~Chapter 13~

~Chapter 13~

The rest of that day and all of that night until she fell asleep was a confused daze for Lexy. They made it to some small airport where Josh convinced a scruffy-looking pilot to fly them to Portland, but she was still pretty much out of it.
The plane was a small jet, the kind some companies used as private jets. The name “Learjet” stuck in her head, but Lexy wasn’t sure. During the flight to Portland Josh offered to let her call her father and tell him about what was going on, but she was still too dazed to be a hundred-percent coherent.
They arrived early that morning some time, and were picked up in the PDX parking lot by a man with calculating green eyes and a calmness about him that instantly put Lexy at ease. Lexy got into the back of the classic-looking car while Josh rode in the passenger seat and the green-eyed man drove.
After a moment of clearing her head and looking at the cars and buildings flashing by, Lexy looked up towards the two in front.
“Where are we?”
The green-eyed man spoke, his voice soft with a faint rasp to it.
“You are in Josh’s 1967 Pontiac GTO.”
Lexy nodded as if that answered her question.
“And… where are we going?”
“One-oh-nine-eight, West Broadway Alley in Eugene, Oregon; zip code nine-seven-four-oh-two.”
Lexy looked confused, “And who are you?”
“I am Wraith.”
Lexy threw a panicked look at Josh, who was smiling at her confusion.
He explained, “Lexy, this is Wraith, one of my best friends and most loyal allies. We are on our way to my house in Eugene, Oregon, where we will have time to rest and wait for Nathan and Scarlet to catch up with us. And you’ll have to excuse Wraith; he’s used to giving exact details. He remembers everything he sees and hears and can recall them instantly.”
Lexy looked impressed, “What does he know about me?”
Josh looked to Wraith who smiled slightly before replying.
“Lexy Gold; age twenty, daughter of Matthew Benjamin Gold and Moira Jesse Alexander. Current residence; one-three-eight-six, Van Buren Street Northwest, Washington DC.”
Lexy’s eyes grew big, “Wow.”
Josh grinned, “Yep, that’s one reason why he normally works as a kind of spy or investigator.”
Lexy sat back in her seat and closed her eyes.
“Okay, well I’m going to take a quick nap before we get wherever we’re going, ‘K?”
Josh glanced back at her before turning to Wraith.
“Alright. Wraith, I had to leave my Ninja 3 back in Washington, and Nathan and Scarlet should be showing up sometime in the next few days.”
Wraith acknowledged the information.
“Understood, I’ll arrange transportation for your bike with one of my contacts, and will get in touch with Nathan and Scarlet to arrange their pickup when they arrive in Oregon.”
“I also need a full psychological profile on both my uncle and Pyros Lite.”
“I can get those as well.”
Josh leaned back and looked at the sky through the front window.
“And we should probably restock the fridge when we get back. I don’t think I have much except beer and coke.”


