TWENTY-THREE

 

“If you hadn’t been there in that first five minutes, who knows what would’ve happened?” Olivia shifted in her arm chair.

I nodded. “No kidding. The hospital administration insisted the sterile water wouldn’t harm her, but Pokie’s personal physician said the substitution of it for the regular fluids could have caused hemolysis, whatever that is, and possible death.”

Natasha shook her head in disgust. “Are they censuring the nurse who made the error?”

“Get this. The nurse Pokie and I described isn’t on staff. They don’t know who she is or how she got in there. In fact, hospital staff acted as if we’d made her up, a figment of our overactive imaginations. Said the hospital surveillance cameras didn’t pick up anyone but me entering or leaving. My fingerprints weren’t on the IV bag. Someone else’s were.”

“I suppose the bag of sterile water was a figment of your imagination too?”

I shook my head. “They couldn’t debate that. But they acted like I hooked it up. It took Pokie to convince them that didn’t happen.” I exhaled sharply. “It had to have been Kendra.”

“By the sound of everyone’s disbelief, it looks like hospital risk management’s already stepped in to try to mitigate damages.” Natasha frowned.

“Bet they won’t think they’ve done a very good job after my lawyer’s through with them.” My anger surged at the thought of Pokie being injured not once but twice because of me. “I owe it to Pokie to make sure she gets what she deserves.”

“How’s she doing?” Olivia’s eyes shone with concern.

“She’s in fear of her life and that of her children but otherwise, she’s fine.” She felt so deeply for others and so readily forgave. I wished I were as good of an angel as she was a human. “Her daughter Priscilla’s taking care of her. I thought she’d be safer there than in the middle of my demon-infested home.” I looked around the living room. “Where’re the kids and everyone else?”

“The twins are napping. Gregory went to the store, and Seth went to Jacksonville to pick up a new sci-fi novel.” Olivia smiled. “Guess you’ve never seen it so quiet here.”

“It’s a little unnerving after all the recent events. If you’d seen Kendra last night as I did, you’d be on edge too.”

“I believe she knows her plan has little chance of working so she’s reverted to scare tactics.” Olivia crossed her arms. Her body language told me she didn’t really believe that line of bull any more than we did, but was trying hard to convince herself.

“Jared’s like a rock.” I sank back into the soft cushions of the loveseat. “He got up so quietly this morning, I never even heard him leave. While I’m flailing around, he keeps chugging away at mundane everyday tasks, like running the shop.”

“It’s probably his cathartic way of dealing with chaos,” Natasha said. “I know a lot about that. Throwing myself into my work has solved more than one problem in my incarnations.”

My mind drifted back to the image of her murdered daughter. I wondered how Natasha had numbed the agony of the loss in future lives, because I’d never gotten over the pain of Jared. Even when I didn’t remember him, there was always a sense of something missing. How much worse must it be for her as an Evolve to remember every second of her daughter’s death.

Just then, little Randee walked in from the bedroom. Her hair rumpled and her pants wrinkled, she rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Mommy, where’s David?”

“Isn’t he still asleep?” Olivia stood up, visibly shaking.

Randee shook her head. “No Mommy. He’s gone.”

“No!” She bolted from the room and into the children’s bedroom. I heard her open the outside window and shout down to Bruce. “Have you seen David?”

“Nothing unusual out here, Olivia.”

Weeping, Olivia grabbed Randee and clung to her.

All color drained from her face, Natasha said, “Keep looking in the house just to make sure. I’ll call Gregory.”

* * * *

 

“I don’t understand. How could someone take him? I’d have heard them,” Olivia sobbed as Gregory clutched her to him and rocked her as if she were a child.

Watching them, I wondered who needed whom the most for comfort and reassurance. “Without any of us hearing.” I frowned. It didn’t make sense. I’d have heard something either by sound or telepathically. Then there was the fact the SAO hadn’t picked up anything out of the ordinary either.

“I don’t know.” Bruce of the SAO shook his head. “From the look of things, it appears David unlocked and opened the hallway window himself. What none of us can understand is why he’d do it. Nothing is disturbed. At a guess, he was enticed to open the window then someone or thing flew off with him. Maybe the other SAO agents can find something.”

