Harbor City (An Alec Winters Series Book 4)

by Chariss K. Walker

  The kitchen and foyer lights were on, but Kenny noticed that the rest of the residence was dark. It looked exactly the way it had when he’d dropped off Founders earlier.

  As he neared the entrance, he discovered that the front door was ajar. The hair on the back of his neck rose in alarm. Kenny pulled his weapon and pushed the door wide.

  He moved stealthily towards the lights in the kitchen and couldn’t believe the state of affairs there. His boss, unconscious on the floor, was drooling uncontrollably. His face was drawn and pale indicating he had suffered terrible pain. Then, he noticed the shattered leg and could understand why Founders looked that way.

  It looked as if Founders was either dead or near death’s door. Moreover, it was obvious that Anna was already dead. Someone had cracked open her skull. Founders and Anna had been attacked only moments after he had left. Kenny shivered as he took in the terrible scene. He worried that the intruder might still be inside and then did a quick sweep of the house. He didn’t find anyone and returned to the kitchen. Squeamish, he leaned in to check his boss’s pulse just as Founders opened his eyes.

  “Jesus!” Kenny gasped in alarm as he reflexively jumped back. “Sorry boss, but you scared the shit out of me. You need help, Mr. Founders. I’ll call right now.”

  “Ki-aalll-ee,” Ethan Founders shrilled as drool spilled down his chin. “Ki-aalll-ee.”

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Founders. We’ll get you some help. They’ll patch you up,” Kenny reassured as he looked for the phone. He couldn’t find anything that resembled the telephone except some ground bits still attacked to the phone cord. He called 9-1-1 from his cell phone and gave the address, requesting emergency medical assistance.

  “Nawoohh,” Ethan screamed his protest, but Kenny couldn’t understand his gibberish. Then, Ethan passed out again.

  The Indian River Sheriff’s Department arrived first. Kenny played the ignorance card and only grunted noncommittal answers to their questions. Then, he reminded the officers about the identity of his employer. They backed off a little and made calls to their superiors. After the ambulance arrived and he was assured that his employer would get the best care possible, Kenny went through the house again as one of the sheriff’s men accompanied him. He didn’t find anyone else or any indication of who had attacked them. Nothing seemed to be missing. He worried over that for a few brief moments.

  He knew his boss had a predilection for very young girls and that was why he kept the house staffed with a fulltime housekeeper and nanny. He picked up the nightclothes from the floor and tossed them onto the bed. If someone had been here, they weren’t now.

  The clothing on the floor bothered him most. A young child had been here. He knew that much. That’s why he had dropped Founders off in the first place. Did the attack have anything to do with the child? Had someone come to get her and killed everyone else – everyone he considered responsible? Was he in line for the same punishment?

  His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he thought about that. Then, he reasoned that he’d had no contact with any of the little girls Founders molested. He let the questions go and felt safer with his rationale.

  He didn’t get paid enough to be concerned about who had done this. He couldn’t do anything about the situation anyway. He was only a hired gun and driver.

  He had enough to worry about without adding more stress to his already full plate. He’d be looking for another job with Founders out of commission. From the looks of things, his boss would end up in a nursing home.

  Kenny shuddered again. He couldn’t imagine the indignity that Ethan Founders would suffer as a helpless cripple and at the mercy of a staff that resented his wealth.

  “Can I go now?” he asked the Sheriff as he headed toward the door.

  “Yeah, but don’t leave town.”

  Chapter 26

  After completing his appointments in Melbourne, Alec returned to New Orleans. His mother was beside herself with questions and concerns about Danaé Chisholm. Alec had made a promise that he would find Danaé when he returned and he always kept his promises.

  He retained the rental car that he had used for the Melbourne trip for a few more days. Then, he drove Cassidy and Catalina west of New Orleans and to the deepest areas around Bayou Lafourche. As the car passed along the winding road with swamps and thick cypress trees on either side, Alec used his supernatural senses to locate Danaé.

