They walked into what could only be described as a rotunda. No one spoke as they looked up at the painted frescos of impossibly blue skies and ethereal clouds on the ceiling and the grand marble staircase straight out of a neoclassical digest.
Jake was the first to speak. “Gabrielle, I did not think you could still surprise me.”
“Oh, mon chéri, you are so very wrong,” she replied and winked playfully at him.
“Whoa, Mrs. Gage. Is this all yours?” Kenann whispered in awe.
“It is all ours as long as we are in our nation’s capital, my dear.” She loved pleasing them this way. She took her wealth and property for granted, but seeing it again through their eyes was pure joy for her.
The group continued taking in the majestic surroundings while Kenann bent down and patted a very groggy Rough, who was feeling no pain after his flight from Memphis. Kenann chuckled as Rough plopped down on the marble foyer and rolled over on his side, breathing out a heavy sigh.
“Shall I give you a tour?” Mrs. Gage offered.
“I hope it comes with a map,” Judy quipped.
Just then a small thin man came running into the large entryway, straightening his tie and breathless. “Oh, forgive me, madam. I understood you were to arrive this afternoon.”
“It’s fine, Jemison. We caught earlier flights. It is entirely my fault for not phoning you. These are a few of the dear friends we spoke about.” She quickly introduced Judy, Kenann, Jake, Angelo, and Granny James. Andy and Danny Mac had gone with Carter to the CIA Headquarters. Blade, Leticia, and CJ had decided to join the group after Blade finished his fall semester. She continued, saying, “Jemison is my friend who opens the house and makes all things perfect when I am in town.”
He beamed. “You are too kind, Mrs. Gage. Will you be wanting lunch?”
“That would be lovely. Nothing too complicated. We will settle in first, though.”
“I took the liberty of having your bags sent to your respective rooms when I knew you had arrived.”
Mrs. Gage turned to the group. “See what I mean?” Everyone laughed, including Jemison. “Let’s defer our tour till after lunch and perhaps the boys will be back. Shall we?” She gestured to the marble stairs.
Kenann looked at Judy mischievously. “Race you to the top!”
They were off, spurred on by the laughter echoing behind them.
* * * *
The disgruntled man disembarked at the Memphis airport. He was met by an equally agitated gentleman bearing a Spanish accent.
“She is gone. Left just this morning on a flight to Washington, D.C.”
“How did you not know this before now?”
“I have followed her as you asked. And this morning I followed her to this airport.” He stuck his chin out in defiance.
“Who was she with?”
“Many people. All traveling together.”
“Holiday?”
“I don’t know. She spends lots of time at rich woman’s house. Maybe holiday with the rich woman?”
“This is turning into a fool’s errand.”
“But better not fail.”
“You’ve got that right. Come on, Miguel. Let’s get on the next flight to D.C.”
* * * *
Andy and Danny Mac did not arrive at Mrs. Gage’s home until that evening. Judy and Kenann had been watching for them from an upstairs window. They had giggled and played dress up, doing their hair and makeup all afternoon. When the men came through the door, they looked up and what they saw stopped them in their tracks.
Judy and Kenan were standing at the top of the grand staircase. Each with their hand on opposite banisters, looking like the sirens of the 30s. Under the slinky, sexy, ice-blue gown, Judy tapped her toe. One, two, three, and in sync both women started slowly down the stairs. They had practiced for hours, laughing each time one of them tripped or got out of step. This execution was flawless. Kenann knew she did not have the glamorous beauty that Judy possessed but was deeply gratified to see that Danny Mac never took his eyes off her and her low-cut red gown.
They reached the first floor landing and stopped ten feet from their men. And as practiced, they did a slow turn to reveal the full view of their dresses. Neither men spoke. Judy and Kenann could contain it no longer and burst out laughing.
“Come on, guys, whaddya think?” Kenann asked.
Andy took Judy by the hand and started up the stairs, Judy playfully trying to pull him back. Kenann protested, “Andy!”
Danny Mac spoke quietly. “Let him go.”
Kenann turned and saw the look on Danny Mac’s face. Judy saw it, too, and turned to Andy. Her face softened in understanding and she slid her hand down his arm and led him tenderly up the stairway.
