9. Hokus Pokus

by Fern Michaels

  Jack walked the requisite twenty-five feet from the restaurant and fired up a cigarette. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Nellie and Justice Barnes walking to the curb. Two black Crown Victorias slid alongside. Nellie got in one and Justice Barnes got in the other. Jack puffed furiously as he tried to figure out his next move. Since Robinson hated his guts, he needed to do something preemptive to throw him off whatever he thought might be going on. But what?

  “I guess I’ll leave you, too,” Lizzie said quietly. “Jack, should we be worried?”

  “Oh, yeah, Lizzie, we definitely need to worry,” Jack drawled before he dropped his cigarette to the curb. He ground his heel into it and then picked it up to stick it in his pocket. “Smokers have no rights these days,” he grumbled. The others ignored him.

  Quiet up to this point, Harry spoke up. “That’s because those things will kill you and if you’re too stupid to recognize the surgeon general’s warnings, then other people have to take your best interests to heart. How about if I just take Robinson out? That will solve everything.”

  Jack snorted. “It might come to that, Harry. For your information I only smoke seven cigarettes a week.”

  “That’s seven too many. See ya,” Harry said, striding off toward his dojo.

  “Guess it’s just me and you, Jack,” Lizzie said.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be seen together. Where are you headed?”

  “You’re right. Home. Where else on a Sunday afternoon? Should we pick a fight and I bop you for some alleged obscene comment in case anyone is watching?”

  “You’re really full of yourself, you know that, right?”

  Lizzie held his gaze for a long time before she turned and walked off without saying a word.

  Jack walked in the opposite direction. The rest of the day loomed ahead of him. He hated Sundays. Everybody he knew hated Sundays. One time, back when he and Ted Robinson were friends, they’d had an hour conversation about why they each hated Sundays. Why was that? he wondered. When no earth-shattering answer entered his thoughts, Jack stepped to the curb and hailed a cab to take him to Georgetown where he lived in Nikki Quinn’s house.

  In the cab, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He could do his laundry. Get his dry cleaning ready to drop off in the morning. He could stop and buy some groceries. The sheets on the bed needed to be changed. Hell, he could clean the windows if he was desperate to do something. What he really should do was balance his checkbook. One of these days he was going to do his banking online. Except he’d probably never do that because he hated everything online as much as he hated Sundays.

  Screw it, he’d go home and take a nap.

  Fifteen minutes later, Jack stepped out of the cab at his front door. The cell phone in his pocket started to vibrate. He fished it out and looked down at the caller ID. His blood ran cold. “Why are you calling me, asshole?”

  “To get a comment, asshole,” Ted Robinson responded.

  “To think you and I used to be buddies, not to mention friends. I have no comment other than to say the Scotch Eggs aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Didja get it, Ted? Eggs not being what they’re cracked up to be. Forget it, you always were slow on the uptake.”

  “What’s up with Justice Barnes, Jack?”

  “How the hell should I know? I don’t travel in those circles. Why don’t you call her and ask her? By the way, asshole, that was a shitty thing you did to Maggie. I have no love for either one of you, but guys don’t air their dirty linen in places like Wintergreen’s. The whole damn place heard you. All you did was make an ass of yourself. And you made Maggie cry. What that means to you, Teddy boy, is I have absolutely no respect for any man who makes a woman cry. Now, I’m going to hang up so you can go back under that rock where you live.”

  Livid with the phone call, Jack stormed his way into the house and headed to the kitchen where he popped two Budweisers and gulped them both down at the speed of light. He popped two more. When he finished them he dug around for his special phone and punched in Charles’s number.

  The first words out of his mouth after Charles said hello were, “I think we just ran into our first problem.”

  Chapter 5

  It was midafternoon on the mountain in Barcelona when Charles escorted the girls down to the command center. They were meeting in work mode for the second time that day. All were curious and a little nervous. Charles looked more than serious, he looked worried. Normally the women were not allowed to see Charles worry.