  He didn’t really need to, she knew the moment he had decided to come looking for her. She was expecting him, and she wasn’t surprised to see that Cassidy and Catalina were with him. He glanced briefly at his sister wondering if she had been psychically in tune with Danaé, but Cat only smiled.

  Danaé came out onto the rutted, shell-topped road and waved for Alec to park the car along the shoulder. He got out of the car and walked towards her, but felt incredibly awkward. The feelings they had shared only a short time ago were no longer present. He didn’t really know what to do or say. He went around to help his mother out of the car that leaned precariously along the ditch while Catalina got out on her own.

  As Alec closely observed his former lover, he was surprised to see that in only a few weeks, her belly was slightly rounded. It was obvious that she carried his child. Images of their passionately entwined bodies flashed through his mind. Alec felt his cheeks blush slightly.

  “Oh, don’t be such a prude,” Danaé spouted. “We’re going to have a child. A boy if I’m not mistaken. Come with me.” She motioned for them to follow as she ducked under a tree branch covered with Spanish moss. They trailed single-file behind her, but she soon disappeared from view. Alec walked between his family in order to offer assistance if either struggled on the slippery, moss-covered path.

  A few minutes later, they came out of the meandering trail into a clearing. A rambling cypress-board home with a wide porch lay in front of them. Danaé’s closest family members sat in the shady areas of the loggia, a covered archway along the far side of the home. Each member busily snapped green beans, shelled peas, and trimmed okra.

  “Well, well…if this isn’t the damnedest surprise we’ve had in a long while. Even though we’ve been expecting you, it’s still a nice surprise,” Grandmother Chisholm, the matriarch, said. “Welcome, Saguache family, welcome.”

  “It is a surprise for us too,” Cassidy offered. “A wonderful surprise, mind you, but still completely unexpected.”

  “I guess it would be seeing as how we’ve never met anyone from the Saguache family other than Martin and his father before him. Well, I’m sure my parents and grandparents had contact with someone from the bloodline as far back as anyone can remember. We’ve had a mutual agreement for ages. But, it’s only fitting that we meet all of you now. Arrangements will have to be made at some point for our grandson’s mate – that pact can only be made by the current Saguache male or head of household. That’d be your son here, Alec Winters. Lord, if I haven’t heard enough about him over the years. I guess he meets up to his reputation though.”

  Alec grinned at the matriarch. He liked her. There wasn’t anything about her that wasn’t pure consciousness. Her immediate aura was a rich yellow but as it expanded from her body it was a rainbow of colors that ended in lavender. He hadn’t expected to feel so at home with the Chisholm family. He knew that, when he’d known Danaé in school, she’d seemed to be a bit ashamed of her father’s family. He glanced at Danaé now and noticed that she was beaming at her grandmother.

  “We wanted to know Danaé’s plans?” Cassidy couldn’t contain her excitement. The questions tumbled out of her mouth as fast as she could speak, “Does she plan to return to Rhode Island with the baby? Will she remain here? Will I have an opportunity to be near my grandson? Will we share in custody?”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Grandmother Chisholm held up her hands. “Just hang on. I thought you knew how this works… How it has always worked.”

  “I don’t,” Cassidy replied. “I’ve been kept in the dark for most of my life about the Saguac
he family and the bloodline.”

  “That’s a shame, but you believe that the custody of your grandson is the reason you’ve come here. It ain’t. The real reason is so that we can renew our pact. Don’t worry. We have plenty of time to lay it out for you and explain all the details. We’re having a crawfish boil in the early evening. A small get-together in honor of our two families – a celebration that’s long overdue. The rest of the family will be here then. It’s just the three of you, but we have a very large family, practically a community.” Grandmother Chisholm paused briefly and chuckled softly. “We’ll get around to all of the details when everyone is present. Just relax and try to enjoy yourselves.”

  Cassidy, not knowing what else to do, picked up a pot of string-beans and sat down to snap and string them. “I haven’t done this since I was a child,” she softly commented.

