Ed Howdershelt

“ Cade made himself a coffee and flopped on the bed to see what was in the day's news. Quite a bit of it on several channels was nothing more than a recap of yesterday's events and repeated reruns of the video footage.
Scanning up the channels, Cade found an old movie and half-watched it as his mind chewed through the previous day's events the way he'd lived them and survived some of them.
But his mind kept returning to Mandi. Her face, hair, shoulders, legs... the sound of her voice... her smile... ”

“ At the bottom of the ramp she had to wait for the light at the corner to interrupt the flow of traffic. Looking around, Mandi saw the faint remains of a stain on the nearby sidewalk and spotted glitterings of overlooked shards of glass in the shrubbery by the wall. Glancing up, she saw that the cafe's window had already been replaced.
When the crossing guard stepped into the street and waved to people on the sidewalks, Mandi's march continued against the flow of more costumed people on their way to the contest preliminaries. ”

“ As Andrea stood up to take his hand, he met her gaze for a long moment, and said, "And you are definitely a surprise. Hi. I'm Ed, and I hope to Goddess you're Andrea, ma'am."
Her smile continued, but she asked, "Goddess?"
"I'm a pagan. We mostly prefer goddesses if we bother with deities at all."
Andrea glanced at Mandi, who nodded and grinned as she said, "That probably wasn't a line, Andrea. He has a pagan website where he sells stoneware and pewter jewelry."
Returning her gaze to Cade, Andrea said, "I'll have to see it sometime. Yes. I'm Andrea. Are you at all disappointed?" ”

“ As Mandi and Cade headed back to the escalators, she said, "Only one percent of manuscripts being published doesn't offer authors much hope of making a living from their work."
"Those people want to see their name on a paperback. For them, it won't be about money unless they get published. Most of them don't even have a realistic concept of how much -- or how little, actually -- published authors truly earn from their books. Today they'll bitch about stacks of rejection slips, wasted time and postage, and stupid editors who can't see the value in their work. ”

“ With a deliberately noisy sigh at her seeming inability to release any details, Cade replied, "Not blonde and stacked, I hope. That could take a helluva lot of getting used to at this point in my life, you know. Could you be maybe just a little more specific, Mandi?"
Glancing up with another chuckle and smile, Mandi said, "Nothing quite that outrageous. You're being upgraded, that's all. You'll be bulletproof or close to it. Stronger. Faster. Like that. Don't worry, you won't need a new wardrobe, as much as that may actually be a good idea." ”

“ Sliding out from between her legs, Cade stood up and simply held her for a time as the spray cascaded over them both. A few light, feathery kisses to her shoulder and neck brought Mandi's face up to his and his next kiss was one of the kind that let a woman know that a man thinks the world of her. ”

“ Cade snapped in mock anger, "Watch it, dude. You guys work in the same office. You can put the make on her anytime, but tonight she's my date." Putting on the jacket and adjusting the fit, he said, "See, Beth? An unbiased second opinion, offered without the slightest hint of duress."
Beth snorted and said, "Unbiased. Sure. He's a man. Like he said, 'Can't help it'."
"Finish the quote," said Cade, "'Only if they're worth it'. Need to make any stops before we go?"
She shook her head as she slung her purse on her shoulder and said, "No. I'm starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast." ”

“ Mandi glanced at Cade with a grin and Cade returned it as the elevator doors opened and they stepped into the lobby.
As the woman herded the two teens past them toward the escalators, Cade said, "There goes your adoring public."
"Oh, wow," Mandi said in a flat tone. "Be still, my heart."
They set forth toward the Orchid Ballroom as Cade said, "Most men never grow out of that stage, you know." ”

“ Mandi snorted a short laugh as Andrea came into view and peered down at Cade.
"Did anybody get a good look at us?" she asked Mandi.
"I don't think so," said Mandi. "The pickup driver was dead, the car driver was unconscious, and the girl was halfway across the parking lot by the time I secured the power lines. Nobody came near the car before I lifted with Cade."
"Sneaky angels," said Cade. "I don't know why, exactly, but I like that concept."
"You said you were a pagan," said Andrea. "Do pagans believe in angels?" ”

“ When the waiter had left, Mandi smilingly asked, "Why didn't Beth come down to lunch with you?"
Digging into his food, Cade said, "She needed a nap. Why were you watching us last night?"
Startling imperceptibly, Mandi thought, 'He DID know!' then she said, "When you didn't come back to the room, I thought maybe you'd gotten into more trouble."
Around some steak, Cade said, "Uh, huh. Glad I'm wearing boots, ma'am." He cut another piece and said, "Got a question. Am I just processing mass into energy?"
"Partly. You're being restructured, which requires quite a bit of both mass and energy." ”

“ Leaning back in his chair, he'd asked, "Why can't we just convert one of our Ranger units, ma'am? Wouldn't that be a lot simpler and faster than hand-picking and having to train every single... what do we call them? Convertees?"
"Close enough," said Mandi. "Not everybody can be converted. Some people simply aren't suitable for the process."
"You're saying it won't work on everybody?"
To avoid saying that she simply wouldn't accept everybody, Mandi said, "Some of the money would go to pre-conversion evaluations. Training would eat most of the rest of it." ”