“I don’t want to leave it here!”
Scarlet stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Nathan. They had driven Scarlet’s Corvette to the same airport Josh and Lexy had departed from, and now Nathan had to convince Scarlet to leave her baby in the hangar next to Josh’s Ninja 3 motorcycle.
“Listen, Red, we gotta get to Oregon as soon as we can, and that’s by airplane. Now Josh left his favorite bike in the hands of this guy and you know how much he cares for it.”
Scarlet nodded grudgingly, “I guess...”
“And besides, Josh’ is probably gonna send Wraith to pick ‘em up, and you know how careful he is about this kinda thing.”
Scarlet hung her head and nodded again.
“Fine.”
Steve Marr, the smuggler pilot that had arranged the ride for Josh, walked into the hanger and approached them.
“Hey, the next flight I can get for you is the same one Sharktooth took. But it won’t be here until later tonight, so you won’t get to Oregon until sometime tomorrow.”
Nathan nodded, “I guess that works, thanks Steve.”
Steve shook hands with Nathan and smiled lopsidedly.
“No problem, any thing I can do for the Sharktooth and his friends. Hey, can I ask you two a question?”
Nathan nodded, throwing a cautious glance at Scarlet. Steve Marr was an old friend of Josh’s; he had been a fighter pilot before going smuggler. But just because he was currently a friend didn’t mean he could be trusted.
“I guess so.”
Steve looked excited, “Well, you two are close to the Sharktooth, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Do you know if he has any plans to take over the Board and wrest control from Regent?”
Scarlet and Nathan exchanged glances again, this time surprised.
Scarlet looked questioningly at Steve, “Why would you think that?”
Steve shrugged, “Scuttlebutt in the Underworld is that the Sharktooth is planning a major power play and is going to eliminate Regent and the other head Board members. Something about Regent making his life Hell for him and getting revenge and stuff.”
Nathan shook his head, amused at the thought of Josh Taske running the Board in Regent’s place.
“I can assure you that Sharky has no intentions of challenging his Uncle’s control over the Board. He really just wants to be left alone.”
Steve shook his head in wonder, “I would have thought that, after the murders of his wife and kid a few years back and how the recent attacks here in DC, the Sharktooth would be pretty pissed-off.”
Nathan threw a wicked grin at Steve.
“Oh, he’s pissed-off alright, and so are Scarlet and me. You can spread it around with your Underworld buddies that the Sharktooth isn’t gonna play nice with anyone who tries to collect on the bounty Regents has out on him. Not like he did with Trissex.”
“I heard Trissex was killed.”
Nathan winked at him, “Hell yeah, the Sharktooth put a bullet between his eyes. But he might not let the next guy die as quickly, or as slowly. And you can also spread it around that Scarlet and the Wolf have put Carl Mash in his grave for trying to mess with the Sharktooth as well.”
Steve’s eyes grew wide when he heard that.
“You’re pulling my leg, you off-ed the Brit Regent hired?”
Scarlet nodded, “Put his own gun to his head and pulled the trigger. So warn anyone you know who might be fool enough to try to take out any of us.”
Steve nodded and grinned, “Damn, you sure you don’t wanna eliminate Regent as chairman of the Board?”
Nathan shook his head, “Nah, not interested. But we would be interested in a place to stay until we leave.”
Steve started off towards the small building that was neighbor to the hangar.
“Right this way, I can set you up in my office until tonight. There isn’t much but a cot and a mini-fridge of Miller, but it’s better than nothing.”
Nathan cocked his head and smiled at Scarlet, who shook her head and grimaced.
“Hey, it’s better than nothin’.”

Lexy didn’t know how long it took for them to get to Josh’s house. All she knew was that she fell asleep listening to Josh and Wraith talk about their plans, and the next thing she knew Josh was gently shaking her awake.
Josh’s house was nice looking from the outside. It was very nondescript, with grayish siding and light blue gutters. A small two-car garage was next to it, detached from the house but matching in appearance. A wooden fence lined with shrubs and trees hid the house from one side of the street.
Wraith pulled up the driveway and reached up and pushed two buttons on a small remote hidden by the sun-visor above his head. The garage door opened, and Lexy could see the floor inside the garage was slowly lowering. They waited a moment, and drove down the ramp created by the lowered floor into what Lexy could only describe as a large parking lot.
The underground garage seemed to be the size of the above property. Cars and vehicles of all shapes and sizes where parked in neat rows, with the back wall lined by a number of motorcycles, bicycles, and even a rack with a rowboat, kayaks, and a few canoes.
The collection of vehicles was impressive, everything from a Ferrari to a BMW bug and van. From what Lexy knew of cycles, she could see a Harley and a Honda, but there were about four other bikes she didn’t recognize, and one looked to be custom built. On a trailer in one corner Lexy could also see a small speedboat.
Wraith pulled the GTO into a spot between a purple 1970 Chevelle and a gold 1966 Nova and killed the engine. Lexy got out of the car, being careful not to dent the Nova, and followed Josh and Wraith back out the garage door and into the smaller garage above. After closing the door to the underground garage and the door going to the driveway, they exited the garage through the door that went into the backyard.
Lexy couldn’t help but notice the play structure out back. It was the kind you’d normally find in a park, metal with two swings and a pull-up bar. But the chain to one swing was broken, the seat of the swing dragging on the ground. It almost looked like someone had splashed red paint on the broken swing and on the support bar next to it.
“Come on, let’s get inside and get things sorted out.”
Josh had opened the back door and held it so Lexy and Wraith could go inside. Lexy found herself standing in an indentation in the floor next to a kitchen table. Two steps up from the table area was a nice looking kitchen. To her right was a living room with a couple black leather couches, a coffee table, a big screen plasma TV, and two shelves on either side of the TV filled with DVD’s, blue-rays, and CD’s. Beyond the living room was a pool table, and Lexy could see the railing of the stairs going to the second floor.
To the left was a dining room with a big table. Against one wall was a glass-faced cabinet full of trophies from everything from marksmanship awards, a Purple Heart, baseball trophies, and a few martial arts and boxing trophies. Beyond the dining room, down two steps, were the front entry and the door to a bathroom.
Wraith was also looking around the house.
“You had someone take care of the place while you were gone.”
He said it as a statement, not a question.
Josh was looking through mail on the kitchen table and looked up with a slight grin.
“Yeah, my neighbor is an OK guy; he’s an amateur film director trying to make it big or something. I asked him to get my mail and clean house once a week while I’ve been gone. Speaking of which, I need to go over and pay him.”
Lexy saw an opportunity to see a bit of the neighborhood and meet Josh’s neighbor.
“I’ll do it!”
Josh and Wraith looked at each other, clearly amused.
Josh brought his gray eyes back to rest on Lexy.
“Why?”
Lexy seemed off-balance a moment, “Well… Um… I can see what kind of people live around you, and I can see some of your neighborhood. Not to mention I’ve been cramped in closets, airplanes, and cars for I don’t know how long. So I could use the exercise.”
Josh nodded and walked over to take a small envelope off the fridge.
“I guess those are good reasons. While you’re gone I’ll get the guest room ready for you and Wraith can go get some food for this place.”
He handed her the envelope, “Give this to Mr. Shipman next door, and tell him I said thank you for all his time.”
Lexy nodded and, happy with her mission, headed for the front door.