  “One thing about gardening as a child,” Grandmother Chisholm said, “even if it’s been years, you never forget how to tend to the crops. Caroline, where’s your manners? I bet these folks are thirsty.”

  A young woman in her twenties passed around iced-tea. She moved a compost bucket closer to Cassidy so that she could easily throw the stems and strings into it.

  “We’re now just one big, happy family,” Grandmother Chisholm chuckled. “The way it was always supposed to be even though it got lost over the years. That daughter of yours is also gifted… and she is incredibly beautiful. How is it that she’s not married with a little Saguache of her own?”

  “Oh, Catalina is different. She’s… well,” Cassidy attempted a reply, but didn’t really know what to say. She didn’t want to dredge up the past or discuss Catalina’s incarceration.

  “You don’t have to make excuses. I can see the entire story in her, but times are different now. She has a life to live too, and with your permission, I’d like to help her find it and live it.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” Cassidy floundered. Her mind was spinning. She’d thought her daughter was too damaged by the things Buck did to her to have a chance at a normal life. She couldn’t imagine Catalina with a husband and children… her daughter always seemed so childlike herself.

  Grandmother Chisholm reached forward with a smudge stick and blew at it until it flamed and then smoldered. She directed the smoke over Cassidy’s brow and head to clear her vision. Then, the matriarch sat back and smiled. “You’ll see soon enough, dear. Now come inside with me and let’s get this sauce going.”

  Inside, Grandmother explained the process, “We start by making a nice trinity by sautéing sliced celery, carrots, and onions in oil. After the trinity has cooked down, we’ll add tomato paste to make a thick roux. It simmers a while before we add the fried alligator. We want the flavorful sauce to marinate as it simmers a good while. It’ll be ready in time for the gathering.”

  “I’ve never seen it made from scratch,” Cassidy admitted. “Thank you.”

  As they worked alongside each other, Cassidy relaxed. She began to see the possibilities for her family.

  “You’re a gifted teacher, but you’ve also limited yourself by cutting off your experiences. Most of those constraints are self-imposed. Oh believe me, I understand. Parents can do a lot of damage to their children without intending to do so. In fact, most of the time, the parent either feels it is their only option or they’re simply unaware of the harm they cause. However, when their children keep punishing them for their mistakes, it’s the child that suffers most… and then, it becomes a cycle. A vicious circle of misunderstanding. Those are the kinds of things that limit our spiritual growth. As a spiritual teacher, I know you don’t want to impose such boundaries on yourself,” Grandmother observed.

  Chapter 27

  Alec leaned against a tree and watched as Danaé formed an immediate bond with Catalina. No longer consumed by the driving need to attract Alec or mate with him, Danaé was free from all previous desires and constraints. She felt unchained. Now, she was no longer self-conscious or worried that Alec would reject her as he had done in the past. It was quite liberating and she enjoyed the freedom as she easily chatted with Catalina and the rest of her family.

  “It’s so odd,” Danaé confided to Catalina. “I used to feel so out of sorts, always trying to hide my gift of sight from others. I was living a lie, pretending really, to be something I wasn’t. I don’t feel that way anymore. In fact, I enjoy the ability for the first time ever.”

  “I think I understand,” Catalina replied. “My family treats me as if I’m too fragile and delicate. They’re careful about who I get to meet and what I get to do. I’m not nearly as weak as they believe. I simply have the ability to see beyond the veil and to constantly be aware of my brother’s activities. We’re linked in some way. That isn’t a handicap, but they treat me as if it is, as if I might break as easily as a fine piece of crystal.”

  “You’ll find that we’re much more open about our abilities here. I didn’t appreciate that for a very long time. I shunned it. For the longest, I hated the Chisholm family, my real family. I wanted to put my strange family behind me. I had to learn the hard way that I can’t be something I’m not. I ran away to my other grandparents in Rhode Island and made a new life for myself. I even married, but none of it made me happy. I was always waiting to return to this, the union with Alec, and to this family, to this bayou where I am accepted for who I am.”

