It was on Christmas Eve of last year. The doorbell echoed through the California stucco home at around 10pm, an odd thing for them on any day. Jack and Daisy stared at one another. Jack rose from being Daisy’s pillow and went for the door as Daisy returned to reading the book in her lap. She’d been in the sitting room for hours avoiding going to bed. The things that went on in her head in her sleep frightened her. That’s when she heard it. A voice that sent chills down her spine. Red flags raised in her mind that said it’s not good.

In walked her husband, hands in the air, pale, and placid-faced. It was a look she had never before seen on a man his age. A look usually seen on children being reprimanded by their mama’s as they said, “Yes mama. No mama. I’m sorry mama.”

“Hello, Daisy. It’s nice to see you made a place for yourself in this big ol’ worl’. But, it’s time you come back now and take care of things.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know you.”

“Sure you do. Deep down you know the voice. It’s one that’s repeaten’ over and over in your mind as you sleep. There’s no gettin’ out of this. Either you come along or I’ll take this strapping man here with me and do to him what you see in those dreams you dream.”

“What the hell is he talking about? Daisy, what’s going on?” Jack had looked at her pleadingly. But, she also knew that things that went on in her head as she slept were of a pain only the imagination could handle and not the body.

“And if I go with you. You won’t harm him. Or is that just a trick too?”

“I’ll leave him here. Whether he goes on unharmed is a different story. But, you and I both know he wouldn’t handle the violence that you see in your sleep”

She stood and inched to them. Heal toe heal toe. She kissed Jack as she passed and stepped in to the line of fire. “I’ll go.”

Two more men entered the foyer and took her to an unmarked black Hummer. Then stuck her with a needle. “Sorry, luv can’t risk you knowing how we get there.” She managed to keep her eyes open long enough to see them load Jack into an identical looking Hummer and feel the vehicle go into motion.

“Wait you said…”

When Daisy came to she was in an empty concrete room handcuffed to a chair. Jerking her hands against the aggressive metal, she began surveying the room. The windows were up about 20 feet and had bars. But, through what was no doubt years of dirt and grime she could see the tip of a recognizable building. New York, she was in New York, and it was day. Her breathing accelerated and heart began to pound either she was out for hours or perhaps even days. She wasn’t sure. Outside the room she could her two male voices discussing.

“Are you sure she will be good to go? How is it possible that her programmed personality will not recognize lost time?”

“Hard and careful work sir. She’s a dormant part of Daisy’s brain. It continues to know what’s current, but doesn’t activate until given the proper cues. Then when the mission is over and things are taken care of she shuts back down and Daisy goes home. The only glitch in the programming, that we’ve found, is that because Jezebella exists in her subconscious they cross paths when Daisy sleeps. We have yet to discover if any crossing over in a subjects waking life will become an issue. The others didn’t live this long. ”

A door creaked open behind her, sounding like penny nails on a chalk board and she cringed. “You were always sensitive to sounds. You know this room is an interesting one. Echoes in here,” he said it loudly and in a hollow tone just to prove it. The entering person wasn’t The Voice, but it was one that equally set off red flags in Daisy’s mind.

“And how exactly would you know anything about me? You a stalker? Have you been watching me…?”
           
“You really don’t have a clue. That’s amazing. If I asked you could you tell me my name?”

“I don’t know who you are and I don’t know what you want. I’m nobody,” she burst into tears as she went on. “I’m just a woman from Alabama. I was orphaned and I’m not intelligent. I don’t work. What would you want with me?”

“Oh, I know very well where you’re from. I’m the one who rescued you from that hell hole of an orphanage you were growing up in. I’ll never understand how we managed to lose control of a good bitch like you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tape player and proceeded to let it run through a series of sounds.

Daisy sobbed with her head hanging. Gasping for breath, the sound doubled in volume bouncing off the walls.

Jarred watched her as she drifted into a trance and passed out. He placed the player back in his pocket, stepped carefully around her and crouched down. How he would love to play doctor with her one more time. Reaching out he touched her shoulder and jerked his arm back. They’d never re-immersed someone who’d been out this long before. She could react in any way.

Lifting her eyes, Jezebella recognized a face. One she thought was dead. “Be careful Jarred. You never know when that dog you love so much will reach out and bite you.”

“Ah. There’s the girl I’ve been searching for. You’re hard to find.”

“Well that’s your fault. You trained me too well. So what is it big boy? Lookin’ to give me a job or just lookin’ to play hide the salami.”

“A little of both, but you’re not getting those deadly hands on this salami. I’ll get the boss and he’ll bring you abreast of the mission.”

