Dead Man Running (23 page)

All the best,
Mira
."

TWELVE

Mira
Hidar
woke. 
She checked her BlackBerry - i
t was late morning.  She smiled, thoughts of love making still fresh in her mind. 
Her smile held as she wondered how Mr. Turnbull would react to her note – she was sure that he had
mouthed such words
to numerous women in the past.  How would he react to being on the receiving end? 

She stretched and slid out of her bed.
  She paddled out
of
her bedroom to the bathroom. She used the toilet and brushed her teeth.   She washed her face, applied some lotion and a modest amount of makeup.  She thought of the day ahead.  She had the Wiley meeting in mid afternoon then a quick visit with her grandfather to catch him up.  First she would need a latte from Starbucks and maybe a muffin. 
Mira
Hidar
cooked nothing in her kitchen
. 

The fri
d
g
e
was good for a c
ool glass of water
, nothing more, and
speaking of water, she was thirsty.

She would dress for the Wiley meeting later.  For now she donned a pair of blue jeans, a NY Jets sweatshirt and a pair of Avia's with pink micro socks.

She stepped into her kitchen for the water and stopped cold.  Seated around her center
a
isle were Wiley and his pet zombie Mookie.

She managed to keep her cool.  Her grandfather told her that they could not harm a
Hidar
.

"What are you doing in my apartment?"  She placed one hand casually against the room's threshold.

"I would like to have a private conversation before the meeting with the others."

"Next time you need to call.  Are we understood?"

Wiley smiled.  In the light of day, seated in her kitchen bathed in sunlight,
Mira
was able to appreciate the
Hidar
handiwork.  Wiley's skin was smooth and even.  His eyes were bright, intense and active.  She could see the muscles move underneath his white knit sweater.  Elias was correct
–
he was much improved  - indeed,
he could pass for a man in his late thirties.  He was far superior to the fat, worn out corpse her grandfather described.  They have created some type of superman, enhanced by forty years of political acumen.

The only distinguishing characteristic of a zombie
that remained visible in Wiley was his mouth.
  Somehow transformation to a zombie encouraged the growth of teeth long lost in the path of our evolution.  These teeth, long sharp tools for cutting through flesh and bone alike, were no longer needed given the invention of tools.  In the undead they reappear
ed
, required since the dead need to feed on the living to survive.  These teeth were housed in a mouth no
longer
made to carry them, making the mouth puff out.

He stared at her long enough to make her
un
comfortable.  Finally he nodded.  "I will not do this again."

"How did you get in here?  I have
a
doorman, building security."  She lived in an
Upper Eastside
luxury apartment.  There was money to be made in magic but more money to be made getting the powerful to do things for you, such as leasing you a luxury apartment for twenty bucks a month.  Her grandfather didn't like her to live so ostentatiously but she was young, beautiful and in
New York
.  No way was all this talent going to hide in some
Brooklyn
row house
.

"Think about it – black congressman visiting a pretty white girl.
"

"I'm not white, I'm Arab."

He waved away her distinction.  "
They practically fell over themselves escorting me to your apartment.  They unlocked your door and let me waltz right in.  They probably have the paparazzi lined up outside ready to take our picture.  I almost hate to disappoint them."  He smiled and his pet Mookie mirrored the expression.

Mira
pulled out one of the stools surrounding her center aisle and sat.  "What do you want to discuss?"

"The events from last night," Wiley said.  "As you know I don't sleep and I
have had much time to think. 
I gave you three tasks last night.  I know you were successful with one.  She was delicious by the way."  He pointed at Mookie.  "He especially enjoyed her generous buttocks but I want to know about the other tasks."

"You were
correct
.  T
here was a member of Obama's Secret Service contingent who remained on the roof.  Mookie smothered him and I was able to reanimate him."

"You
surely
made him capable like me?
  Otherwise he would be detected.
"

"Yes."

Wiley smiled.  "Funny, I thought you needed the
two
potions to make a zombie more alive?"

The words caught in
Mira
's throat
.  She struggled to surface a lie but none was forthcoming.

"Cat got your tongue, Miss
Hidar
?  There is no need for dissem
bling, my dear."

Mira found her voice.  "The pink and green were meant to deceive Jan into thinking that the elixirs needed to be provided regularly to maintain your new state.  Actually my grandfather dosed you with another potion."

"You wanted a
facade
of dependence."

"Yes."

"Meaning, you thought Jan or someone else would be in charge
.  Not me.  I must be surprising to you."

Mira nodded
.
  "You are more capable than most we have re-animated."

"Any theory regarding why?"

"I haven't spoken to my grandfather yet but I have two theories."

"Yes?"

"The young woman's love.  Even prior to the reanimating magic, you were evolving, growing more lifelike.  I think her attentions caused that."

