Fantasy Whatever Gets You through the Night by TMaskedWriter

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Because her study had been the castle's War Room in days of old, the walls were made of 12-inch thick stone and the doors were heavy, solid oak. The room also contained a secret passage to La Contessa's bedroom and an old escape tunnel from the castle, which was why Helen preferred to work in here. A modern, more secure War Room was now located in the Government Wing. Since the door was too thick for the person knocking on the other side to hear her shout for them to enter, she pressed a button on her desk that connected to the light outside the door, causing it to blink on and off, letting them know to come in. The door opened.

A page entered and announced the arrival of Capitan Gregorio Ortega, commander of La Squadra de Ultimados, San Finzione's elite Special Forces and personal guard of La Familia Royale. It was the position held by Generalissimo Ramirez before Helen made him Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. She bade him enter and the Capitan arrived, hat under his arm. He stood at attention and saluted. Helen returned it with the salute that he now understood meant "I respect you and what you do for San Finzione and myself, however, please understand that I never agreed to salute people a couple of hundred times a day, nobody told me it'd be part of the job; so, just pretend I gave you an 'at ease,' wouldn't you just be a dear?"

"You don't usually pay visits, Gregorio." Helena said in Spanish, taking out a cigarette. She'd been too preoccupied to light one until now. "I was talking to Ramirez earlier about how it's ok to bring me bad news, but I'm hoping you're not here to tell me something's happened to an Ultimado today as well."

"No, Contessa." Ortega responded. "I have come to inform you that Sgt. Ignátios Pappas has been assigned to Señor Poldouris' protection."

Helena nodded. She knew Pappas; another young, hot-headed Greek. He and Stavro tended to get along.

"Thank you, Capitan. That's the sort of thing you'd normally just send a messenger to tell me or just put into a report and wait until I read it, though. Is there something else?"

The Capitan stepped forward and set his hat on the coffee table but refused to sit until La Contessa gestured for him to do so. This seemed to be a day for people to have things to say to her.

"Si, Contessa. A personal matter."

Helen rolled her chair closer and leaned forward slightly, concerned that if she did it too much, she'd look like she was fishing for gossip rather than paying attention. Ortega wasn't the same type of leader that the Generalissimo was. Coming to her with a personal concern wasn't like him. Helen had thought Susan put it well when she described the two as "Ramirez is Kirk; down on the planet, shoulder-rolling toward the Klingons to draw fire away from his men. Ortega's Picard, right down to the hair; knowing that his skills are better used up on the bridge, calling the shots, and letting Riker handle the 'sticking his neck out for the others down below' part." Susan had a unique perspective that made her strangely good at reading people, which was an essential part of the ability they all shared.

"I'm listening, Gregario." She told him with a drag of her cigarette.

"At the crime scene earlier." He began. "You did not leave with the Generalissimo or any Policia accompanying you."

"The Poldouris home was just around the corner. You had two Ultimados watching me through sniper scopes and another two in the shadows the whole time; at the very least, right?"

"Si. This is not the point."

"You think it was reckless of me to casually stroll away from a murder scene unescorted, don't you?"

The Capitan nodded.

"My dear, departed husband, Forever Does He Reign in Our Hearts," Ortega muttered the devotion along with her. "Told me once that not only is San Finzione a safe and peaceful nation, but that our entire existence depends upon us staying that way. I need to show The People and the tourists that La Contessa is unafraid to walk the streets of her own city without an armored car and full SWAT escort. That she can leave the scene, not callously; rather, unquestioningly confident that her Policia will take care of this, knowing that she is entirely safe."

"I believe there was a prime minister of Sweden who thought similarly." Ortega mused aloud.

Helen took a long drag before replying.

"Olof Palme, I've heard that story, too. He dismissed his protection, he BELIEVED he was that safe. He didn't have you and the Ultimados watching him. I knew the moment you heard I'd taken a personal interest in a crime scene and was leaving the castle, the Ultimados would be there before me." She thought for another drag. "Plus, Palme was going to the theater, like Lincoln. Vincenzo was smart enough to put a cinema and soundstage in the castle. Which worked out great for me, because it gave me a set for interviews and a place where I can screen dailies now that screening dailies is a thing I sometimes do."

As Helen put out her cigarette, it crossed her mind that someone needed to call Eliot's family, and that it should be her. She picked up her phone to text the Prefect to allow her to make the call if it hadn't been done already. Capitan Ortega waited patiently, knowing his Contessa was a busy woman.