“ Thinking that Cade meant that he thought she might be one of those 'secretaries' who can't really type, Mandi asked rather ominously, "What the hell are you getting at?"
She wasn't in the least prepared for his answer.
"Mandi," said Cade, "I saw you haul a car into the sky today. Admin types don't do stuff like that. They don't like to get their hands dirty."
A jolt shot through Mandi and her gaze at Cade narrowed peeringly as she quietly asked, "Are you nuts?! If you are, just tell me now so I can get the hell away from you, okay?" ”

“ With a grin, Cade added, "With the guys on the fourth floor, for instance, who'd either be waiting on you hand and foot and fawning all over you or avoiding you."
Sighing, Mandi said, "That gets old fast, you know. People either weigh and measure every word they say or they babble. There's almost no middle ground." ”

“ Mandi found that odd, too.
The guy seemed to study her face as he said, "Yeah, I guess I am kind of quiet sometimes. That's a nice outfit, milady. It doesn't scream 'look at me!', but it can't very easily be ignored, either."
'Milady'? Who calls a woman 'milady' these days? Mandi accepted his compliment as given and saw his eyes drop to her breasts. Correction; to her badge, which hung from one of her tiny demi-lapels. Her eyes fell to his badge in return.
"Mandi Steele," he read, extending his hand. "Hi, Mandi. I'm Ed Cade." ”

“ Casually pointing skyward without lifting his arm, Cade said, "I said 'look' up, not what's up."
Paul Money looked up and his mouth fell open as his eyes widened. A blonde woman in what seemed to be a white bathing suit with a red cape and blue boots appeared to be standing on thin air near the auditorium's high ceiling. She gave him a little wave and a smile.
"Oh, damn!" muttered Paul, thumbing his walkie-talkie on. "What the hell..? I'll get someone in here with a ladder."
"She didn't get up there with a ladder," said Cade. "She won't need one to get down, either. Cancel the call." ”

“ Mandi sighed and said, "Sorry. You're still several days away from being able to make love to me, Ed."
Another chunk of steak later, Cade asked, "So this Andrea -- who's never even met me -- is willing to take over for Beth in my bed, huh?"
"If she likes you. She's very fond of sex. If she doesn't like you enough, she'll simply supervise your normal conversion." ”

“ Tossing the sheet aside, Beth stood up. Cade eyed her nakedness as she walked over to him and embraced him for a moment, then kissed him.
"You're a nice man," she said quietly. "You're good in bed, too. I could do a lot worse, I think, if you were up for it."
Kissing her, Cade said, "Thanks, milady, but you're still too young and beautiful to settle for less than you deserve. Try me again in a few years if you can manage to stay single."
With a sardonic chuckle, she said, "Well, hell, I've managed this long, haven't I?" and opened the restaurant bag to begin unpacking it on the desk. ”

“ Shrugging, Cade said, "Let's take a walk, then. Maybe we'll find something interesting within a couple of blocks."
They were nearing the dealer's room doors when Mandi gave his arm another squeeze and said, "You're a refreshing change, Ed."
"Refreshing, huh? Gee, lady, how'd I manage that?"
"You just are. The others on the teams act as if they either worship me or they're scared shitless of me. I've only met two people during this operation who seem able to treat me like... well, who don't go overboard one way or the other. You're one of them. Mind if I ask you why?" ”

“ Some moments of walking toward the corner passed before Mandi asked, "And..?"
"And what?"
"That's it?"
With a shrug, Cade said, "Yes'm, that's about it. I've been treating you like a beautiful woman because that's mostly what you are to me. If you need more than that -- or less than that -- you'll probably have to look elsewhere."
"Mostly?"
"Yeah, mostly. I'm not forgetting that you can speak other languages and fly, but at the moment you're just walking beside me and being good company. Seems to me that I should respond in kind; that is, to make every effort to be good company in return. ”

“ Getting to her feet, Mandi said, "You can be pretty irritating at times, Cade. You know that, don't you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I've been told that."
With a wicked grin, she said, "Well good. Then maybe you can figure out why I suddenly have a craving for Mexican food."
Cade shrugged again. "Hey, you're a big girl with your own money, ma'am. If you want Mexican food, then by God, it's your right to eat the nasty stuff. I'll be at the fish 'n chips place across the way. Just gimme a holler when you're ready to move on and be sure to brush your teeth real well later, okay?" ”

“ Stepping back and eyeing Mandi from toes to hairline, Cade said, "Well, you asked..."
He opened the door to the sidewalk for her and followed her through before he spoke again.
"Mandi, you're kind of like a fighter jet in that you're extremely powerful and you're on our side in this thing against terrorism. People should respect things like fighter jets and behave in a responsible manner around them, but they shouldn't fear them. You're also a very beautiful woman and I expect you have all the usual feelings that come with being a female human being. ”

“ In a sharp tone, Mandi called after him, "Just what exactly don't you buy, Cade?"
Stopping again, Cade said, "In all this time on Earth, you've only converted two women? She's converted no women? That's what I don't buy, Mandi. It may be true, but I don't believe it at this very moment. Later."
With that, he opened the lobby door and left the stairwell. Cade wanted to eat and haul his ass back up to Beth's room for what might be his last sexual romp for a long time, the way things seemed to be going. ”