Lexy knocked on the door of the house next to Josh’s. It was opened by a tall, skinny man with brown hair and a thin face.
“Mr. Shipman?”
“Hi, I’m Isaiah.”
Isaiah Shipman had a slight whine to his voice, and Lexy could tell he wasn’t a hundred percent comfortable answering his door.
Lexy smiled disarmingly, using her natural charm and beauty to try and put the man at ease.
“Josh Taske sent me over to thank you for taking care of his house, and to give you this as payment.”
She handed him the envelope that Josh had scrawled “Isaiah” on the front of.
Isaiah took it and opened it. When he saw the contents his eyes widened in shock.
“No, I can’t take all this!”
He pulled out what appeared to be three thousand dollar bills. Lexy had to stop her self from laughing; it was just like Josh to give him that much.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, I’ve only been with Mr. Taske for a short time, but he doesn’t seem to be short of money.”
Isaiah eyed her suspiciously, “Why are you staying with him? You a girlfriend?”
Lexy shook her head, “No. Why, he normally brings a lot of girls home?”
Isaiah seemed to think a moment, “No, now that you mention it, since his wife died I’ve only seen one woman over there. Some red-headed girl, but something told me they weren’t romantic or anything. But what about you? What are you to him?”
Lexy did have to laugh at the obvious nosiness of Josh’s neighbor.
“I’ve been in a bit of trouble lately, and Josh has kindly offered to take me in for a time until things get sorted out.”
Isaiah nodded thoughtfully, “Yes that does seem like him.”
“So, Josh tells me you are an amateur film director?”
Isaiah smiled widely, obviously proud of his dream profession.
“Yes, I write my own scripts and try to sell them to studios to film.”
“Sold any good ones yet?”
“One or two, ever heard of the movie I Feel Like a Monster?”
Lexy had, and thought it to be a very good movie.
“That was you? I love that movie!”
“Yep, I wrote the script and sold it to Universal who did the rest.”
“Wow, keep up the good work!”
Isaiah bowed his head modestly, “Thank you, I will.”
Lexy looked back towards Josh’s house.
“What do you know about Josh Taske?”
Isaiah shrugged, “He keeps to himself really. I think he works for the government, though. I saw some government paychecks in his mail. All I really know is his wife and kid was murdered in his own backyard about four years ago.”
Lexy nodded, and shook Isaiah’s hand.
“Thank you, for taking care of the house and for the information. Good luck with the movies.”
“Thank you, and good luck to yourself.”
With that, Isaiah Shipman went back into his house and shut the door, while Lexy Gold went back to the house next door. And back to the mystery that was Josh Taske.