Kingdom Keepers IV(39)
“It’s all about timing,” Amanda said, over her shoulder. “You remember your assignment?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“You have the stockings?”
Charlene held up her balled fist.
The basement level was far less crowded. They walked together down a hallway and turned to the right.
“She’ll be coming by here any minute,” Amanda said, pulling open a door. “Band room. Empty this period.”
“Okay,” said Charlene.
“We’ll be expelled if we do this wrong.”
“I know. So let’s not do it wrong.”
“I’m in the hall. You’re inside, but out of sight,” instructed Amanda.
“I remember.”
“I’ll cough.”
“I know.”
Charlene turned into the darkened room and tucked around the corner, her chest ready to explode. There was a bass drum on a metal stand. Risers with chairs and music stands. An upright piano. She left the lights off, bracing herself for what was to come. She pulled the piece of panty hose down over her hair and head, obscuring her face.
* * *
Amanda wore the section of rolled panty hose on her head like a winter cap, kneeling with her face to the wall, her hands in her computer bag, digging around as if looking for something.
Sally Ringwald came down the hall with two girlfriends. Now came the tricky part.
Without turning, without showing her face, Amanda said, “Hey, Sally, got a minute?”
“I’ll catch up,” Sally told her friends.
As predicted, the two girls turned up the stairs. Amanda had chosen this spot for a reason.
“What’s up?” Sally said to Amanda’s back.
Amanda coughed and pulled the stocking down over her face and turned around, looking like something from a slasher movie.
“What the—”
But Sally didn’t have time to complete her exclamation.
Amanda lifted her hands and pushed. Sally lifted off her feet and flew backward through the doorway, skidding on her bottom across the floor. Amanda stepped through and Charlene pulled the door shut.
When Sally jumped off the floor, she wasn’t even human. She sprang like a mountain lion, crashing into Amanda, her green eyes flashing in the dim light. She and Amanda smacked into the wall by the piano.
Charlene came at her from the side, grabbing an arm. Sally tossed her off like she was a stuffed animal. Charlene landed hard.
Amanda pushed for a second time. Sally lifted off her feet and crashed into a music stand, taking it down as she knocked some folding metal chairs out of the way, landing in a heap. Amanda pushed again. Sally slid on her bottom and was pinned to the riser. Amanda held her there, still pushing, arms extended.
Charlene crossed the room and was slammed to the floor as if a ninety-mile-per-hour wind had struck her. Groaning, she rose, and with Amanda still pushing, Charlene wrestled Sally’s arms behind her back and tangled their legs together, keeping Sally down.
Amanda released her push.
The three girls were panting, out of breath.
Charlene said coarsely, “What do they want?”
Sally wrestled, but couldn’t get free of Charlene’s hold.
“Power,” Sally said through clenched teeth. “What’s anybody want?”
“From us?” Amanda said.
“You’re insignificant. Don’t flatter yourselves.”
“So insignificant that you’re spying on us,” Charlene said, pulling the girl’s arms back harder to make her point. “What’s that make you?”
“Busy,” she said, snickering.
“Who…are…you?” Amanda asked, for the girl’s eyes were wide and evil-looking.
Sally Ringwald laughed. But it wasn’t a girl’s laugh. It was a woman’s. “The future,” she said.
“Not my future,” Charlene said, gasping. It was taking all her considerable strength to restrain Sally’s arms. Both she and Amanda feared what Sally might be capable of if she could get free.
“There is no yours or mine where the future’s concerned. It’s ours. You can either be on the right side or the wrong side,” Sally said.
“There is no side to the future, only to the things we do with it, the choices we make,” Amanda said.
“What do you know? The future always arrives before you can stop it,” said Sally. “Talk to me Saturday morning.”
To Amanda it sounded like a recruiting line. She felt slightly light-headed. The pushing had drained her. Charlene looked as bad as she felt. They were out of time.
“How many of you are there?” This had been the question Philby most wanted asked.
“More each day,” Sally answered. “More than you can possibly imagine.”