  “It’s time to bring you all up to speed since we met earlier this morning. Things seem to be happening rather quickly. But before I get to that, I want to ask, have any of you ever heard of a mountaintop, quite similar to this one, in North Carolina, called Big Pine Mountain? There is also a third mountain operation, owned and operated by the United States government, and it’s called NORAD.”

  The women, more curious than ever, shook their heads.

  “The one in North Carolina works, or I should say worked, much the way we do. Privately funded by a consortium. The mountain itself is owned by two Greek men, a father and son. The operation is run by the son, an ex-covert operator who was compromised much the way I was. He, too, had to get out of the game. I met him several times, and he was the best of the best. Every special op in the business knew Kollar Havapopulas was born to that life. But, as we all know, nothing lasts forever. When things went south, with the help of some very important people, Kollar moved to the mountain that he and his father own. He’s been a virtual prisoner there ever since. He does, however, run a top-notch operation for the consortium, supported much the way Myra and Annie fund our operation.

  “I’m sure you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all this. I’m telling you because I think—and we need to take a vote on it—that we should relocate to Big Pine Mountain for a period of time. I’ve been in touch with Kollar and we’ve agreed to trade mountains, so to speak. That will put you Stateside and Kollar and his family—he’s married now—over here where his family can enjoy our village life. The padre and the villagers will take care of them the same way they’ve taken care of us. Before I finalize things I want to be sure you’re all in agreement.”

  “Does the United States government know about…what went on up there?” Nikki asked. Stateside meant seeing Jack. She crossed her fingers under the table hoping the answer was no.

  “Absolutely no one knows about it except the people on the inside—the consortium members, of course, me and a few others like me, and the people involved in the missions they brought to conclusion. The consortium is made up of wealthy, powerful older men in our government. They will never blow the whistle on themselves. They’re also afraid of Kollar, who still has contacts all over the world, much the way I do. Rest assured, their silence is golden.”

  “If we agree to go there, will we be prisoners like we are here?” Alexis asked.

  “More or less. The only access to the mountain is by cable car, as it is here. You all need to understand there is no village at the base of Big Pine Mountain. There will be no padre or villagers watching our backs. It could be very dangerous. I want you all to think about this very carefully. Yes, we’ll all be back in the States. Yes, Nikki and Yoko, you will be able to see Jack and Harry, perhaps more than you would see them here. That, too, will be dangerous. You must first and foremost think about your own safety.”

  “What happened to all the offers, invitations, if you will, from other agencies to help out?” Isabelle asked. “It was our understanding we’d be hired guns on this side of the world.”

  Charles turned his back to reach for a thick folder. “The invitations are all right here in this folder. Notice how thick it is. I didn’t say anything earlier because I needed to check out their bona-fides. Actually, an invitation came in late last night. These people want to know if you’re paratrooper trained. If so, the job is yours. What say you? In addition it’s a name-your-own-fee offer. I take that to mean the sky is t
he limit.”

  “I don’t think so!” Annie said. “I have to take Fosamax as it is. Unless, of course, you can guarantee a soft landing. It’s the impact that will break your bones. I saw that on the Discovery Channel. Floating until your parachute opens must be a heavenly feeling, but the impact of the chute opening would probably pull our bones out of the sockets. I vote no,” Annie said breathlessly.

  Charles tried to hide his grin. “Girls?”

  Six verbal dissents rang in the air.

  “Then I guess that takes care of that particular invitation. I’ll decline with good grace. The other invitations are more or less the same. Terrorist/mercenary projects. I’m still weighing them. There are several possibilities and the money appears to be unlimited. You can name your own price if you decide to accept any of the invitations. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you the agencies are getting impatient waiting for your response.”

  As one, the women shrugged.

  “Dear, when do we have to make the decision to transfer to North Carolina?” Myra asked. “How would we get there?”

