***Year Eight
***
Helena walked into the Federal Building and up to the floor she needed, it wasn't that far and she was having bad flashbacks from elevators after being trapped in one for four hours. She nodded at the secretary as she walked past her. She tapped on the door to the office and headed inside at the grunt. "I'm done," she announced. "Let me go."
Her boss, who used to be her first boss' apprentice, looked at her in shock. "What?"
"I'm done," she said slower, making the meaning clear. "I'm thirty. I'm tired. I'm old. I ache in the mornings. I want out."
"I know, but you're not done."
"I am done. I got the people on your list."
"The list still has people."
"That's not my fault. I got rid of most of them. Find another person or quit updating the list."
He tossed down his pen and groaned, shaking his head. "Helena, don't do this to me," he pleaded.
She tipped his chin up. "I've been out here now for eight years. I want a real life. You guys said at the most five years. It's been four now. Start working on my withdrawal and how you're going to give me back my own life. Remember the promises your boss made?"
"He shouldn't have," he said tiredly. "Chicago's balking at the offers we told you."
"Chicago's about to have a rude ass awakening."
"I know. We both know that, I can't help you with that but I do know it." He gave her a slight smile. "Can't I please have you for another year? I'll make a firm list of ten targets?"
She whimpered. "Ten?"
"Ten," he said, handing over the list he had been drawing up last night. He knew she was tired. "Mostly connected. If you can get the first one the others will probably fall easily," he offered.
"Bullshit. Three of these are related by marriage, not business. Another five are business partners in something that their assistants take care of for them. Taking these guys down is a lifetime's work, not a year. I've only had seven busts from among this group of people in my eight years and two of them were actually working together at the time. These guys are like catching Lex Luthor doing something bad. Pretty hard to do."
"If anyone can you can," he said hopefully.
"Not unless I walk in and shoot them all," she said, handing it back. "Find someone with a future ahead of them. It ain't me."
"Fine," he said, looking very pathetic. "I'll work on your withdrawal plans. I'm sure you're right and it's impossible to find a link."
She groaned and threw up her hands. "You fucking asshole!" she said. He grinned. "I'm still not doing it. I want out. You promised by the time I was thirty. I'll be twenty-nine in another four months. I want out before I'm thirty and I want my shiny gold badge when I turn thirty. Do we have a clear understanding?"
"Sure. I'll do it if I can," he agreed. She glared at him. "Hey, go threaten the dirty people in the top of Chicago's hierarchy."
"Sure, I can do that, but that would prejudice my case against them," she noted. "They'll tell the judge. Do I have to tell the judge on you too?" He blanched. "I thought so. I'm out within another year or else." She walked out, going to talk to her lawyer. She handed over the tape to the secretary, watching as she dubbed it and sealed one for her boss. "Thanks." She walked away, knowing that the sedative she had put onto the outside of the tape case would keep her from trying to destroy both of them. Her husband was a cop and she felt sorry for her, that's why she did such things. Her lawyer called as she headed back to her apartment so she pulled over to talk to him, getting comfortable in her car. "Yeah?" She nodded as he ticked off points. "Exactly. Include them now. I want them all. I want the major money from this and I want them to fucking suffer for what they put me through. They'll give me what they promised and I'll get off this assignment soon or they'll all be feeling the rage I'll be having." She grinned as he tried to calm her down. "I understand, but I don't care at the moment. They've made me kill people, Bill. I want them to suffer forever and ever. Let Jesus sort it out since we don't want to." She snorted. "Then do your best, dear. I know you can cause a lot of pain if you want. Sure, I don't mind if you bring in a negotiations specialist. Make him someone who makes them piss their pants at the table if possible." She grinned. "Thank you. You're a sweetheart." She hung up and got comfortable to wait for her target to come out so she could watch him. She always went shopping on Thursdays.
***
Jigen looked up as Lupin tossed over a package. "What's this?"
"From the little woman." Lupin sat down, letting him read the letter then watching him laugh. "Good stuff?"
"Transcripts from the first negotiation." He flipped through them. "Hey, she got a champion piss-inducer." He handed them over. "It'll be over soon."
"Then what'll you do?" Lupin asked gently. "She'll be a real cop then."
