiltration
. 
Coordinating all
advanced
re
search through Immersion
, Rena and Michael s
pend the next two
weeks running dow
n leads, following money trails and
performing background checks on recent business acquaintances
.

Mr. Black gets his wish, brought in as Seer on the
operation
, spending more time with Rena during her waking hours then Michael.  She uses the
even
ings and bedtime to discuss the plans
with
him
.  The
ir
time
together
in bed
helps
to
relax
Rena
, as concerns about the dangerous nature of the immersion weigh
s
heavily on
her
mind
.

Michael uses the information
uncovered
to formulate
his access
and
means of
effect
ing
the
termination and extraction. 
Ms. Smith’s team
fabricates
his
cover
requirements; building a complete personal backstory and credentials
. 
Working
with
A
dvance
D
evelopment
,
he
make
s
sure
they have
the right equipment for the operation
.  Concern for Rena’s safety,
hi
s top priority,
Frienz
proves
to be a
threat
not
taken lightly
.
  He h
as power, influence and means.

The plan has
Michael
,
on several occasions prior to the party
,
access
a
building
adjacent
to RamSteele
’s
,
with the goal
o
f
hiding
a sniper rifle
and explosives on site
.

On the night of the party, Michael
,
dressed as Rena’s driver
,
will drop
her
at the RamSteele
building.  After parking the limousine,
he’l
l abandon the
car
and enter
the nearby
park
, using a restroom to change clothes
. 
A second driver
waiting in the
park
will
return and
drive the car away
.

Wearing
a
custodial services
uniform
,
Michael
will
re-
enter the
adjacent
building,
and
position on the roof, putting him level
with
Frienz’s office suite
.

Rena, dressed to kil
l
as a blonde
,
will
approach
Frienz
during
the party. 
Persuading
him
to his office suite
, she’ll
initiate
negotiations, presenting the offer
there privately
. 
If Frienz
accepts, Rena
will exit back th
r
ough the party, meeting Michael in front of the building.
 

If
Frienz
rejects,
she’s
to manipulate him in order to facilitate Mi
chael
effecting
his termination. 
Rena will
return to the
lobby
and wait for Michael to
complete
her extraction.
After
exiting
the
building,
they’
ll rendezvous, and
proceed to a pick up location six blocks away,
meeting
the second driver
waiting
with the limo.

If
,
after acceptance, Rena
does not exit of her own accord
,
Michael
is to
enter
the RamSteele building and
execute
an
aggressive extraction
,
creat
ing
as much havoc as possible,
forc
ing
Rena’s safe return
and
voiding the terms of the agreement
.

Michael and Rena realize the incident at the shipyard was indeed to announce
Michael
, or the Harbinger of Death,
to the socially elite,
al
though not formally associated with Chango at this time. 
The potential pre
sence of the Harbinger
on the
premises
will
cause significant disruption and damage to RamSteele’s
reputation
and Frienz’s credibility.

Michael wonders if Takada secretly
wishes for the last scenario, j
ust to
intensify
the
reputation of the Harbinger
.

Secondary assets will monitor
multiple
departure avenues in the event Rena exits the building accompanied by RamSteele personnel.

…

T
hree weeks prior to the party,
Michael and Rena locate to New York. 
With the help of the Immersion Team hacking into the
ir
person
ne
l database,
Michael immerses into custodial services for the building next to the RamSteele building
,
successfully
po
sting
a sniper rifle on the roof
and other necessities on site
.

The
morning
of the party,
Mr. Black and two makeup technicians join Rena and Michael
,
bring
ing
with them,
Rena’s outfit for the party and Michael’s driver clothes.  One of the techs will
also
pose as the second driver, wearing a wig to match Michael’s
blonde
hair
.

Dressed in a chauffeur’s tuxedo,
Michael wait
s
in
the living area of their suite
while Rena puts the
final
touches on her wardrobe.  Reading a dossier on the operation, he recommits the details to memory, making sure he misses nothing.  His back to the bedroom, deeply engrossed in his preparations, Michael almost doesn’t hear the door open.  Turning, he looks over his shoulder toward the sound.
 
“Wow!” Swiftly, he stands, redirecting all his attention to Rena stepping from the bedroom.

Visibly apprehensive
, she
moves
slowly
i
nto the living room
wearing
a beautiful, full length
, backless
black gown.  Straps
lifting
from
the
sides
fasten
behind her neck.
The front of the gown gathers
across
her breasts
, accentuating her chest, while t
he shear fitted
mid-section
emphasizes
her
narrow
waist and
the curve of her
hips.  The narrow
cut
bell
, slit up both sides,
expose
s
her legs, while providing
mobility
.
The dress is the perfect compromise
of allur
e
and function. 
Rena’s physique makes the ensemble standout.  Completing the
guise
, a
golden
blonde wig,
rolled to a twist on top
,
with
a wide lock of hair left hanging down the right
side of her face.  B
rown contacts,
brows dyed dirty
-
blonde and eyes shaded smoky grey with brown highlights.

Weighing
her
transformation,
Michael
smiles at
the
completed
product
.  “I
much
prefer the original
.
”

“
Thank you, s
o do I
.  This look is so
…”

“C
ommon.
” He finishes.

“Yes, common.
  I hope I can stand out enough to gain an audience.”

“If Frienz is attracted to blondes, he’ll be able to look past the common traits, the hair and the dress,
using those features to filter the guests,
focusing on the physique and unique features.  Your complexion and body will catch his attention.
  I guarantee it.
” Michael assures her.

Driving
Rena
to the
RamSteele bui
lding
, Michael steps from the limousine and opens h
er door, assisting her out.  Waiting
formally at the side of the vehicle
until she enters t
he building
,
he climbs back in
and driv
es
away
. 
P
ark
ing
the car among the other vehicles
, careful to position it
for easy exit, he
d
epart
s
at
a
leisurely
gait
in
to
the
park across the street
.

Locating a restroom, h
e ducks in
side
.
 
Waiting
for him
,
dressed as a driver
, the makeup tech
hands him
a
change of clothes. 
While Michael changes, t
he
replacement driver return
s
to the limo
.