Jennifer Government Part 36

He turned. It was Thomas, the kid who spray-painted over-obvious slogans on Hack's billboard jams.

"Man, this is cool. Are you ready?"

"Where's Leisl?" Hack said.

Thomas's face fell. "I don't think she's coming."

"What?"

"I don't think this is her kind of thing, man. She doesn't want to get into trouble."

"Oh," Hack said. Well, that was okay: three would do. He looked over at Claire and nodded. She began climbing onto the counter.

She was very nimble: she had those long legs up while Hack was still grabbing at the cash register for leverage. Thomas clambered up too close behind and nearly knocked him off.

"Whatwhat are you doing?" a McDonald's clerk said.

"Don't worry," Hack said, looking down at him. "No one's going to get hurt." He opened his bag, pulled on thick gloves, and turned to the crowd. "McDonald's rapes the environment! It pillages Third World countries for their natural resources to serve us greasy, unhealthy food! McDonald's is a member of US Alliance, which killed people in London! It invades our neighborhoods and forces out small business! It advertises to children!"

"Baby killers!" Thomas yelled, and kicked the cash register. Hack resisted a sigh.

The customers were looking at him, smirking. Claire said, "McDonald's poisons our lives for profit! So we are going to poison McDonald's!"

Hack withdrew a large tin from his duffel bag and jumped down behind the register. The clerk cringed away from him. "Excuse me," Hack said.

"Everybody out!" Claire shouted. "We're releasing dangerous chemicals! Get out and never come back! It'll never be safe to eat here again!"

They began fitting their gas masks, and that broke the crowd. Hack guessed you didn't want to see people snapping those things on while you sat there with your burger and shake, vulnerable. They stampeded toward the exit. The screaming hurt his ears.

Hack turned toward the kitchen. The staff were strangely frozen, even as he popped open the tin. He shouted, "Get out of here!" His words were m.u.f.fled by the mask. "Dangerous!" He dipped into the tin and drew out a gloveful of green powder.

They ran. Hack tossed the powder around, hitting the frying dishes, the benches, the roof, everything. It sizzled and blistered where it touched the hot plate, throwing off a thick, noxious, green smoke. He watched it, fascinated. It really looked like the most toxic thing he'd ever seen.

Someone grabbed his shoulder. He could barely see Claire's eyes through the mask. She tapped her wrist. He nodded and heaved the remaining powder, dropped the tin, and scrambled back over the counter. They held hands as they ran for the exit.

Customers were gathered thirty feet outside the store, but as the three burst out, they scattered again. Hack's spirits lifted further. No security guard would catch them in this confusion.

He pulled off the gas mask and stuffed it into his bag. They clattered down three levels of concrete stairs, followed a long maintenance corridor, then stepped out onto bustling Bourke Street.

"Wow!" Thomas said. "That was cool! That was so so cool!" cool!"

"I can't believe how it burned," Claire said. "That's just flour?"

"Flour and food dye."

"No way are people gonna eat there again. No way!"

"You were really good," Hack said to Claire. He kissed her. "Your speech, I liked that a lot."

"Thanks." She looked embarra.s.sed.

"Man!" Thomas said. "How are we going to top that?"

"I know how," Hack said. He'd been waiting for this. "We hit Nike."

62 Violet

Holly T.A. talked into her cellphone nonstop from Parliament. Violet sat opposite her, their knees almost touching. The limousine's third occupant was the soldier called ONE, and he sat beside Violet, not moving.

"It means we ramp everything up, right now," Holly said. "Maybe US Alliance is obsessed with the Government; I'm not. I want directives by the morning." She snapped her phone closed and looked at Violet. "Oh, come on. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Violet said nothing.

"You were useful to me today. I appreciate that. You helped identify an important opponent."

"He's...he's evil." The way John had c.o.c.ked his fingers at her...Violet s.h.i.+vered.

"All our compet.i.tors are evil," Holly said. She smiled. Violet couldn't tell if she was joking.

"I want to go home now."

"If that's what you want."

"I do. I want to get paid and go home."

"As I recall," Holly said, flipping open her cellphone again, "I said your pay was an ExxonMobil matter."

"No, you"

"Sweetie, it's nothing to do with me." She pushed b.u.t.tons.

"Wait a second!" Violet reached out and took Holly's wrist. Then ONE had his hand around Violet's throat and was pus.h.i.+ng her head into the seat. She choked and clawed at him.

"What a funny girl you are, Violet," Holly said. She looked amused. "You've got a lot to learn about how the world works."

Tramp, Violet tried to say, but she had no air. Holly knocked on the window and the limousine pulled over. ONE opened the door and shoved. Violet banged her knees on the sidewalk. She scrambled to her feet. The limousine was already moving again. "b.i.t.c.h!" she shouted after it. "Youyou b.i.t.c.h!" Violet tried to say, but she had no air. Holly knocked on the window and the limousine pulled over. ONE opened the door and shoved. Violet banged her knees on the sidewalk. She scrambled to her feet. The limousine was already moving again. "b.i.t.c.h!" she shouted after it. "Youyou b.i.t.c.h!"

