IMMOLATION: Chapter 9

The large cafe was crowded; that was good. The only person who wasn't part of a larger group was a chubby, middle aged man who sipped comfortably from his cup of tea as though being alone in such a social location was the most natural thing for him to do. He looked up, smiling amiably as he was joined by a short Asian man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

“Green Tea?” the newcomer asked in his usual Japanese accent.

“Tea Leaves, actually,” the first man answered in a smooth British accent.

“Tea Leaves?” a flamboyant, high-pitched, Texan woman cried right behind the British man, making him jump and spill the rest of his tea down his front. He cursed as the hot liquid soaked into his clothes.

The young woman blushed but sat down at the table nonetheless and began dabbing a napkin on the table to help clean up. The Japanese man cleared his throat loudly as he too sat down.

“Oh right,” the young woman said, “Sorry but it's like my friends always say about me, 'she comes late and Leaves Early.'”

Green Tea and Tea Leaves exchanged glances but said nothing and Leaves Early seemed not to have noticed as she picked at split ends in the long ponytail that sprouted from the top of her head.

“Hmmm,” a deep rumbling voice drew their attention to three more newcomers to their table. A stout woman with her graying hair pulled up in a tight bun, a slightly younger man, tall and extremely muscled and the one who had spoken, an aged, ebony man. The three of them sat down, joining the others. “Perhaps,” the black man said in his powerful voice, “One could say you feel an affinity for the wise Early Bird?”

“If she is wise,” the older woman said, “Then I as light as a Bird Feather.”

There was a general chuckle around the table as Leaves Early scowled at Bird Feather. Everything about the German woman, her dress suit, her tight bun, seemed to be offended by the younger woman's ponytail, shorts and tank top.

A strong, heavy hand rested on Leaves Early's shoulder. “Let it go,” the tall, muscular man beside her said, “You're too much a Feather Weight to get into a brawl with her.”

Feather Weight inclined his head respectfully toward Bird Feather, who managed a smirk and a nod back. Leaves Early brooded, her perky enthusiasm evaporating as everyone seemed to be picking on her.

Tea Leaves leaned forward and began to speak. “Now then—

“Can I get you anything?” The barrista had noticed their large group and now stood over them with a pen and paper, ready to take down their orders.

“I'll have my usual,” Leaves Early said, her perkiness back in her voice.

The group looked, shocked, at Leaves Early but she was engrossed in some notes she was pulling out of her purse.

“Anything else?” the barrista asked pointedly to the large group.

“Green tea,” Green Tea said.

“Earl Gray,” Tea Leaves said.

“Coffee, black,” Early Bird said.

The rest of the group remained silent and the barrista left.

Tea Leaves resettled himself in his chair and began again, looking pointedly at Leaves Early, “Now then, how are things progressing?”

Leaves Early spread out a sheet of paper from her notebook and then placed it in the center of the table so all could see. The page had five squares drawn on it, one in each corner and one in the middle. Beside each square was a smattering of other shapes, circles, triangles and squiggly lines. Leaves Early smiled at her cleverness with her plan. The others didn't share her feelings.

“You mind explaining your little masterpiece here?” Feather Weight asked.

“Sorry, I forgot,” Leaves Early apologized,

“We are not surprised,” Bird Feather muttered.

Leaves Early ignored Bird Feather and took out her pen and pointed to the symbols on the page as she gave their explanation. “The squares,” she said, “represent the five targets we've agreed on. The circles,” she tapped the two squares that had circles around them, “represent the two targets with larger populations.”

Everyone around the table shifted uneasily in their seats and a few exchanged looks.

“The triangles,” Leaves Early went on, tapping the four squares that had triangles, “Are the ones with minimal risk to wildlife and other natural resources,” Leaves Early paused, her pen tapping the three squares that had squiggly lines, “And these three are the ones that are ready... timers counting.”

“Coffee, black?” the barrista asked, startling everyone at the table by how quickly she'd brought their drinks.

Early Bird nodded and accepted the mug.

“Green tea?”

Green Tea took his drink.

“Earl Gray?”

Tea Leaves let the barrista place the cup and saucer in front of him.

“Anything else?” the barrista asked.

“Just the check, I think,” Tea Leaves said solemnly.

The barrista left.

“Which one's first?” Green Tea asked. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of the square that had both a circle and a squiggle.