"She's not Pops, she won't turn us in," Jigen said firmly.
"I know, but that doesn't mean that her department won't be watching for us. They might make her leave because she's associating with us." Jigen grimaced. "None of us thought of it, but Fujiko asked me that last night." He waved a hand. "The offer still stands for you to kidnap her and share one of the hideouts together," he said quietly. "I want to see you both happy."
"I'll write her tonight so we can talk about it," Jigen offered. Lupin grinned at him. "Heard from her?"
"No, but I did have her boss' office bugged. He handed her a list of the top ten most powerful assholes in the world and wanted her to find them." Jigen's mouth opened and he started to protest but Lupin raised a hand. "She told him off. She's demanded she be out by the time she's thirty. She wants her badge for her birthday."
"We can help with that," Jigen noted. "We know them all."
"We do. Interestingly enough, Dolune's name was on that list. They have no clue that he died last year."
"Hmm. Can we get the list?" Lupin presented it to him. "These ten?" He looked up. "That's nearly impossible."
"Not really. If we put it around that getting them means Helena gets to leave the life and retire, some of the underground may help us," Lupin offered. "It'd hurt us in the future I'm sure but then again we'll have her on our side."
"No, let's do this subtly," Jigen said. "No underground contacts unless we need them. We'll send her what we know, let her see if it's useful and listen for more."
"Already done," Lupin said happily. "It's great that we think alike. Fujiko's working against one of them and she agreed as well. She's heard Helena's scaring people over here now from going into business over there." Jigen smirked at that, his princess was a wonderful cop. "We do need to start planning her next birthday present however. Especially if she gets her badge. We'll need to do it up properly for her."
"Yeah. I have no idea what to get her."
"She loves everything you get her," Goemon said as he walked in. He handed Lupin an envelope with a diskette in it. "From one of my contacts. He's heard the demands as well and gave it to me with the promise to keep her from working over here while she's undercover. It's felt that once she's back on the job, she'll return to being a normal cop, not Vengeance. Capitalized of course." He sat down, looking at them. Jigen handed him the list and he nodded as he ticked off each one. "Interesting. They're behind in their information."
"This is the FBI," Lupin pointed out dryly. "Oh, Jigen, her new boss is the poser from the beach in Jamaica." He sneered and lit a cigarette, leaning back on his couch. "Now, what should we steal for the angel?"
"Ourselves," Goemon suggested. "We're not on there."
"No, but I am," Lupin admitted with a smirk. "Apparently they're *very* behind on their intelligence." He winked at Jigen. "Should we help her and be the last one she can't catch?"
"She could catch you but she knows you'd get free before anyone could say anything."
"Hmm. I'll be the last then," he agreed. "We'll help her get the rest." He gave them smug looks. "Now, about her present?"
"Jigen?" Goemon suggested.
"I have no clue," Jigen repeated.
"I meant gift wrapping you and mailing you," Goemon told him.
Jigen gave him a look. "I can deliver myself and your presents. That way you can't harass her cats and Lupin can't wear her clothes."
"But I looked adorable, even Fujiko said so," Lupin said sweetly, grinning at him. "And I even got to use it on the job a few months back."
"Good thing the pervert liked drag queens, huh?" Jigen asked.
"I knew that before I went in," Lupin said patiently. "That's why we did it that way instead of asking Fujiko along."
"You ever find out what was wrong with the bitch?"
"No," Lupin said tiredly. It always depressed him when he thought about their split. "I have no more clue now than I did then. She's over it apparently but nothing else." He shrugged. He brightened up when a thought hit him. "Can I go tease Pops like that? We all know I do it for the shock value and he'll be the most shocked yet."
Jigen snickered and picked up a pillow to throw at him. "Only if you have Helena help you. Your makeup was too heavy last time."
"Sure," Lupin agreed, grinning at him. "I'll even tape it." He snapped his fingers. "Speaking of, I promised Helena we'd do another tape switch." He went to look at his porn collection to see what he was tired of. He did find one that was something he had taken of her and Jigen while testing out a new camera setup and added it to the pile. He'd never tell Jigen he had it. Jigen would kill him, but Helena would appreciate having it to watch. It was incredibly erotic. Jigen was definitely a man of action. He had wondered why she didn't scream like most women but then figured Jigen liked her quiet. He added a few gay pieces too, just to tease her, and went to send it off.