I looked at Olivia and we exchanged knowing glances. Between their psionics, the Banshees and the buzzard, that was indeed a possibility. It was a good thing Natasha had taken Randee out of the room because I knew she’d be frightened to death to hear all this about her twin brother.

“Did any of the neighbors see anything?” Gregory asked.

“No, nothing significant.” Bruce rubbed his temple. “Mrs. Marshall across the street said she saw a huge bird with an odd almost haggish looking face. I’d say she saw a banshee. I think I talked her out of calling the police.”

Seth charged into the house. “Are the kids okay?” One look at our faces and he had his answer. “There’s an amber alert out for six missing kids from this neighborhood. Everyone’s reporting a beautiful woman’s enticed them from their yards and then they seemed to vanish.”

“Lilith,” I said.

“What?” Gregory asked, his voice having dropped dangerously low.

“I told you, according to the amber alerts, six other families in the area all lost a child between the ages of two and six plus or minus within an hour of David’s going missing. It’s on all major channels.”

“That doesn’t sound like pure synchronicity.” Olivia wept as Gregory hugged her tighter to him.

“I don’t want to alarm you folks, but this smells of a child smuggling ring.”

A shiver shot down my spine. Could the demons be involved in this kind of corruption? Yes, especially The Chamelon. “I thought that only happened in other countries.”

He nodded. “So did we.”

I froze. Images of recently televised children who’d been kidnapped and held for many years flooded my mind. Unfortunately, I know that would never happen to David. No, he’d been taken for another purpose, a sacrifice to Poseidon. Which strangely didn’t frighten me as much as human kidnappers and their evil. But then, Poseidon was a demon. I’d fought demons for thousands of years, and in most cases emerged victorious.

* * * *

 

“I’ve done some research on the Internet and through Chuck, a friend of mine who works for Homeland Security in Louisiana.” Seth, his animated self, had been diligently trying to dig up information ever since he got back from Jacksonville. I suspected he felt guilty he wasn’t there to stop the kidnapping. Not that any of us here had been able to stop it.

“Since when do you know someone in Homeland Security?” Natasha combed her fingers through Randee’s blonde curls as she slept.

“I met him in my last life in Chicago.” He winked. “Then, I met him at a sci-fi meeting in California this go-round. The guy has brains and he trusts me. But then, both of us are from Sirius, and that’s a given. I recognized it back then. It’s the scent. He just doesn’t know who and where he originated, but we’re still best buds.”

“So, what’d you find out?” Gregory stepped forward.

“There’s a group out of Costa Rica called The Devil’s Spawn. They sprang from nowhere slightly less than two years ago. They’ve been operating under most law enforcement radar, but Homeland Security’s had their eyes on them for more than six months. Their activity’s suddenly increased. Seems their leader is code named Lily.’’

“Lilith,” everyone said at the same time.

“They really have been running a child smuggling ring?” I asked.

He nodded. “Sure have. Their targets have been the children of poor white families with more than a half dozen children.”

“Smart move, take the kids from low income and the cops don’t conduct the same searches as they do for one from rich families. Kinda stupid of them to suddenly change their M.O. just to get David.” I felt more demoralized than ever.

Olivia beat her fists against the table. “They’ve been planning this kidnapping ever since the twins were born. The rest is merely a front.”

I nodded. “How many children are involved?”

“Chuck says they’re aware of a dozen children who have been swiped and placed.”

“They have to be given back to their parents.” I meant every word.

Seth shook his head. “That’s not going to be easy to do.”

“It will happen.” Olivia had told me Gregory once said there was no order of difficulty in miracles, and I knew Ms. C could do this if we only prayed. “For now, it’s imperative we get the six new children and David back.”

“Where do we start?” Natasha asked.

“So far, you’ve been spot-on with your dreams. What do you see now?”

She held up her hand. “Don’t go there. That dream was a fluke.”

Seth darted a glance at her. “This is to save not one child but many, Natasha. It’s retribution for Friona.”

Tears streamed down Natasha’s face. “I can’t.”

“Who’s Friona?” Olivia’s expressive face was a light show of sadness, hope and bewilderment.

“Another time, another life,” I muttered.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Olivia demanded.