She was on a bridge, with traffic roaring past in both directions. It was already dark. The air was thick with fog. After a while, she started walking.

The return ticket she'd received from ExxonMobil was still valid, and Violet got a flight for Melbourne the same day. Twenty hours later, she was stepping out of a cab at Claire's house. It was eight in the morning but felt like ten P.M. She felt out of sync with the world.

Hack would probably have moved back to their apartment by now, but that was okay: Violet could freshen up before seeing him. She had been short with Hack, she realized now: she had said some things he might have taken the wrong way. Hack could be sensitive. She would need to be careful if she wanted him to help her get her three million dollars.

She still had a key, so she unlocked the front door and went inside. "h.e.l.lo?" There was no answer, but she heard the shower running. And talkingClaire singing, maybe. Violet knocked on the bathroom door. "h.e.l.lo?"

Silence. "Violet?"

"Yeah." She rested her head against the door and closed her eyes. "I'm home."

"Oh, ahhow'd it go?" The water shut off.

"Not so hot." She felt abruptly close to tears. "Not so great at all."

"What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?"

"Uhjust a second!"

"I really need to talk," Violet said, and swung open the door.

Claire was wearing a towel. Hack wasn't wearing anything. She stared at them. It was like a hallucination.

Claire said, "Violet, before you say anything"

"What the f.u.c.k the f.u.c.k?" she screamed.

"Violet, please, let me explain"

"How could you? How could you do this to me?"

"Violet," Hack said. "You left. You went away and said you didn't want to see me again."

"That was an argument. argument. I can'tI can't believe you're having an affair!" I can'tI can't believe you're having an affair!"

"An affair affair?" Hack yelled. Hack was being surprisingly a.s.sertive for a man with no clothes on. Hack was being surprisingly a.s.sertive for Hack. "We're not together!"

"How dare you say that! We are so!"

"You dumped me!"

"Everybody thinks they can screw screw me!" Violet shouted. She felt tears p.r.i.c.k her eyes. "Everyone thinks they can f.u.c.k me over!" me!" Violet shouted. She felt tears p.r.i.c.k her eyes. "Everyone thinks they can f.u.c.k me over!"

Claire said, "Violet, I'm really sorry"

Violet slammed the door. The cab was still in sight, but only just. She ran after it, waving her hands. Its brake lights flashed. Violet hurried up to it. The cabdriver said, "n.o.body home?"

"No," Violet said.

The apartment was much cleaner than she remembered. There was no sign of her fight with John in the kitchen, and the crumpet toaster was gone. It made her feel like she was dreaming. She couldn't help wonder if all this had really happened. Maybe if she went back to Claire's house, Hack wouldn't be...No, that was stupid. Violet pressed her hands against her face.

Suddenly, shockingly, she started to cry. Great, wracking sobs burst out of her. She couldn't believe it. She sank to the kitchen tiles and wrapped her arms around herself. She shook uncontrollably. She didn't know if she was crying for Hack or for her lost three million dollars or out of jet lag or maybe all of it combined, but she couldn't stop. It was a torrent. It seemed to drag out everything she had left.

She cried and hated herself. This wasn't meant to be her, this small, beaten girl. She was meant to succeed. Other people had taken it all away from her.

She stood up and scrubbed at her eyes. She went into the living room and picked up the phone. Holly T.A. had said Violet had a lot to learn about how the world worked; well, she'd see about that. She'd see how fast she could learn.

It took a long time to get someone, and then the someone sounded as if she weren't taking Violet seriously. "Tell him it's Violet," she said. "Tell him it's the person who watched him kill a man in London. You got that?"

"Wait a second," the woman said. "Did you say"

"Yes," Violet said.

"I'll make sure John gets your message," the woman said, and Violet hung up. She bit her nails. She was doing the right thing. She knew she was.

63 John

John had requisitioned a big table and spread a map of Los Angeles across it. It was covered with red ink, with words like "1st Inf," and "3rd Arm." He was beginning to wish he'd used pencil; the thing was getting pretty confusing.

"You are so so the man," the Pepsi kid said, circling. "I cannot tell you how cool this is." the man," the Pepsi kid said, circling. "I cannot tell you how cool this is."

"Tell me about the Liaisons."

"Most are full steam ahead. The campaigns these guys are rolling out, it blows your mind." He peered at the map. "Is this artillery? Are you going to hit the Reebok office with artillery artillery?"

"Most of them?" of them?"

"Aw, IBM still doesn't like it, you know. And a McDonald's store got attacked this morning in the Australian Territories. People are saying it's a gra.s.s-roots protest."

"A protest? About what?"

The Pepsi kid shrugged. "Consumerism, I guess."

"Consumerism? Since when did eating a burger become a crime?"

"I dunno, man."

"Find out who's behind it. I don't want IBM or McDonald's or anyone else to have a reason to start b.i.t.c.hing about market backlash." His intercom buzzed, startling him. "Quick," he said. "Hide the map."