“The big Brian…I thought he was dead. In the New Jersey incident.”

“Oh, ya big Brian is dead. It’s his dad that runs things now. Mr. high and mighty politician finally came round to the dirty side of things.”

“Mr. Creepy voice, I remember him, gives orders like an asshole and sounds like he takes it that way too.”

“Yep, he’s listening in right now. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that lovely description.”

“I don’t give a mile high fuck what he thinks. Just un-cuff me damn it and I’m all yours.”

“Good, but I’m not the one who wants ya.”

Jarred strode around to her backside and undid the handcuffs, running his fingers along the outer edge of her buttocks as her reached for each handcuff. She stood and he backed away. “Don’t worry Jarred. Just because I thought you were dead doesn’t mean that I’m out to remedy the situation right now.”

He backed toward to door keeping eye contact. Jezebella was like a rabid dog; you couldn’t show fear. She barked at him as he stepped out and let Arden through the door leaving it open.

Arden approached her. She didn’t move, blink or speak. She simply spat in his face.
           
“Just so you know, you’ll never run an operation like your son. He was the best.”
           
“If he was so good, how come he let a rat into the ring?” He sat in the vacant chair leaning back slightly and crossing his legs. “You know he never should have let me in on this little operation. He unwittingly allowed me to realize there was someone more powerful than me and well…I couldn’t have that.”

“You bastard,” Jezebella stated flatly, “So why should any of the rest of us trust you now?”

“Because none of you hold any power that I want or need. I’m above you.”

“What do you want?”

“Well, as you may know, the government is busy fighting the good fight abroad. But, that has put us in great danger here at home. Our efforts are sending all the wrong messages and our government is going the wrong direction when it comes to power.” Arden stared right back at her. Not moving in the chair with arms folded across his Armani covered chest. “They’ve moved in on the people’s rights and are making it easier to cause chaos here at home. If the nation was really run by its people the loss of some politicians wouldn’t be anything other than a scandal. Don’t get me wrong, people need a leader. But, we’re beginning to overstep the constitution. I want to send a message to the political untouchables that they are not gods, and we are not doormats. We’re their constituency and if we don’t approve then it doesn’t happen. What I need from you is nothing short of precision.”

“What precisely will I be doing with precision? I didn’t ask you why you needed something done I asked what you needed done? I don’t really give a shit what your agenda is just give me the assignment, the money and I’ll be one my way.” Her patience was wearing thin with this inordinately longwinded conversation. She needed to get out, get drunk and get laid.

“I have here a list of names. You may recognize some of them. Their residences and offices will be easy to get a hold of. The less contact between us during this time the better, when each one has been terminated I’ll wire your fee to your account. You are to stay in this room for ten minutes. Down the hall on your right will be everything you need. You should be able to complete the whole thing with the funds in the briefcase. Good luck.”

“I don’t need luck. I’m better than God at this shit.”

Arden stepped out the door, in all its creaking glory, and faced Jarred. “I’m concerned that Daisy needs full monitoring. We need to keep a closer eye on her so that the search that went on to acquire her this time doesn’t happen again. It amazes me that you let a commodity like her get off the radar just because she got married and moved.”

“We’ll figure something out. It’s a mistake that won’t be happening again. You should have heard the pres…I mean the head haunchos voice when he found out we didn’t know where she was.”

Jezebella waited what she knew was ten minutes even with out any clock in sight, walked out and collected her things. He was right. She did recognize all the names on the list. Security on this project was going to be a bitch but nothing she couldn’t handle. Most of the targets would be found on Capitol Hill unless they were on recess and in their respective states. That would make things significantly more difficult.

Her things were in order. She collected them and stepped out into the sunshine, blinded. When her eyes cleared she noticed that the transportation issues weren’t a problem either. The vintage GTO was really something. It was nice of Jarred to remember what her favorite car was. Popping the trunk she found a stack of license plates that would allow her to continue use of the car even if the cops made the license. Dropping in the various goodies in, she slammed it shut and took up her place in the driver’s seat.

It took her two and a half hours to get to Washington DC from New York. Pulling into the Windsor Park Hotel, she was greeted by an overly cheerful bell boy who she could feel stare at her ass as he followed her with the newly bought clothes and suitcase. Wherever the clothes she had been wearing had come from, they were frumpsville and had to go.

“Welcome to the Windsor. How may I be of assistance?” The blonde behind the desk gave her a smile that just said: what our society needs today is world peace.

“I need a room please. I’ll be here a while and would like one with a view.” The view would allow her to wiggle into a suite with many ways of exit. She might need it if things turned south.

