The End Of Desire: A Rowan Gant Investigation

by M. R. Sellars

  “Yeah,” he grunted. “Remind me not ta’ really piss you off.”

  “Aye, like that would work?”

  “Yeah, right,” he replied. “Listen, Row, can I see ya’ out here for a minute?”

  “Needing to talk about me behind my back, are you?” Felicity quipped before I could respond.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty much the plan,” Ben returned, a joking tone in his voice. “Actually, I really just need ta’ verify some stuff.”

  “Go ahead,” Felicity said, looking up at me. “I’ll finish up here.”

  “Okay,” I told her. “I’ll be right back.”

  My wife stood up and returned to her prior task as I left the bedroom, swinging the door shut behind me. I followed Ben out to the living room where Constance was waiting for us, a concerned look creasing her features.

  “So, how is Felicity doing?” she asked. “Honestly.”

  “She says she’s fine,” I told her.

  “Do you believe that?”

  “For the time being, I think so,” I replied with as much confidence as I could muster, given that I wasn’t entirely sure if I believed my own words. “The real truth is, she’s had enough. We both have.”

  “What about her episode? Do you think it will happen again?”

  I shook my head. “Hard to say. I thought she would be safe from that sort of thing here, but obviously I was wrong. The salt water helped. The Lwa seems to have a fear of it, which is good. So, we’re going to try it as a preventive as well.”

  “I called Helen, Row,” Ben interjected. “We can move Firehair back to the hospital instead of the safe house if ya’ want.”

  “I’m not going to do that to her,” I replied, shaking my head. “And, I think you’d be hard pressed to get her to agree to it. You’d probably have to arrest her.”

  “I already told you full blown protective custody had been seriously considered and was always an option,” Constance chimed in. “And, I’ll be honest, after what happened I’m still not ruling it out.”

  “That won’t fix the problem,” I objected with another quick shake of my head.

  “But, will it keep you both safe? That’s the real issue here.”

  “In the short run, sure,” I said. “In the long run, it’s just more hiding.”

  “There’s no shame in that, Row,” Ben offered.

  “It’s not shame I’m concerned about,” I said. “What I want is to make this all stop.”

  “We all want that,” Constance said. “But, even though we both believe you about the Lwa, we’re completely out of our element where that is concerned. We have to deal with what we have at hand, and that is Devereaux.”

  I nodded. “I understand that. What I need you to understand, however, is that this is coming to a head. And, I’m afraid it’s going to take some sort of collision between the three of them to resolve it.”

  “You mean, Annalise, Felicity, and Miranda?” she asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “And, how do you think that’s going to happen?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  Constance shook her head. “If you’re talking about a physical confrontation, Rowan, we simply cannot allow that. It’s our job to protect you, not put you in harm’s way. Truthfully, right now, I’m not even willing to put Felicity back on the phone with Devereaux again.”

  “Believe me, I’m no more in favor of a physical confrontation than you are,” I replied. “But it just might be necessary. Perhaps even inevitable.”

  “Why?”

  “To get Felicity clear of Miranda.”

  “How?”

  “That’s an answer I wish I had, believe me.”

  “And, that’s the only way?”

  “It might be.”

  Constance fell quiet, a deeply thoughtful look on her face. After a moment, she amended her earlier statement. “Maybe once Devereaux is in custody, we can work something out. But, not before then, that’s for sure. It’s far too dangerous.”

  “This some kinda Twilight Zone thing, Row?” Ben asked.

  “Yeah, but not mine,” I said with a sigh. “It’s Felicity’s.”

  “So she’s doin’ la-la land too,” he huffed.

  “Not exactly,” my wife’s voice came from the end of the hallway, right where it emptied into the living room. “It’s just a feeling.”

  I turned and saw her standing there, arms crossed. Her expression was actually one of mild bemusement.

  “Sorry,” she said. “But, you did admit you were going to talk about me behind my back. You didn’t really think I wouldn’t listen in then, did you?”

  “So much for reverse psychology,” Ben muttered.

  “So, this feeling… Is it like the visions Rowan gets?” Constance asked, apparently unfazed by the fact that Felicity had been eavesdropping.

  “Aye, I suppose so. Yes.”

  “You gettin’ anything specific from it?” Ben asked.

  “Just that Annalise is somehow key to me getting free of all this.”

  “I assume you heard what I just told Rowan?” Constance asked.

  “I did,” Felicity answered with a nod. “But, it’s really my choice then, isn’t it?”

  “No, I’m afraid it isn’t.”

  My wife sighed, looked at the floor for a moment then back up to Constance. “All right then. I know I don’t have the right to ask this, but I’m going to anyway. You’ve both already been breaking the rules. Can’t you break just one more?”

  “Felicity,” Constance breathed, shaking her head. “I understand what you must be…”

  “Please?” my wife appealed.

  Constance sighed heavily and looked at me with a pained expression before finally turning back to her. “What are you asking us to do?”

  “Give her what she wants.”

  “She wants you dead.”

  “Yes, I know, but what she really wants is Miranda back.”

  “How do you propose we give her that?”

  “Simple. You give her me.”