“ How the hell is a lookalike contest going to make things better? If anything, it'll call even more attention down on me."
"It'll call more attention to the superwoman, yes, but it'll only get you second or third place as a runner-up."
Stopping her pacing and staring at him with open irritation, Mandi said, "Okay, Ed. It's time to explain what you've got in mind -- and explain it well -- or drop it."
Tossing his empty beer bottle at the trash can, Cade said, "You got it. Agent Phyllis Morey can make anybody look like just about anybody else and she has her kit with her. ”

“ You kill people a little too easily to suit me, but you're just as quick to put yourself in harm's way for them. We'll work something out, I think."
Pulling him close, Mandi kissed him, then released him and turned into a blur for a moment. The blur became mostly red and white before she solidified wearing her uniform.
"You two stay put," she said with a grin. "I can find my own way out," then she blurred to the door, opened and closed it in a split second, and was gone.
"It still amazes me how she does that," said Andrea.
"Yeah, she's quick," said Cade. ”

“ Possibly because he'd spoken, she chose just that moment to turn and her rather massive, plastic-armored left breast collided with the side of Cade's face with an audible 'thunk'.
Apparently assuming no responsibility whatsoever for the collision, she stiffened and straightened, glaring at Cade. Mandi snickered, but otherwise kept silent.
"You wanna watch where you stick your goddamned nose?" bellowed the Klingon woman, sounding as if she might actually be from Brooklyn.
"You wanna watch where you point those things?" returned Cade. "They're dangerous." ”

“ The bushes below the window snagged Jamal's coat and violently twisted him in mid-air, then he fell to the sidewalk on his left side, hearing and feeling the bones of his arm snap as his head slammed against the concrete. Momentarily stunned, Mohammed Jamal fought to remain conscious and stared upward, trying to locate the Crown Victoria.
There! Almost directly overhead, an odd-shaped dark dot against the sky! Jamal waveringly aimed his pistol at the men who leaned out of the window frame above him and prayed to Allah that his transmitter hadn't been broken. ”

“ Another sigh escaped her as Cade put his stuff back in his backpack and zipped it shut.
Without looking up from the desk, she muttered, "Now we wait to see whether I'm going to become a TV star tonight. I've got a feeling that my privacy is about to be shot to hell."
"Not necessarily. Vegas is full of great-looking, leggy blondes. If anyone says you look like you, just thank them for the compliment and move on."
For a moment Mandi staringly said nothing, then she quietly asked, "How the hell did you know I live in Vegas?" ”

“ Glancing back at her, Cade asked, "Why's that?"
Raising an eyebrow at him, Mandi grinningly said, "Think about it. A normal man can squirt about how far? Three feet? Once you're fully converted, you'd kill your unconverted lady."
Cade stopped on the stairs and looked at her. Mandi's face was -- 'dead' serious, you could say -- and she made sense.
To confirm, Cade asked, "You're saying that a week from now, you'll be my only sexual option?"
Mandi's face turned glowering. "Should I slap the hell out of you now, or let you explain what you really meant?" ”

“ Mandi parked her butt against the fridge and said, "I see. So the Constitution no longer applies to all?"
"It should definitely apply to those who live by it. I'm personally not concerned about those who don't. The terrorists are all part of an insane religious cult, Mandi. They think it's their right and duty to blow themselves up in crowds."
He paused to sip, then said, "As I see it, the Constitution is really only capable of helping civilized people live together in peace. ”

“ Shrugging, Cade sipped again, then said, "Whatever; we can chase down that end of things later. As I said, you're no longer a secret. You're also noticeably beautiful and you have distinctive features. Since plastic surgery probably isn't a realistic option, I'll suggest that we use what's available downstairs -- a science fiction convention with 25,000 registered attendees -- to toss together a look-alike contest."
After a moment, Mandi sipped her beer, then shook her head as she quietly said, "You don't look insane, you know. You don't usually sound insane, either. ”

“ What the hell can I possibly do to make this terrible thing I've done up to you, Ed?"
"Nothing, really," said Cade. "If something that big is coming, being as much like you as possible will probably increase my chances of survival. I just wanted you to know how I felt before you pulled the same 'oh, he won't mind' trick on someone else."
The waiter arrived with food as Mandi sat staring at Cade. When the waiter finished placing food on the table, Cade told him to bring another lunch special. The waiter thought he meant for Mandi and smilingly nodded at her. ”

“ It was a clean shoot, ma'am. The guy died pulling the trigger. As far as I know, all his kills have been like that. Nasty to the end."
"One thing, ma'am," said the woman, "Cade doesn't shoot to wound or incapacitate. If he shoots at all, he shoots to kill. That's what some of the flak's been about in his records, but the fact is, we all do the same thing. This outfit doesn't deal with muggers and burglars. We mostly get the diehards and psychos. At our end of things, if you pop a guy in the leg and yell 'drop the gun', chances are real good he'll kill you when he goes down shooting." ”