“Well I don’t have any regular rooms like that Miss. But, I do have a lovely state room on the street. You’ll be on a corner where you can see up both streets and a sliding door that lets you out directly without going through the lobby.”

“That will be perfect. Is there somewhere I can park near that door?”

“Yes Miss. There is street parking there.”

She paid the girl with a credit card. Walking back out the door to her car she told the bellboy that he could just drop the case in the passenger seat.

Things were well set. Jezebella couldn’t imagine a better room in which to base herself. The alias she’d used was plain but not boring and therefore wouldn’t draw attention. She could get out through the hotel if someone came in from the street and out to her car if they came from within the hotel. It was perfect now for the research.

She hauled out the laptop and logged into the internet. It was a formidable list, all in the public eye. But, not a long one, only 3 targets, and as she researched not only the residences and offices, but also their lives and agendas, she found one commonality. They were all in favor of turning the Patriot Act into law. Give the nation to the people indeed. There had to be some other motive. Someone will just come in and take these people’s places so it wouldn’t make any difference. It will draw some attention to a hatred of the act and she was sure that was what Arden was really looking for. Lobbyist, even if he was out of the spotlight, someone had hired him and he had hired her. Shaking her head she thanked the man or woman upstairs that she wasn’t into politics. It was just a mess of people trying to decide what is best for others. It most likely wouldn’t make any difference politically but it wasn’t up to her. She was here to do a job and she would damn well do it.

The sun behind the sheer curtains was sinking in the sky as Jezebella picked up the phone to dial out for Chinese but changed her mind and remedied the action, calling hotel room service instead. The less people came to her room the better, everyone who saw her face was a potential liability.

“Room service ….how can I help you?”

“I’d like to order dinner.”

“One moment please…What would you like?”

“What do you recommend?” Jezebella wasn’t picky, just hungry.

“Vegetarian?”

“Nope, carnivore.”

“Well then I’d recommend the prime rib dinner with a good merlot.”

“Perfect. Send it to the state suite, and I’ll have a bottle of that merlot.”

“It’ll be about twenty minutes miss.”

She hung up the phone and went to the TV. News was consumed with the upcoming vote. Seems this thing was important to many people. The best course of action would be to hit them all in one or less days. Quietly she decided. Hell, they all lived in close proximity, she could possibly even do the whole job in one night. That would be the ticket. One night, little contact with others, just there and gone again.

Knocking came at the door and Jezebella tucked a pistol in the back of her fitted jeans. “Who is it?” she called as she approached the door.

“Room service.”

She peered out the peephole and slid the safety chain free. “You can just put it on the table over there.” She told him as she pulled out 100 dollars to hand to him.

“Thank you very much miss.”

“Thank you for the timely manner.”

“No problem. Thank you very much.” He was clearly running on autopilot and wouldn’t remember her in twenty seconds, let alone in days. He closed the door behind him and Jezebella followed with the chain and dead bolt.

In the morning Jezebella rose to a cloudy day in DC. Good weather for scouting she thought. Everyone on the streets would be wearing parkas and coats. It’ll be even better if it rained, everyone with their faces covered. She gathered her digital camera; tucked away a few other tools and set off to the respective addresses.

She found the first address by nine in the morning, Congressman Abram Baker and wife Pamela. Three kids all grown. The house was a burglar’s wet dream, great big stately windows everywhere. Circling the gate out front she snapped up pictures from every angle. Wandering about the fence, luck was with her so far. Not a solid wall iron bar easy to get through, no climbing, and she’d get footage of all sides of the house.

By eleven she was at the next target, Congressman Barnabas Bassett and wife Wendy. Two kids, one in college the other in boarding school. Two live in help who’s quarters were on the west side of the house

Senator Benedict Cadwalader and Ms. Delia, two kids in boarding school and one at home. That may be a problem. Kids have an insane amount of sixth sense. Three live in help, one maid, on butler, and a nanny adjacent to the kid’s room and just down the hall from the master bedroom.  The fencing was the same as the previous two. It seemed these political types all had the same architect, and now that they thought about it, their homes here in DC would be owned by the state and there fore similar.

She arrived back at her room in time to order dinner and catch the first news broadcast of the evening. Loading her day’s labors into the laptop, she went into study mode. Locating the junction box for each house in the photos she was pleased to find that they all used the same security company. Then hacking into the company computer she located all the service records and downloaded data sheets on the aspects of the security systems. She was all set. There would be no hiccups there. None of the families had on sight security, just a patrol around the neighborhood. The cameras could be knocked out with an electric surge inputted from one of the cameras on the outer fencing. Then at the junction box she could disable the rest of the security system.