  “Will you go back one day?”

  “I don’t believe that I will. It was all a dream anyway… even my husband wasn’t real. This,” Danaé said as she looked around at the small bayou settlement, “this is real. This is what I know and where I feel at home, at peace. That life was me fighting my nature, fighting who I really am. I don’t imagine that I can ever go back to it or pretend to be that other person again. I’m home now.”

  “I’ll never go back to the hospital again either,” Cat responded. “I was only there to protect Alec. I’ve worked through my issues about the things my father did to me and I want more from life than what I’ve had so far. I’d like to stay here a few days with you. Would that be all right?”

  “Of course; it would be great. You’ll find that Grandmother is very perceptive. She can help in ways that are beyond understanding.”

  “She’s a shaman,” Cat shyly observed.

  “She is that and so much more. She holds this family together. She heals us and keeps us safe. How did you know?”

  “I can see the ancestors clearing her spiritual body. They adore her and are constantly keeping her energy pure and strong.”

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? She’ll approach you soon. She always has some tidbit to share that improves a person’s life, especially family ties. And you are part of the family now. It’s up to you whether or not to accept her healings and advice, but I can assure you that it’s always something needed.”

  “I can’t wait,” Catalina eagerly responded.

  “She’ll insist that everyone stay the night, but you are welcome to stay here as long as you like after Alec and your mother return home.”

  “That makes me feel almost normal. After everything happened, I didn’t even finish school. Well, I completed my diploma, but it was through home study. I never had any sleepovers or friends. I never went to a dance or a school activity. I’ve missed a lot. I know I can’t go back and undo all that, but I hope to start living again. I hope my mother will allow that…,” her voice trailed off as she thought about Cassidy’s over-protectiveness.

  “Don’t worry, Cat. Grandmother Chisholm will make sure that your family leaves with some much-needed balance and clarity. She always does.”

  Chapter 28

  Alec, standing on the outskirts of the gathering and still leaning against the tree watched everything. It wasn’t long before the matriarch sought out his company. Since he was now the head of the Saguache family, she had much to say to him. The conversation began simply enough.

  “Hello Alec. I’m sorry to hear about the death of your girlfriend, but I ha
ve to admit that I’m glad Danaé finally caught up with you. The pact had to be honored. I’m sure Martin explained that to you.”

  “He did. It’s just that I wonder if it would have made any difference if I hadn’t resisted Danaé in high school. If I hadn’t already been in love with Sabrina, would she still be alive?”

  “That’s a real bothersome worry and a true burden to take on yourself – even for one as strong as you, Alec. Would it have made a difference? None that I can see. None that I’m aware of, son,” Grandmother Chisholm replied. “You see, the universe has its own design. It knocks down barriers or creates obstacles so that it can find a way to do whatever life will do. I admit that sometimes it seems like pure chaos, but from a higher perspective, it’s complete perfection.”

  “You sound like my grandfather and mother,” Alec commented, but he no longer felt resentful about the saying.

  “I’m sure, but ask yourself if it’s true. Go deep inside and open yourself to the truth. You’ve already discovered that we don’t have any control over anything. So is it possible that ‘Life’ is in control and that it will find a way?” She gently tapped Alec on his temples, and then ran an index finger across the bridge of his nose and brow, before continuing, “Everything truly is in perfect timing. Now, if you’re like most of my own family, you don’t want to hear that…,”

  Alec interrupted her, “What did you just do, I feel strange.”

  Grandmother ignored his interruption and continued, “It irks us to hear something that we can’t prove when we want to know the truth. In answer to your real question, your son wasn’t supposed to be born until this year. It would’ve been wrong for you and Danaé to make a baby when you were only children yourselves. You both had so much of life to learn and so much family drama to overcome. I suspect that over time, you’ve both been able to reconcile and come to terms with your gifts, abilities, and even your families. Until that time, Danaé didn’t need to make a baby with you and you didn’t need to train a new heir to the ability. Make sense to you, Alec?”