“I lost a child once,” Natasha said flatly. “Everyone is right. I owe it to her, and to you. I wish I had another clairvoyant who could help me. It’s easier that way.”

Moving Natasha, Olivia sank to her knees then grasped her friend’s hands. “Since when have you been clairvoyant?”

Seth, Jared, Natasha and I all said, “We’ll explain later.”

Olivia looked like she wanted to argue but instead said, “With Rae gone, we don’t have another clairvoyant. Maybe we can get Farley to come over.”

No sooner had she said Farley’s name than the door opened and Rae and Herb walked inside. “We’re home! The amber alerts are all over the news. Is David okay?”

* * * *

 

Olivia stared at Rae, furrows between her eyes. “What are you going to tell Herb about all this?”

“It was kind of Jared to drive him to the restaurant for take-out, but it was unnecessary. You can talk freely now,” Rae said, her eyes filled with concern. “I’ve told Herb the truth.”

“The truth?” Olivia’s eyes grew wide. “The whole truth?”

“So help me Goddess.” Rae nodded and patted Olivia’s hand. “That’s right. Do you know what he said?”

“He didn’t say ‘wait here while I go get the men in the white coats’?” Seth leaned back, shocked that Herb had believed we were angels.

“No.” She shook her head. “He said he knew something had been going on ever since Olivia changed her name and I suddenly started being able to see things before they happened.” A small smile tweaked her lips, “He said he already knew I was an angel, but it was very comforting to know he was among so many heavenly hosts. He did have one question though.”

“What?” I stared at her.

“He wanted to know, if you and Olivia are angels, why you swear all the time.”

We all looked at each other then started laughing in spite of all our fear. Once we’d gotten control of ourselves, Olivia sank back into the cushions. “Herb knowing makes everything easier.”

“Now, let’s get my grandson back.” Rae’s smile disappeared as her spine stiffened. “The thought of smugglers around him makes my blood boil. In fact, just thinking about it is making me feel stifled, as though I can’t breathe.”

“Me too. It’s oppressively hot in here all of a sudden.” Natasha waved her had in front of her face. “And I’m not old enough for menopause.”

“You better not be.”

Natasha gave Seth a shy smile.

“Maybe you two are picking up something already.” I sat down across from them. “What’s the best way for you two to zero in on what’s happening or what’s gonna occur?”

“Since they’re twins, Randee,” Natasha nodded at the little girl’s sleeping form, “is one connection. Olivia, if you could bring us something David loves dearly, that would help more than anything else.”

“His blankie.” She raced from the room.

“Blankie?” I blinked.

“He’s a Linus child,” Rae said. “I gave Olivia two soft baby blankets just after the children were born, one in green and one in yellow. Randee recently got hold of the scissors and cut hers up. When we found her she was making doll clothes—scared us to death thinking of her holding scissors like that. But David takes care of his like it’s the Shroud of Turin. He refuses to sleep without it.”

Entering the living room, teary-eyed Olivia handed the green blanket to Rae. “It still smells like him.”

“You need to try and be strong for Randee,” I said. “The less alarmed we act the better.”

Inhaling sharply, she nodded and wiped her face clean. “You’re right.”

Gregory, true to form, blew her a kiss and mouthed I love you as he moved over to her and drew her into his arms.

Natasha held the blanket in her right hand and her left hand out to Rae. “Grab my hand with your left hand and the blanket with your right making a circuit. Then meditate, and you should feel energy, almost like a prickling electric current surging through us into the blanket and back out.”

They rest of us watched as Rae did as Natasha instructed. I watched Gregory. Except to hold Olivia and give her comfort, he hadn’t said a word. Still waters run deep, and there was a huge boiling river below the surface. Goodness will prevail, I told him telepathically.

He looked over at me, sadness in his eyes. But will it prevail soon enough?

“Ohhhhh,” Rae groaned.

Her eyelids fluttered. Natasha’s face had gone deathly pale. “Hot, so hot.”

“Don’t worry, all our Mommies and Daddies will come,” Rae said in a childish voice. “Don’t cry little girl. What’s your name? Clarice, she needs your help.”

Natasha dug her nails into the blanket and let out a scream of anguish. “No! You can’t take him. No, put him down. He can’t go, he can’t…” She crumbled, unconscious, to the floor.