The next day was low key. Wandering the sights and amusing herself with some harmless pick pocketing and shoplifting as she went. It was a risk she knew, but she was too good to get caught. The sun went down early this time of year and the nights are long so it would give her plenty of time in the dark. Returning to the hotel at five in the evening she dressed in black and equipped herself for the night. She loaded everything into the car and wiped the room clean after checking out electronically.

Jezebella parked the precious car at the back end of the block. It was central to the three houses, not too close to the targets, nor too far away. House one went smoothly. She was in the house in five flat and creeping down the hall to her targets, a knife in each hand. She entered without a single disturbance and listened to the rhythmic snoring. Then she leapt over the end of the bed landing on the stunned couple, puncturing both victims necks simultaneously and proceeded to rip out their jugulars. “Ah, silence” Jezebell sighed with a pleasant rush of adrenalin. She loved knives. Feeling the parting of flesh as she snatched life away from its owners was the best part of any mission. If she could choose she’d take a knife over any gun.  Guns left the victim open to scream or make noise, a good stab through the side of the neck and pulling straight out the front was soundless, not to mention a bigger thrill.

House number two went equally as smoothly; the live in help would be stunned in the AM as they tried to rustle up their bosses for breakfast.

However, the third house which had posed Jezebella with a few variables didn’t go smoothly at all. She was right about the kid, great sixth sense. He walked into the hall right as she approached the master bedroom. In two smooth strides she was at the little boy’s side, covering his mouth. He was mumbling and wouldn’t stop. He started thrashing out and hitting the walls filling the corridor with sound. Damn it, could have just waited for him to pass out. Stupid kids, they should just stay asleep at night. Grabbing the chin and the crown Jezebella snapped his neck in one jerk, standing just in time to block an attack by the damn nanny. The woman was formidably large like nanny’s can get and the only way to get it over quickly was to shoot. Sticking the silenced .38 right against the woman’s chest she pulled the trigger and was showered in blood. The entire ruckus had woken the masters of the house and she could hear them getting ready to rush out the door. She sprinted and placed herself on the right side of it, most likely the wife’s side, she’s the most likely to scream so she’s first, the Senator second. The door swung back and at the sight of head and throat Jezebella cut. The Senator, stunned, didn’t even get a word out before he too was clutching his sliced jugular and slumping to the floor in the door way. The commotion of the boy and nanny was enough, the other two needed to be soundless, there were still two residence in the household.

Jezebella crouched there in the bloody mess of a hallway waiting. If the butler or the maid heard anything and came up they’d have to go as well. Nothing, five minutes and nothing, time to get the move on. She descended the stairs and slid out the open window through which she had entered. She needed to hurry, the neighborhood had a secret service compound and each house had a panic button that she could not disable, and there was no telling if the senator had hit his.

Out in the street Jezebella couldn’t wait to clean up, she hated when things got too messy. Clean and simple, that’s the way she liked things. Why did the kid have to get up? Damn it. She didn’t mind taking the lives of people who had lived. But, a young boy was not something she liked to have happen. As she headed down the street she shook her head. It was an unfortunate part of the job but she had run out of options. Had she not done it she may not have made it out of there. The nanny would have had her from behind.  

Returning to her GTO she climbed in and slipped quietly out of the city.

“You won’t say a damn thing!! You hear me? Not one fucking word!” Jack screamed.

“I just thought ya’ll were in trouble. It looked pretty bad. I was only checking the monitors before I went to bed. I like to know the coast is clear before I close my eyes.” Daisy trembled under the weight of his voice.    

“I don’t care what you saw. Forget it all. You didn’t see anything. It was just a friendly fight any way. But, if any one asks it didn’t happen.”
           
“Fight, what fight? I didn’t see anythin’. I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” She knew this was the response that Jack was looking for. After the last year he’d fished for answers like these. She didn’t know what had changed in him, but she could peg it right to the day of when it happened.

“That’s right. There was no fight.” Jack stated, “And let’s keep it that way.”
           
“What ever you want honey. I’m just gona go have a bath.” Daisy wanted to cry. She missed the man she married. It was like he was a different person. “Do you want to come?”
           
“A bath…I don’t think so. What makes you think I’d want a bath?”
           
Idiot. Jesus did she have to spell it out for him. She needs his attention. The dreams she had worsened since last Christmas and she hadn’t shared that with Jack. Where the images came from she wasn’t sure, but they were making her more and more uncomfortable with herself.