“This one,” Leaves Early said, pointing to a square that had no circle, “Then this one the week after,” she pointed to the other circle-free square that had a squiggle, “Then this one the week after that,” she pointed, inevitably, to the circled square. “By then, Tea Leaves and Green Tea should be done putting together the last two deliveries and...” Leaves Early tapped the last two squares, ending on the other circled square.

The barrista returned after a few minutes silence and they paid their respective bills, all in cash.

Green Tea turned his attention to Feather Weight and Bird Feather. “How are you two doing on your project?” he asked.

Bird Feather and Feather Weight straightened up and shook off the weight of their previous conversation.

“Things are going according to plan,” Feather Weight said, “Bird Feather has finished her geological studies and I've acquired the structural designs. Now it's just a matter of getting through security when the time comes.”

Bird Feather nodded solemnly in agreement.

“I will see what I can do for that,” Green Tea said, “And do you have a plan to get out once you've done what you need to do?”

Feather Weight shrugged. “I've got some ideas,” he said, “But to be honest I think this is going to be a one way trip. I mean, once it starts they're going to lock everything down, maybe even the borders so...”

Feather Weight fell silent and Tea Leaves patted him on the back.

“Don't worry, my friend,” Tea Leaves said, “We'll do everything we can to get you out.”

“Thanks,” Feather Weight said and returned Tea Leaves smile, “But it won't matter much. Once my part's over, I won't be of much use.”

Early Bird sipped down the last of his coffee and then pushed his chair out from the table. “It is time, we should be going,” he said.

They all rose to their feet, shaking hands and beginning to leave.

As Early Bird walked by Tea Leaves, Green Tea muttered to them both, “A word, please.”

The three of them hung back under the pretense of needing to use the restroom, to which Feather Weight chuckled and left telling Leaves Early a joke about old men and their unreliable bladders. The three men smiled and laughed.

Once in the restroom, Tea Leaves and Early Bird turned serious and Green Tea turned on the air hand dryer so they wouldn't be overheard.

“Leaves Early is too much of a liability,” Green Tea said, “I move that we take immediate action before her stupidity gives us away entirely.”

Tea Leaves looked shocked but Early Bird rubbed his chin, contemplating.

“Can we move forward without her at this point?” Early Bird asked.

“I believe we can,” Green Tea said.

“But,” said Tea Leaves, “She's not meaning to put us at risk.”

“That is what makes her all the more dangerous to us,” Green Tea said impatiently, “She is careless, bringing us to a place where she is well known, where people would know that we are not her usual company, to risk raising unnecessary curiosity,” Green Tea paused, glancing at his reflection in the mirror briefly, giving his plain clothes a disgusted look.

Tea Leaves took advantage of Green Tea's momentary lapse in concentration. “We've all had our turns to pick where we meet,” he said, “It was her turn and, well I won't deny she chose poorly but—

“No,” Green Tea interrupted, “To her our work is like a fad, one that she believes in,” he added quickly when Tea Leaves looked like he was about to object, “But a fad nonetheless and that is not enough,” Green Tea turned to Early Bird. “Can she be excluded from now on without further risk to ourselves?”

The hand dryers stopped and Green Tea pressed their buttons once again to keep their conversation masked from any listening ears.

“She may take offense,” Early Bird said.

“Yes,” Tea Leaves agreed quickly, “And you know what they say about a woman scorned.”

Green Tea and Early Bird gave Tea Leaves puzzled looks.

“You can't trust them,” Tea Leaves explained, “Yes, I quite see what you're saying Green Tea, she can't be left to put us at risk. Shall I take care of it?”

The other two men appraised Tea Leaves, considering his sudden change on the subject.

“Do you believe you can?” Green Tea asked.

“What do you mean? Of course I can.”

“You do seem to be fond of her,” Early Bird stated, “Only Feather Weight seems to be more taken with her than you.”

“Oh please,” Tea Leaves scoffed, “She's nothing but a piece of meat attracting dogs.”

Green Tea and Early Bird still looked unconvinced.

“Perhaps I should take care of her,” Early Bird said and a fire burned in his eyes that neither of the other men had seen before.

“No, no, I'll do it,” Tea Leaves assured the others, “I'll take her out for drinks, pretend to have a question or something about physics. I'll slip her a little something into her drink. She won't even feel it's affects until we're back in the car and she'll be dead before afternoon tea.”

The hand dryers continued to buzz in the otherwise empty bathroom.

After a few moments, Green Tea nodded. “Just don't fall back into the habit of slipping young women drugged drinks.”

Tea Leaves nodded soberly. “Not to worry,” he said, “I've learned my lesson.”