***
Helena walked back into the Federal Office, nodding at the new secretary. "The bastard in?"
"Sure is," she said happily. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No, I have an open invitation," she said impatiently. "I'm Helena."
"I don't care, only people with an appointment get in," she said, going from pussy cat to tiger. "His orders."
She looked at the girl, then grabbed her by the chin. "I've been under for way too long, little girl. He's over me, he called me here. Now either let me in or I'm going to hurt you, go through you, and then go hurt him. He's making impossible demands. Again." She let the secretary go and she pushed a button, locking the office. "Futile gesture. I can easily go break into his house to talk to him tonight."
"He's not here," she said evilly. "You can do whatever you want. I'm the sure police will love you."
"I'm one of them, stupid. Next time, read the dossiers." She walked out, going to break into the guy's home after she found it again. It was nearly midnight when she walked into the guy's bedroom and handcuffed both of them to the bed. Then she sat beside her boss and poked him until he woke up. "Morning. Your secretary needs the stick shoved into the other hole." He gaped and whimpered. "Now, about this problem we seem to have about me being out there for too long?"
"One of them is dead," he whispered, glancing at his wife. "You didn't have to tie her up, Helena."
"Have sex with her like it, she might enjoy it. Just remember to gain permission first," she said dryly. "I don't care if he did die. You said you weren't going to change the list. I've already given you six."
"I know you have and I'm very appreciative, as is the Bureau. We just need you for a bit longer."
"What's going on?" his wife yawned, blinking at Helena. "You're one of his operatives?"
"Yes, and they've had me hanging out in mid air without a safety net now for eight years. Sorry about the handcuffs. Beat him, he's making it impossible for me to return to my life." She looked at her boss. "I"m finding my anger a new target soon. It seems to remember certain promises."
"Which I was working on for you, but then you added us to that stupid lawsuit!"
She grabbed his nose, holding him still. "Do you have *any* idea what I've been through?" she hissed. "What this shit has made me go through? The pain, the anger, the abuses, any of it?" He shook his head. "You guys helped Chicago do it to me and now you're doing it to me all by yourselves. You deserved to be on there from day one but I thought that you might understand the value of a promise. I don't care if you guys fucking hang for this. You helped when Chicago manipulated evidence. You helped Chicago when they sent me out there by making my cover at the time and offering them to supposedly watch out for me so they didn't have to spend the precious manpower. By the way, they were only offering token protests when you said that it was too much work to watch my back. I hope you know that the judge has those and I've read all those letters, memos, all the notes. You see, Ronski kept his promise. He had his estate holder send them to the judge." He looked confused and hurt. "He kept his promise. You'll keep the rest of his promise or I'll make you so damn sorry before you eat your gun. Now, I believe that I said I'm getting out by my thirtieth. A few months before so I can have a real vacation and remember who I really am before you give me my shield. My *gold* shield." He swallowed.
"If you can't keep that, tell me now so I can start to eliminate people as I burn up. Remember, my anger and rage burns hotter than the Great Fire ever did and I will make sure it's felt all the way up to the White House if I have to. I know someone up there now. I've already sent a brief to your boss about what's going on. You've got four months left, and then I'm done. If you can't prove yourself within that time, then I'd kill myself. It'll be a nicer fate." She stood up and smiled at the wife. "I'd hurt him before then. He's been fucking around on you." She pulled out some pictures and handed them over. "Little did he know, but they gave me the ability to blend in. He never even realized it was me. I guess he hasn't been watching my back after all. What a shock." She walked out, leaving them like that.