"Your second theory?"

"Naked ambition.  Your lust for power and authority is very strong.  I believe that has acted as an accelerant, pushing you beyond the normal capabilities for a 'person' of your type."

Wiley thought about what he was hearing.  After a minute: "I believe both theories are correct.  And both reinforce my thoughts that I have been chosen for great things."

Mookie stood, toppling over his chair.  He looked around the kitchen, stepped over to one wall and placed his ear against it.

"What is he doing?" Wiley asked.

"There's a dog next door.  Zombies have something against household pets."

Wiley laughed, settled his eyes back on Mira. 
"
I remember, back when I was a mere undead brute, Hamid giving me a blue liquid.  The real potion, I assume?"

"Yes."

"
And you just happened to be carrying some of this
real
potion with you last night?"

"I reached out with my mind, made it appear."
 

More like she reached out with her cell and called her grandfather.

Wiley nodded. 
"
How did you manage with your final
task?"

"I spoke to Elias in private and he appeared to take me in his confidence."

"Strange how
the
possibility of sleeping with a beautiful woman gets a man's tongue to moving."  He laughed and Mookie
–
ear still against the wall
–
joined him.  "Is he loyal to me?" Wiley asked.

Mira
nodded.  "He is. 
If he has any misgivings he hid them well."  She lied – she didn't know why because the flashy Mr. Turnbull
didn't mean
anything to her except for a nice stiff dick. 
She had clearly sensed unease in the man's body language, if not his words. 

"He is focused on taking your place in Congress.  He craves power and you can give it to him."

Wiley nodded.  "Good.  Now, on to you and
Hamid
.  What do you crave?  Why are you willing to help me take over the
world
?"

Mira smiled. 
"You want to take over the world now?  I thought last night you only wanted to be president?"

"I don't sleep.  The more I thought about it I wondered why I should stop with the presidency."

Mira shrugged. 
"The
Hidar
's have been serving the rich and powerful for thousands of years
, Mr. Wiley
.  As slaves, we performed magical acts for the pharaohs. 
It was my people who competed against Moses and the God of Abraham. 
W
e have served royalty in Europe, Asia and
Africa
. 
The
t
wentieth
c
entury was very violent but we survived. 
But o
ur homeland was taken away by
America
,
Britain
and especially the Israelis.  My grandfather came here to assure the future of our people in an independent state.  H
is interest, and my interest, is the survival of the
Palestinian
people. 
Frankly, Mr. Wiley, I doubt that you can become president much less take over the world.  If you do, w
hat you do with the rest of the world is no concern of ours.
  We want your assurance that you will do all you can to aid the cause of our people
, regardless of your position
.
"

"What would stop me from killing you for brunch and then going to your grandfather's shop and making him our lunch?"

It was
Mira
's turn to smile.  "One, you need us. 
If the transformation of the Secret Service agent is reflective of your strategy, you desire more reanimated zombies, especially those with the position and resources to help your cause."

Wiley nodded. 

"
You can't make anyone else into a zombie without us.  And if you're thinking that somehow you could make one of us into a zombie and have the zombie
Hidar
create more zombies, it doesn't work that way.  Once the body is dead, so dies the ability to make zombies
or any magic
."

"Someone has tried before?"

"Yes, King Richard ha
d
us reanimate Merlin but the resulting zombie was incapable of magic."

"You had a second reason?"

"Zombies cannot directly or indirectly
murder
their creators."

"I cannot kill
Hamid
or order it done?"

"You cannot.  And if somehow my grandfather dies, you die automatically.  Your new life is tethered to his."

"So that leaves me no choice but to work with you both."  He considered the implications of this for a few long moments.  Decision made, he spoke again. 

"I'll need you close. 
Nominally you will act as my
chief of staff. 
After I take over HUD
I will need you to develop a more efficient means of making living people into beings like me."

"More efficient?"

"I need to convert thousands to be successful.  Doing like you did to that Secret Service agent will take a long time."

Mira
thought for a moment.  "I'll talk to my grandfather today.  Perhaps he has some thoughts."

"Good."  He pointed at Mookie.  "As much as I enjoy his silence
,
could you do something about our friend?"

She
disappeared
momentarily and
returned to the room with
a flask of blue liquid.  She walked over to the zombie, handed him the flask and he drank greedily.  She
placed
the empty container
on
the counter and sat
down
. 

Mira
said the spell under her breath and immediately the man's skin became healthy, his eyes full of life.  She said another spell.  This one caused no immediate transformation.

"He'll regain his mental faculties within
fifteen minutes
.  He'll be good as new.
  Better perhaps.
"

Wiley smiled, stood and so did Mookie.  He extended his hand and
Mira
stood and shook his hand.  His flesh was cold – another sign of the undead.