  Before Charles could respond, Alexis asked how dangerous it would be to relocate.

  “Time is of the essence. Possibly we can figure out a way to fly commercial or I can commandeer a private jet since Myra and Annie’s planes come under scrutiny. I’m thinking of a turnaround with Kollar’s private Gulfstream but only if you all agree. At this stage, it’s just a thought. I’ve got a lot of work to do to…Well, let’s just say I have a lot of work to do, so I suggest you go outdoors, discuss it among yourselves, and think this through very carefully. I’ll abide with whatever decision you come up with. You also need to know that while our own people were having brunch at a place called Wintergreen’s, Ted Robinson was sitting at the bar having his own lunch. He saw everyone. He told Maggie to get all her stuff out of his apartment by late afternoon. That is a glitch you also have to consider.”

  Myra, the last one to leave the command center, turned back and winked at Charles. “Darling, I can almost guarantee the girls will vote to go Stateside. So do what you have to do. If I’m wrong, you can rub my feet tonight.”

  Charles threw his head back and laughed. “That’s cheeky of you, my dear. If you’re wrong you can rub my feet this evening.”

  “And anything else that needs rubbing. Get on it, darling. Tallyho and all that good stuff,” Myra said breezily as she wiggled her hips. She laughed outright when she heard Charles groan.

  Charles watched as the love of his life sashayed out of the command center before he burst out laughing. A second later he was back at work, all thoughts of getting rubbed forgotten.

  “It looks like rain,” Yoko said as she fell in line with the other girls for a walk around the compound. “An hour ago there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I think I want to go to North Carolina.”

  “What’s NORAD, does anyone know?” Kathryn asked.

  “North American Aerospace Defense Command,” Annie said. “Didn’t you watch that movie the other night when all those fighter planes left from there? They defend the security of North America. At least that’s what I got out of it. NORAD is in Colorado.”

  “Living on top of mysterious mountains must be the in thing this year,” Kathryn grumbled. “I don’t know if I want to go back or not. Charles didn’t say anything about coming back here after we deal with Justice Barnes and her problem. I want some kind of guarantee.”

  “Guarantee of what?” Yoko asked.

  Kathryn shrugged. She bent down to pick up a stick and threw it for Murphy. The big shepherd bounded off, Alexis’s dog, Grady, hot on his heels. “Like how long are we going to stay in North Carolina? This,” she said, waving her arms about, “is home. We’re safe here. We are not going to be safe back in the States. I think we all know that. I suspect there was something else Charles didn’t tell us. It’s just a feeling. I think something happened back home, something that will probably make the situation even more dangerous. I could be wrong but I don’t think so.

  “And, another thing. Why didn’t Justice Barnes get in touch with Nellie in the beginning instead of paying off that crud her daughter was married to? She bought him off. Right off the bat, that alone spells trouble. Is the woman stupid? The timing on this isn’t good. Charles hasn’t had time to do all the things he usually does to make sure we’re as safe as can be. The window of time is way too short in my opinion. Where’s our backup? Yeah, right, Jack and the others, but what can they do if we get caught this time? So, I’m voting no.”

  Murphy bounded back with his stick for Kathryn to throw again. She did and then sat down on a rotted log. The others stopped and looked at her. This was one of those rare times since forming the Sisterhood that they were out of sync.

  Alexis sat down next to Kathryn and put her arm around her shoulder. “Having been in prison myself, I have to agree with Kathryn. I do not ever want to go back there. Going Stateside is like we’re taunting them, offering ourselves up to get caught. I don’t think Justice Barnes will blow the whistle on us. To do so means she’d be blowing it on herself and I don’t see someone of her stature doing that. I vote no.”

  Myra stepped forward. “I’m not trying to change your mind, girls, but I would like you to ask yourselves what we would have done without Nellie, Jack, Harry and Lizzie’s help. Even Maggie Spritzer when we were caught. They all stepped up to the plate, as you would say, Kathryn. We’re safe because of them.”