The wife got free of her handcuffs, hers were the sort with the release switch. Her husband started to splutter when she picked up the pictures. "Shut up," she said firmly. "You'll help that woman or else you will be without me and the children. I will be taking this to your boss. You do have a morality clause in your contract." She got up, leaving him there, and went to call her brother, who was in another branch of the Bureau but higher up in management. "We need to talk. We just got a visit from one of his operatives and they're pissed. He's left her to hang. Eight years she's been without backup out there. She's righteously angry and is suing the Bureau." She was good Bureau kin, her father had been an agent and her mother a secretary before they had married, the same as she was. She knew that protecting the Bureau was everything. "She brought evidence that he's been cheating as well. Can you help her fix this before she kills someone?" She sat down, gripping the phone tightly. "You know about this Helena person?" She listened to the concise rundown of the situation. "Then I want her out before she does take out the city. She's in pain, brother. Her eyes were dead, just like Father's before he shot himself. She'll cause you all sorts of problems if you don't help her. No, she said she's supposed to be free in four months, mentioned getting her gold shield. Something about Ronski and promises, plus some papers?" She relaxed, he said he'd help her. "Thank you." She hung up and went to move her things to their spare room. They weren't going to need another children's room.***
Helena looked up as someone walked up to where she was lounging. "What?" she asked impatiently. "I don't know you."
"No, you don't. You also don't have any idea what I'm about to tell you." He held up his badge. "I'm Palmentari's brother-in-law. I manage the lab." He sat across from her, hands in plain sight. "His wife brought your case to me. I talked to my bosses. They're aware of what's going on and he's going to be reassigned to Arkansas. He'll never have another worker under him again." She shrugged. "They said that if you'd drop your suit, they'd be more than willing to help you."
"When shit flies without help," she told him firmly. He sighed. "Sorry, but I don't want anyone else to have this done to them."
"It can't."
"It can, I had to help another one this year."
"But he's moving," he pointed out.
"Which is wonderful, but she was out of another office. She was from LA." He groaned. "You're still doing it. She nearly died, I saved her. That's how I knew that she was the same. Only she was a full detective when you forced her into it. I was a rookie cop. I was *ordered* out here. You touch the suit, I retaliate. The only way to solve this problem of the FBI's and Chicago's is to add some press. That way it can *never* happen again." She stood up. "If you still want to help, then help me leave. Help Ronski's people keep his promises. They're in the papers I filed with the judge." She walked away, going to follow her next target. She'd get them all and still retire. It was a personal challenge and kept her from breaking down again. She was so close, just a few months more and then she could have a breakdown and rebuild herself again.
The agent went to find a payphone, calling his boss's boss in Washington. "I met with her. She's adamant. She found out about Marion in LA. She's the one who saved her." He listened. "I can't do that, sir. I can't eliminate a target that way. I'm an agent, not an assassin." He hung up and made another call, going higher and sideways in the chain. "Hellman, 6519. It's important. I met with Nichols." He waited while the secretary of the CIA's covert branch was put on the line by his own assistant. "I met with Nichols, sir. She's dead inside. She knows about Marion. She's made sure that this will continue if she dies. She wants to make sure it can't happen again. I agree. I need clear orders. My boss just ordered me to eliminate her." He listened to the gentler orders. "Are you sure, sir? She does have a point. This isn't right. She'll go after them and keep coming until it's fixed and those promises were kept." He nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." He hung up and went to find the pyro he'd need to burn a few buildings.
***
Agent Hellman woke up to find himself gagged and hogtied on his own bed. Helena was staring down at him with a bright smile, wiggling her fingers. "Do you think I was dumb enough to give him the *only* copy? There's at least seven copies of everything. Though, you did manage to burn a lot of restraining orders. That man worked with a women's shelter." He groaned. "By the way, there's a very nice detective here who wants to talk to you about it. The pyro started to cry earlier when he saw me and begged to tell me all about it. Interestingly enough, he was very knowledgeable. The judge was quite happy to have his testimony as well. Congratulations, you've now involved a third entity into the suit. Thank you. My bank balance will be very happy with you." She got out of the way, letting the detective have him. "See, a painless, easy arrest. No SWAT needed." She walked off, going to finish knocking out his guards and security system. The good detective needed privacy to work, not the Secret Service. One was at the door so she waved at him. "He fucked up. He's under arrest by the Chicago PD. The detective's with him upstairs." She walked past him. "Touch the detective, find my wrath centered on your agency as well. That man's keeping me in a job that's killing me and forcing me to kill others. You could be next."
The agent swallowed and called his boss, who told him to back off and watch, do not engage anybody. He'd already heard news of this one and it was looking bad.