  “Not happening!” I objected immediately. “We’ll find another way to get through this.”

  “Jeezus,” Ben interjected. “Are you nuts, Firehair? No way.”

  “They’re right,” Constance added, shaking her head vigorously. “That’s just insane.”

  “I don’t mean literally,” she explained. “I mean set a trap for her with me as the bait.”

  “I’m sorry, but that isn’t even an option,” Constance told her. “This is real life, not a mystery novel.”

  “Aye, then what do we do? Sit around waiting for her to knock on the door?”

  “No. We make certain that the two of you are safe, and we keep looking.”

  “You can’t protect me from Miranda, then. Nobody can.”

  “Felicity,” Constance said. “This simply isn’t how things are done.”

  My wife shook her head. “I need this to be over… I need it to be over now.”

  Constance dropped her forehead into her hand and massaged it for a second before huffing out an exasperated breath and looking back up at Felicity. “It’s not going to happen. But, maybe I can compromise with you if I can get it approved.”

  “How so?”

  “Again, this hinges on approval from my SAC. If I can get that, when and if she calls again, I’ll let you talk to her. We’ll have you try to set up a meeting if you can,” she said. “But, I’m the bait. Not you.”

  “Aye, but I still need to see her, or I won’t be able to get free of Miranda.”

  “Once she’s in custody, I’ll see what I can arrange,” Constance said. “No promises. But, I’ll do what I can. Take it or leave it.”

  Felicity nodded. “Fair enough then.”

  “Okay, let me make a call and see if my SAC will even go for the idea.”

  “You’d best get yourself a wig if you plan on pretending to be me,” my wife added.

  “I’m going to be honest with you, Felicity. Even if I get
this approved, I don’t think it will work. Otherwise I would have already suggested it. I really doubt she’ll even agree to a meeting, much less show up.”

  “Oh, she’ll agree,” Felicity assured her. “And she will show, I can guarantee it.”

  “How?”

  “You have absolutely no idea what Miranda gives her. Unfortunately, I do.”

  “Is it really that good?” Constance asked, a mild curiosity in her tone. “I mean, I’ve studied sexual predators before…but to risk being caught, all over sexual release?”

  “Like I said…” Felicity replied. Her voice was a half whisper filled with an almost wistful longing. “You have no idea.”

  * * * * *

  Annalise finally called just before three in the afternoon. As expected, the verbal exchange between Felicity and her was heated for the duration. However, my wife played it well. Of course, when it came right down to it, there was really no acting required. Everything that came out of her mouth was real and uncensored.

  Just as Felicity had predicted, it didn’t take much for Annalise to agree to a meeting between them. Still, as expected, she remained cautious and unwilling to relinquish control. She refused to commit to a time or place, except to say we should expect another call when she was ready.

  The wheels spun quickly into motion, and I could feel the situation gaining speed. Even though Constance and the resources of the FBI were now on deck, deep inside I could feel that none of this was going to go according to any earthly plan, theirs or Annalise’s.

  I only hoped that when the crash finally came, we would all be walking away from it in one piece. Unfortunately, I couldn’t shake the feeling that some breakage was about to occur.

  CHAPTER 41:

  “How do I look?” Constance asked, inspecting herself in the large mirror hanging over our dining room buffet.

  Agent Parker had just finished helping her pin a long, bright auburn wig to her head, and she was primping the spiral curls into position around her face and across her shoulders.

  She was clad in a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, much like Felicity would normally wear for a casual night out. The notable exceptions were that my wife customarily didn’t have a bulletproof vest beneath her clothes, a wireless transmitter on her belt, or a 40-caliber Sig Sauer riding in the small of her back.

  “Close enough,” I said. “At a distance, definitely passable. But, once she gets close to you though, I don’t know.”

  “Once she gets that close,” she replied. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “Aye,” Felicity added. “Don’t worry. You look good.”

  “So,” I asked. “What if she’s seen Felicity since she changed her hair?”

  “Then we’re screwed,” Constance answered in a purely matter-of-fact tone. “The choice on the wig was a judgment call. They did a psych analysis on the recorded conversations and determination was that she probably would have mentioned something about Felicity’s hair if she knew. The behavioral analyst said she would have felt empowered by causing Felicity to make a change in her appearance and therefore would have felt a need to gloat about it.”

  “I hope they’re right.”

  “They almost always are.”

  “Almost?” I asked.

  “Nobody’s perfect,” she replied.

  The front door opened, and Ben stepped into the house, shoving his cell phone back into his pocket as he entered.

  “Hmmmm… Firehair junior,” he said once he set his eyes on Constance.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “Can you maybe keep it for later?” he quipped.

  “This isn’t really the right time for jokes, Ben,” she replied.

  “Who says I’m jokin’?” he said then turned serious and asked, “She call?”

  “No,” Constance replied. “Just getting prepared.”

  “Yeah, okay.” He made a show of heaving his shoulders and feigning a shiver. “Friggin’ cold out there.”

  “Aye, you should have worn your coat,” Felicity told him.

  “Wasn’t expectin’ it ta’ take that long.”

  “Problems?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No. Just stuff.”