Danny Mac looked like a parched man in the desert who had just found water. He pulled Kenann to him and drank her in. He couldn’t get his fill as he devoured her mouth. Kenann found herself instinctively wanting to soothe him. She stroked his cheek as he pulled back from the kiss.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I needed that. I need you.”
“Okay. Talk to me.”
“Well, I can’t speak for Andy,” Danny Mac chuckled, “but I’m guessing we were both thinking what tremendously lucky men we are.”
Kenann narrowed her eyes. “Very good answer. But what are you not telling me?”
Danny Mac sighed. “It’s been a long day.”
She took his hand and led him to one of the rooms she had seen on their tour. It was small and cozy with lots of old books, a fireplace, and comfy couch. She had jokingly laid her claim to the room. She closed the door behind them and led him to the couch.
“What happened today?”
He loosened his tie and stretched his longs legs out in front of him. Kenann was momentarily distracted by their muscled length.
“Nothing happened per se. It was what we were told and what we were shown.”
“Is it about who we are going up against?”
“Partly. More about how high the stakes are.”
“Explain.” Kenann was alert.
“People are being exploited, abused, experimented upon all over the globe. That’s what we saw today. And we are powerless to do anything about it.”
Kenann reached out and laid her hand over his. She knew he would be tormented by whatever images he had seen.
Danny Mac continued. “It’s all about the balance of power. If we intervene and destabilize a region, we could make it worse.”
“Better the devil you know?” Kenann offered.
“Exactly.” Danny was so thankful to have a mate with whom he could discuss these things. Who got it…and him. “We were shown atrocities. Not for shock value. We have witnessed enough atrocities of our own. I think Carter wanted to emphasize it is becoming more widespread. It is not making the evening news but it is happening. There is a global agenda on the move.”
“Who has been targeted?”
“Carter is finding ‘tells’ in seemingly random events. Human trafficking, kids going off to join ISIS, forming their own jihad, and just general disappearances of kids.”
“What kind of tells?”
“The same computer IP addresses showing up during investigations. Random people showing up in and around the events.”
“Men in black?” Kenann laughed.
“Not exactly but you get the idea. They are finding the same tells around natural disasters.”
“How can that be?”
“I have no idea, but first responders are being approached either in person or via telecommunication prior to the disaster.”
“How is that even possible? Now you are scaring me. What are they being told?”
“That is just it. Nothing sinister or nefarious. The websites are emailing out innocuous ads on things from cleaning products to garden tools. The people showing up are doing surveys or selling time shares. Things like that.”
“That’s so weird.”
“And then there are the things happening in third-world countries. It’s almost like Mengele experimentation. Whole communities coming down with strange and disfiguring illnesses. The UFO community is all over this stuff.”
“What do you think?”
“Well, I don’t think aliens are behind this, but I do think someone is preparing for something. It’s subtle in that it is spread out across the globe. And it’s only because the CIA and NSA, CDC, and others have ears and eyes on all of it that Carter has begun to see the patterns emerge. Since they knew some of the patterns, they began looking at anything remotely anomalous. Carter’s team also discovered a spectrum of folks with amnesia across the globe.”
Kenann asked, “Just Carter and his team?”
“Well, no one else is as convinced as Carter that it is this organized or wide spread. He makes a compelling case, but other agencies are too distracted with their own global issues.”
“Who in the world is doing this, Danny Mac? The Order?”
“I don’t know, to be honest. That is one of the things we are tasked with finding out. We are to follow the money. Someone is bankrolling this. It’s all about power. Always is. Always has been. If we follow the money, we can interrupt their scheme.”
“Interrupt?”
“We’ll never stop this kind of thing. Power mongers have operated since the dawn of civilization. We are only tasked with fighting back against the evil to make sure they don’t win.”
Kenann smiled.
“What?” Danny Mac smiled back in question.
She started singing and acting out the children’s song:
“I may never ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly ore the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s Army
Yes, sir. I’m in the Lord’s Army.”
She saluted and they laughed together.
Danny Mac thought, You are my best medicine. He pulled her tightly into him and began kissing the soft curve of her neck. “Did you lock the door?”
“Why, Mr. MacKenzie, whatever do you have on your mind?” Her head arched backward; she was already becoming breathless.
“Lock that door and I’ll show you.”