“Then I guess that has to work for us. Now what?” Charles asked.
“Now we have to find a way to get that army and the Karas brothers to a spot where we can take them out. Someplace safe, away from the public. We know for certain there will be firepower on their side. We don’t want any innocents hurt,” Jack said.
“You can all come back to the table now,” Allison said as she slipped the cell phone into her pocket. “Lizzie is on it. She said to say hello to all of you. So, hello from Lizzie Fox.”
The team took their seats at the table and looked around at one another. Ted spoke first. “Think now, and tell us everything you know about the Karas brothers, even if you think it’s not important. Little things you picked up during your years of surveillance on the two. You hit the highlights. Now we need the nitty-gritty, the stuff no one else thinks about. The kind of things that make a case in the end.”
Allison sighed. “They’re weird. That’s for starters. They come to a location prior to a handoff. It’s like they arrive a week ahead to check things out. They go out and about like they’re searching to get the beat and the rhythm of the location. Is it a comfortable fit or is it a trouble spot? That’s the best way I can explain it.
“They never lack invitations anywhere they go. They donate handsomely to whatever cause is being presented. They do dinner dates, but as far as I know, those two are eunuchs. There has never, in all the years of my tracking them, been any kind of romantic entanglement. No sleepovers. No second or third dates. Eunuchs.
“There is one thing that had us all hopping about. No matter where they ended up, the first thing they did was to get a manicure, a pedicure, and a facial. Always. They went together. We were never able to figure out if they had made appointments beforehand or if they just picked a place at random. We finally came to the conclusion that the salons were the same as the funeral homes. And still we couldn’t nail the bastards.”
Fergus was excited. “See, that’s what we mean—you never mentioned the salons before. That’s important, and it makes sense. Annie told me, and so did Myra, that the turnover at those places is like a revolving door. You never get the same operator twice unless you just happen to get the owner or the person in charge. She even mentioned to me a while back that she thought the owners were smuggling people, young women hardly old enough to work. And she said the licenses hanging on the wall never matched the people working there.”
“Just another avenue in the slave trade. I’m going to call Pearl Barnes to see if she’s heard anything. Running her underground railroad, she is certainly in a position to hear and maybe even come across someone lucky enough to have gotten away to find her way to her. It’s worth trying,” Maggie said.
The others agreed, and Maggie picked up her phone and made the call.
“I’m going back to the farm to see if I can find Annie’s invitation box. She had a bunch of invitations made up especially for her. Pricey little devils, too. You can take the invitation and put it in the printer and type in the dates and times on the computer. Looks as real as if a print shop made them by hand, one by one. And they’re lined with satin. A hundred bucks a pop!” Fergus said. “When you see me next, I will have the invitations in hand.” A moment later, he was gone.
Maggie ended her call. “Pearl said she’s heard for years that the nail salons were used for trafficking but she couldn’t and wouldn’t get involved because the people who ran them were gangsters, and she wanted no part of that. And, she doesn’t know anyone who can help us. She practically told me to buzz off. Now, if it was Kathryn who called her, she would have spilled her guts, assuming she had something to spill. She and Kathryn hate each other, as we all know.”
“So, that’s just another dead end,” Charles said. Maggie’s head bobbed up and down.
“Anything else, Allison?” Jack asked.
“No, that’s it. If I think of anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
Charles looked at his watch. “The children should be waking up about now. You might want to find your way upstairs, so you are the first thing they see when they wake up.”
Allison’s face lit up like a thousand lightbulbs. “Would you be kind enough to allow me to use your kitchen to make my children breakfast?”
“Of course.”
Allison sprinted toward the stairs like a gazelle. She was almost to the back staircase when she turned around and came back. “I just remembered something else. It happened in Singapore, maybe five years ago, possibly four. We were tracking the brothers and, as usual, not getting anywhere. They checked into the most expensive hotel in Singapore but I can’t remember the name offhand. The army, as we called the Karas brothers’ staff, was loading the luggage onto those hotel dollies. There were six of them, that’s how much stuff they traveled with. Anyway, they had two dollies already in the elevator and were trying to get a third in when it toppled over. All three were loaded with bankers boxes.
“The hotel staff rushed to help but were waved off. But one precocious young man saw what spilled out and overheard some conversation. The boxes were loaded with books, tapes, and CDs. What the young man heard was the security bitching about how Roland read incessantly and vociferously while Ryland listened to classical music endlessly. The security said there was going to be hell to pay if they didn’t get everything put back exactly the way it was because the brothers themselves packed the boxes. He said that’s the only thing that mattered to either one of them. Books and music. I don’t know if that helps you or not. It didn’t do anything for us. Make of it what you will, guys and gal.”
“I like her,” Charles said. “Imagine that, books and music.”
The others agreed. Even Cyrus, who let loose with two prolonged yips.
Jack looked at Harry, and then both men looked at Maggie, whose eyes were shining like stars in a dark night.
“I know where this is going,” Jack hissed to Harry.
“Yeah, I do too.”
Chapter Fourteen
Allison opened the door to the bedroom where her children were still sleeping soundly. She slid out of her shoes and tiptoed over to the bed, mindful of her children’s protector, who was lying at the side of the bed. She waited to see if his tail would thump. It did not.