  Annie looked overhead as the sky turned darker. The first fat rain drops fell through the dense foliage overhead. “Pearl doesn’t have the kind of backup we have. What she’s done, she’s pretty much done on her own. I don’t think I would have the guts to do what she’s been doing, considering who she is. They’ll crucify her.”

  Kathryn jumped to her feet. “And what in the hell do you think they’ll do to us if we get caught? AGAIN!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, the sound ricocheting off the mountain.

  Murphy growled deep in his throat, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Grady followed suit.

  Isabelle started to wring her hands. “I don’t like where this is going. We need to sit down and talk it all out. We all have our opinions and deserve to be heard. Right now, right this moment, I’m inclined to go along with Kathryn and Alexis, but I’m open to listening to reason. We all understand Justice Barnes is a friend of Myra and Annie and of course they want to help her. We all understand that Yoko and Nikki want to see their lovers, but all of that can’t be at our risk. The reason we’ve been successful in our missions is because we were always on the same page. Right now we aren’t even in the same book, never mind the same page. That’s all I have to say.”

  “It’s raining. We should go back,” Nikki said.

  Myra looked at her sharply as she imagined what was going through her adopted daughter’s mind.

  Annie and Myra were the last in line as they trudged back to the old monastery, the others sprinting ahead. They linked arms as they walked along, the warm rain drenching them to the skin.

  “This is not good, Annie. A rebellion is imminent. Isabelle was spot-on so how can we argue with how the others feel?”

  “What does it mean, Myra? I used to like to run naked in the rain. Of course, that was a lifetime ago.”

  “It means we’re a team divided. A lot of things happened a lifetime ago, my friend.”

  “I know, Myra. I know. I can see all sides of this problem. Let’s just hope for the best. I think our barbecue is going to be called off. Maybe we should do Charles a favor and prepare something for dinner.”

  “Oh, let’s not. Charles gets…Well, he gets…”

  “Pissy?” Annie laughed.

  “That pretty much sums it up, my friend.”

  “Alexis told me one evening what it was like in prison. I cried for her and what she went through, and she was innocent, framed by those awful people. She can never get those years back, Myra. You and I would probably die in prison, considering our age. It
is something we need to think about.”

  “Yes, Annie, it is definitely something we have to think about.”

  Chapter 6

  Maggie Spritzer looked around the spartan corporate apartment the Post maintained for interviewees who were nervous about staying in hotels when they were about to spill their guts to a reporter. Her boss had okayed a temporary arrangement until she could find a suitable apartment of her own. She looked down at her two large suitcases and her laptop, and knew she would have to unpack sooner rather than later.

  Tears dripped down her cheeks. She’d been so certain Ted would come back to the apartment, if only to rail at her, at which point they’d kiss and make up. When it didn’t happen, she knew he was seriously pissed off at her and there was no going back. Her relationship with Ted was now a thing of the past. She was going to miss Mickey and Minnie, Ted’s two cats, as much as she was going to miss Ted. Why did he have to be such an ass? Because he is a man, she answered herself.

  Crying wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She might as well unpack and get on with this new life that had suddenly been thrust on her.

  An hour later, Maggie had her laptop propped up on the kitchen countertop. She pulled the counter stool toward her with her foot and plopped down to log on. Thirty minutes later she had a two-inch stack of printouts of one Tyler Hughes, Justice Barnes’s ex–son-in-law. She read every word, hoping something would jump out at her to make things easier. Nothing did. He seemed ordinary enough. Born and raised on the Chesapeake, liked the water, had a catamaran. He was a Yalie, graduating summa cum laude. Captain on the crew team. Popular. Good-looking. Worked for two years as Senator Hawthorne’s top aide until the senator’s retirement. Then did three years as a high-powered lobbyist, socking away money by the pound before going to work for a prestigious think tank in the District—his version of giving back and helping the little people, according to the fifth article she read.