“That’s fine you do that. I’ll be around.” Jack wandered down the grand staircase of his and Daisy’s home. A home he’d come to know inside out in just a short matter of time. Stepping out the door he let out a sigh, “Tough is the day.”

“Only when you think of it that way,” Arden strode out from around the corner of stucco corner, “How goes things…Jarred?”

“Well I hate this body, I hate this climate, and I’m sick and tired of that bitch upstairs. Are you sure I can’t play around? Sleeping with just her is going to put me out of my mind.”

“I thought she was good in bed.”

“That’s ‘Jezebella’ not ‘Daisy’.”

“Oh, well. How are the symptoms of the exchange? Have you been sleeping better?”

“A little on and off, she doesn’t even notice anymore when I get out of bed. Is that pansy ass aristocrat enjoying my body?”

“I’m afraid not. Snapped when he saw himself. He’s going to end up spending the rest of his life in an asylum.”

“Aww well. It’s better that way. He’ll never interfere with anything. Otherwise we may have had to kill him too, not that it would have been here nor there.”

“Well Jarred. I hate to say it but try to enjoy life. It’s going to be a permanent assignment. You’re in it now there’s no going back. I know you’re not happy but I needed my best for the job and you’re it. This agency can’t afford any slip ups. The President doesn’t need more worries. He has enough trouble dealing with official business. If we compound it by screwing up the unofficial we’re all dead meat.”

“I thought you had control over him.”

“That’s an over statement. Sure we have the ability to put him into a certain state of being controlled. But, he’s still human and still has his own will. We may be able to hack into his subconscious but don’t be mistaken. He runs us.” Arden turned on his heal, walked down the path and jumped into the standard Hummer.

“I need my best and you’re it.” Jarred squeaked at him as the vehicle sped out of sight. “I’d like to see him handle it better.” Walking back inside he stopped to hear for the jets running in the tub upstairs. He heard none and shut the front door.
           
“Are you comin’ to bed Jack?” Her sweet southern side crooned from the bedroom. They don’t spend much time together anymore. He was always sneaking around the house. He’d get into bed after she was asleep and be up before her in the morning. It was as if he was avoiding her presence.
           
“I’ll be up soon” Jared called in an exaggeratedly sweet voice that he’d grown accustomed to trying to use. “I just have to put something away.” He walked over to the book shelf and placed a handheld tape player on the top shelf behind some dusty books.

Daisy walked into the master bedroom and popped her three sleeping pills. Her nightmares had made her unwilling to rest and the pills were the only way for her to continue functioning. Laying down she pulled out her book, flicked on the radio and continued reading the love story of a couple who were happier than she. Drifting off into unconsciousness the radio tuned in to several frequencies letting out an incoherent series of sound, Daisy disappeared and Jezebella sat up tossing the book across the room.

Where the hell was she? The last thing she remembered was leaving DC. Glancing around the room she observed its elegance. Simple, expensive, but boring. Swinging her legs off the bed she touched down on green carpet and headed out the double doors.

Coming up the stairs was a man of middle age and showing some signs of having let himself go. She scowled.

“What’s going on darling? I thought you’d be asleep by now.” He said.

“Darling? I’m not your darling and I don’t know who the fuck you are.”

“Shit….Jezebella.”

“That’s right. Now who the fuck are you? And how do you fucking know me?”

“It’s me Jarred. I know I don’t-“

“You’re not Jarred. I know Jarred and you’re most definitely not him. Besides, Jarred would never let himself go like you have.”

“But-“

Jezebella leapt at him, toppling them both end over end down the stairs. They hit the marble stairway Jarred on the bottom and Jezebella with her hands around his throat. “You’d better tell me what’s happening before you die.”

Jarred said nothing trying to breath through his pinching esophagus.

“Well then I guess you’ll just die.” Jezebella watched the eyes of the man go dark and blank. What a mess. Where the hell was she? It didn’t matter. Getting up she dusted herself and walked back up to the bedroom shaking. Dressing, she wondered what kind of woman wore cloths like this. It was the second time she was wearing an outfit the made her look ten pounds heavier.

Searching the place she came up with ten stashes of fifty thousand dollars and was ready to get out the hell out of there. She stepped out the door with one last look at the lifeless man on the floor. In the drive there was a black Cadillac Escalade. She leaned back in the door finding the keys on a stand just inside.

Starting the car she tossed the bag of money in the back, put it in drive and headed out. It didn’t matter where she went. But, with the money she had in the bag and in her accounts she should be able to set up shop in an overseas location that was unaffiliated with the U.S. Life, from here on out would be on her terms and good luck to the agency finding her.