Allison dropped to her knees and peered at the strange dog in the dim light. “I want to thank you for keeping my children safe. If it’s okay with you, I want to climb into that bed with them so I’m the first thing they see and feel when they wake up,” she whispered in the dog’s ear. Cooper’s tail thumped once. It’s okay.
Her heart beating like a trip-hammer in excitement, Allison wormed her way between Carrie and Emily. Andy squirmed and threw his little arm out. Allison tucked it under her chin, loving the sweet smell of her baby boy. Tears welled in her eyes.
Carrie tried to roll over, mumbling something directed at Andy, then opened her eyes and let out a scream.
“Shhhh, honey, it’s me, Mom. Look, Cooper is okay with my being here. He isn’t barking. It’s okay, Carrie. I just look . . . different today. It’s me, Mommy, honey.”
Allison stretched her free arm out to turn on the lamp on the night table. The room was suddenly bathed in a warm yellow glow. Emily stirred and mumbled something that sounded like, What is your problem?
“It’s Mommy, dummy. Can’t you see her? Wake up! Mommy’s home!” Andy was upright on his knees in a heartbeat as he threw his little arms around his mother’s neck. He started to kiss her as he cried out his happiness. And then they were all crying, Allison, her daughters, and her son.
“You look different, Mommy,” Emily said. “Are you in disguise?”
“Yes, but just for a little while. Then I will go back to looking like you remember me unless you want me to stay looking like this.” Allison giggled. “You guys have more hair than I do. How funny is that?”
Still hanging on to Allison for dear life, Andy asked her if she was staying or was she going to leave again. “Where’s Daddy?”
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Ah, the question she knew was coming and dreaded. “I’m going to stay this time. I quit my job. I decided being a mom is more important than a job. But, I have to finish up what I’m working on before I can officially do that. All these nice people who live here who have been taking care of you are going to help me. And we can’t forget Cooper. Then we can leave and be a real family again.”
“Where’s Daddy?” Andy persisted.
“I’m not sure exactly where he is right now. But he will not be coming with us when we leave here.”
“Is that because kids need a mother more than they need a father?” Carrie asked curiously as she hugged her mother so tight Allison squealed in pretended pain.
Allison propped herself up on one elbow, trying not to feel the pain of Andy’s strangling weight on her other side. “That’s not true in most cases. Ideally, children need both a mother and a father, but sometimes that just doesn’t work. This time, for us it doesn’t work. I hope you understand.”
“Will you stay home with us? Will you always be there?” Emily asked hopefully.
“I promise you all that I will always be there for you. We’re going to live in a real house that belongs to us. We’re going to plant flowers and a garden with vegetables. I’m going to buy a minivan like all the other mothers have so I can drive you to a real school where you can make friends and go to birthday parties and field trips with your teachers. A real school. We’re going to get a dog, a kitten, a bird, and some hamsters and maybe some goldfish. We’ll give them all names so they’ll be our friends until we make new human ones. We’ll go to church on Sunday, and when the town has a parade, we’ll go and wave our flags. We’re going to put down roots.”
“Will leaves and flowers grow out of our heads?” Andy asked in alarm.
Andy’s siblings didn’t laugh simply because they wondered the same thing.
“No, that won’t happen. Putting down roots means we are going to move someplace that we will never have to leave. We’ll live there forever.”
“Will you bake cookies, help us with our homework?” Emily asked.
“Yes, I will make you the best gingerbread cookies you ever had. And, yes, I will help you with your homework. Yes, I will make sure you learn to play soccer, the piano, and tennis. I will go to all your games and cheer for you. I’m going to be a real mom from this day forward. You will never have to tell fibs to cover for me. You will never have to wonder where I am or when I’m coming home because I will always be there.”
“Will you help us decorate a Christmas tree?” Carrie asked.
Allison laughed. “I will do better than that. We’ll go to a Christmas tree farm, pick a tree, and watch while the people cut it down for us and put it on top of our car. I think the four of us are strong enough to get the tree in the house and set it all up.”
Emily got up on her knees and punched her sister Carrie in the stomach. “See! See!” she screeched. “Dreams come true. Wishes come true. You lied to me, Carrie, you said that would never happen!”
Carrie started to wail. Cooper sprang into action. Somehow, he managed to get up on the bed and between everyone. His tail swished furiously as he yipped four times.
Cool your jets, kids. The wailing and crying stopped.
“I wanted to believe what Emily said, Mommy. I even prayed the way you taught us to pray. I only thought like that on the days I was sad. When I wasn’t sad, I didn’t think like that.”
“It’s okay, Carrie. Some days I thought it would never happen, too, but guess what, here I am!” Allison said, throwing her arms out wide. “And I will never leave you again.
“Okay, it’s time to get up and dressed. Wash your faces, brush your teeth, and come downstairs when you’re ready. I’m going to make breakfast for you.”
“Like you used to on Sunday?”
“Yep!”
“Pancakes!” the three children shouted all together. “With lots of bacon and chocolate milk!”