  “Stuff?”

  “Yeah.” He gave me a nonchalant shrug. “You know, stuff.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  I didn’t press him any further. Whatever the phone call had been about, he felt it necessary to step outside to take it. He wasn’t acting particularly concerned, so I had to assume it was nothing earth shattering.

  I glanced around the room as the short spate of conversation waned. For all the silence that ensued, there was still a good deal of activity, some important, and some just to expend nervous energy.

  Constance was busy hooking the receiver for her wireless around her ear and hiding it beneath the temporary hair, while Agent Parker was helping out by threading the wire down the back of her shirt and making the connections to the small transmitter at her belt. Felicity had her arms folded beneath her breast and was pacing back and forth. The dogs, not wanting to miss anything, were laying in the living room following her with their eyes. Ben was still eyeing Constance but not saying a word. Judging by the look on his face, I had a feeling his initial comment about the wig really hadn’t been a joke at all.

  I turned and looked over at the pendulum clock on our dining room wall. It was edging toward seven, just like it had been when I checked moments ago. Four hours had gone by, and we were still waiting, a fact that wasn’t helping my sense of foreboding in the least.

  “You two should relax,” Constance said, glancing between Felicity and me as she brushed more hair down over her ear. “This could be a dry run. She might not even call tonight. She might wait until tomorrow, or the next day.”

  “No… She’ll call soon,” Felicity replied.

  “You need to be prepared if she doesn’t,” Constance offered.

  “No,” my wife said confidently. “I don’t.”

  The clock made a loud thunk as if to punctuate her statement. The minute hand had completed its upward journey and the internal spring automatically engaged. The winding released and chattered through the house as it drew back the hammer then proceeded to launch it against the chime. Before the fourth bong had finished reverberating, the telephone started to ring.

  “Goddamn Witches,” Ben muttered.

  Felicity stepped over to the table and picked up the handset. Constance gave her a quick nod, so she thumbed it on and placed it up to her ear.

  “I was beginning to think you had second thoughts,” my wife said, her voice coated with a thick frost. “Where do you want to do this?”

  The last chime of the hour echoed from the clock with a dull finality as we stood waiting. I don’t know about everyone else in the room, but I was holding my breath.

  “Are you sure?” Felicity finally said. “I thought you’d want it to be someplace more private… I see… Well, that’s a big place. Where should I meet you once I’m there? Uh-huh… Aye… I can’t wait.”

  She switched off the phone and laid it back on the table as she turned to fully face us.

  “The zoo,” she said. “In one hour. She told me to wait for her by the carousel. She also said she’ll be watching, and I’d best come alone or she won’t show.”

  “Dammit,” Constance muttered. “The zoo has their holiday light displays running, and it’s going to be crowded.”

  “Prob’ly why she picked it,” Ben grumbled. “Easier ta’ disappear into the crowd than to be out in the open.”

  “Did you hear anything in the background?” Constance asked. “Anything that might indicate she’s already there?”

  “No,” Felicity replied, shaking her head. “It was quiet.”

  “She might be there but sitting in a car on the parking lot,” the other agent offered.

  “Probably,” Constance said with a nod.

  “Your call,” Ben huffed, nodding toward Constance. �
�Whaddaya wanna do?”

  “I don’t like it,” she replied after a moment. “Not at all… But, who knows if we’ll get another chance.” She turned to the other agent. “Parker, call it in. Get as many bodies as we can into the crowd, and get SWAT on standby. Also, have someone notify the zoo’s park security. Tell them to go about business as usual, but let them know what’s going on. Tell them do not approach. We don’t need some rent-a-cop blowing this and getting someone hurt. Once I leave, give me about five minutes, then head out, but take a different route out of the subdivision. Catch up with me on Highway Forty, but hang back in case I’m tailed.”

  “Got it,” Agent Parker replied, pulling out her cell phone and starting to dial.

  Constance stepped into the dining room then pulled her coat from the back of a chair and quickly slipped into it. Picking up Felicity’s keys from the buffet, she turned back to us.

  “Ben, you still have two local units outside. If you need…”

  “Go,” Ben said, cutting her off. “I’ve got it covered here.”

  “Constance…” Felicity spoke up with a bit of hesitation in her voice. “Thank you…”

  She gave her a nod and replied, “I’ll call as soon as this is over. You can thank me then.”

  She turned and headed toward the back of the house where Felicity’s Jeep was parked. Just before she reached the kitchen doorway, Ben called out, “Connie…”

  She stopped and looked back, a surprised expression on her face. I suspected it was due to the nickname, since I’d only seen one other person get away with calling her by it, and this was the first time I’d ever heard Ben use it when she was present.

  My friend just stared at her for a second then said, “Be careful. ‘Kay?”

  She gave him a quick smile then disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later, we heard the Jeep moving alongside the house as she backed it out of the driveway then sped off down the street. As ordered, Agent Parker followed along behind several minutes later.

  Ben stood silently at the window, peering through a small crack in the blinds. Every now and then he would glance up at the clock then return his gaze to the opening. After a few minutes, he turned and pulled his jacket from the back of a chair and started shrugging into it.