“You got it! Scoot now. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”
When Allison set foot in the kitchen, the only person she saw was Margie Chambers, who introduced herself. “Everything is ready. All you have to do is cook it. The others are downstairs. They said when you’re finished to go down. I’ll take the kids out to the barn and keep them busy so you can do what you have to do.”
“Does that mean you’re . . .”
“One of them? In a manner of speaking. I work for Mr. Snowden, but yes, we’re all in the same . . . um, business. I’ll be in the family room, that’s off to the right of the kitchen. I need to catch up on what’s going on in the world so far today.”
Allison nodded as she started to mix pancake batter. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“The kids are great. They’re whip smart, even Andy. He gave me a run for my money the first day. You might want to compliment him on how well he’s using a spoon and fork. We need some more time on the fork, but he’s working at it.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
* * *
Later, Allison confessed to Maggie that it was the most wonderful hour and a half she’d ever spent with her children, especially the part where Andy couldn’t understand why he couldn’t scoop up the syrup with a fork. “I almost missed that, Maggie,” she said in a choked voice. “That will become one of my fondest memories. Thanks to all of you.”
Charles whistled to gain their attention, and the moment was gone.
“We have work to do, people. Ferg, you’re up! But first, I have something to say. Today is going to be planning and details. All pretty much done here. Allison will stay with us, and Margie will take care of the children. We’re good there. Tomorrow, we’ll activate and put into action whatever we come up with today. We might even get some free time at some point. I have a huge turkey with all the trimmings ready to go into the oven since there are so many of us here today. And it’s a way to say thanks. Corny as that may sound, I happen to like it.”
“Hear, hear!” Jack said happily. He was more than ready for one of Charles’s what he called soup-to-nuts wonderful meals.
“You have the floor, Ferg,” Charles said.
Fergus stood up, opened a large manila envelope, and withdrew a one-of-a-kind, gorgeous invitation lined in champagne-colored satin. “I know how to do the date and the time on the computer, so it will look like it was all done in some top-of-the-line print shop.”
Maggie and Allison were the only ones who oohed and aahed over the exquisite invitation. “Even the lining of the envelope is satin,” Maggie said as she touched the soft envelope. The boys looked on, befuddled expressions on their faces. Maggie shrugged, guessing it was a girly thing guys simply weren’t into.
“And this is Annie’s stationery,” Fergus said, holding up a quilted box that held engraved notepaper and envelopes. Again, only Maggie and Allison oohed and aahed over the engraved notepads. “Take note of the tiara on top and the crushed sparklers in the crown.” The gang took note as Fergus requested, but there were no further comments.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ted asked.
“That’s why we’re here, to come up with a plan,” Charles said. “Who wants to go first?” No one wanted to go first. Cyrus let loose with a yip that meant nothing.
“I think we all agreed yesterday that we have to somehow get the Karas brothers out of the hotel to some neutral spot so no harm comes to anyone. It has to be somewhere that his army is comfortable with. Having said that, I was thinking, and it’s just a thought, Annie’s farmhouse. She has fifteen acres that back up to this farm. So, in essence, we’re saying that adding our fifty acres to her fifteen brings the total to sixty-five acres with no busybodies to interfere or call the authorities. If you factor in mine and Nik’s eleven acres, we’re talking seventy-six acres altogether. No other neighbors. We could do a repeat of a shoot-out at the O.K. Corral, and no one would know or hear. Or care.”
“So, we’re talking about a personal, intimate luncheon. Let
me see if I have this right,” Maggie said. “First, I have to make sure we publish a picture of the actual invitation in tomorrow’s edition. Along with a list of those invited with let’s say three to maybe five open invitations. Last-minute invitees, so to speak. The Karas brothers are not on the print list. But the three or five or whatever number we decided who are on the open list still have a chance. Do I mention the private, personal, intimate luncheons for that list? Do I have all of this right, and do you all agree with me?”
“That works for me,” Ted and Dennis said in unison. Espinosa’s head bobbed up and down. The rest of the team was okay with it, too, even Allison.
“Okay then, here is the list. It’s chock-full of politicians, star power, some media, dignitaries, and a few members of royalty who are virtually certain to decline. But it is Annie, so you never know. Personally speaking, I hate elitist lists like this one. Oh, one other thing, there will be three special guests of honor.”
“Who?” everyone chorused at the same time.
Before Maggie could open her mouth to respond, Allison Bannon said, “Three survivors!”
“How did you know that?” Maggie asked in awe.
“Because it’s the only thing that makes sense, and it’s how I’d run it if I were in your place. How old are the survivors?”
“All are over eighteen. One just turned eighteen. Two are about to turn nineteen. They were taken when they were ten years old. They have been in intensive therapy, and all three have made remarkable progress. It’s a given that their lives will never be the same, and their therapy will be ongoing. Fortunately for them, they have an excellent support system in family and friends. I was stunned when I was told they agreed to attend. And, no, I cannot divulge my source, but the source came to me with the idea once they saw the article in the paper. At first I was reluctant, but the more I thought about it, the more I could see where maybe it would help the girls. Wouldn’t it be great if they could actually stare down those bastards!
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