by T. Jones
Ozzy stormed out of his father's office, bypassed the elevator, and stumbled down the flight of steps. His own office was considerably smaller than his father's, and nowhere near the corner of the building. He shared the floor and a receptionist with two of the other lawyers in the firm. He had little use for the receptionist except as an occasional bedmate, he rarely saw any clients. Most days, he arrived late and left early. This day was not going to be an exception.
Ozzy wasn't sure what to do about his father. The old man had repeatedly called him a coward. It had all happened so fast. He'd seen the gun, Natalie was there, he had dodged to his right and grabbed her. He had kind of ducked behind her, but it had been instinctual, there wasn't time to think. He hadn't seen the tape, but his father kept making it sound really bad. It could mess up a lot of things he had in the works, he knew that. The offer from Spencer would disappear in a hurry if that tape came out. Even if his father was right, and they only wanted him because of what he knew about his Dad's business, they would drop him like a hot potato. He needed to make that tape go away. It would always be a liability, or at the least, leverage his Dad could use against him. He pulled out his phone and tapped out a quick text, then got up and left the office. He winked at the receptionist.
"Julie, I have a lunch meeting. If the old man calls, I'm with a client."
"Sure thing Oz, see you tomorrow." Ozzy grinned. Maybe he would try to tap that again. He walked out into the cold, pulling his collar up around his neck. An elderly couple waiting on a bench for the bus, recognized him. They shook his hand and thanked him for his heroism in trying to save his fiancé from the demented terrorist, and promised to vote for him when the election came around. It made him feel better. Even if the old man didn't believe in him, the public did. Maybe he could work it out and land on his feet. He walked the two blocks to the hotel and went into the quiet restaurant, grabbing a booth in the back. He sat nursing a drink and looking at a menu until Billy Ricks arrived.
"Hey Oz. Thanks for texting man. Things have been a mess. It's nice to see a friendly face. The cops have been all over my ass. Lucky most of their evidence burned up in the fire."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn't keep them off you. Shit starts blowing up and people get killed, they take their jobs pretty seriously."
"You're a local fucking hero. Sorry about Natalie, man. She was a cool girl."
"Yeah, it sucks. I've been laying low. I did hook up last night, and got pretty wasted. So, are you still in business?"
"Best I can be, but it's tough. Most of my product went up with the house, and a fair amount of cash. Why, you need a boost? I can get you something, take a little while."
"Yeah, sooner the better. My stash is getting low."
"I'll talk to my guy, should be able to get some clean stuff in the next couple of days."
"I need something, my old man is on my ass nonstop, I can't cope with it straight. I need some speed too. I don't sleep for shit and my ass is dragging all day. Want a burger? I'm buying." Oz reached into his coat and slid an envelope across the table. "Something to help get you started again. I'm working on a deal, a big deal, Billy. I may need to call in a favor down the road. That cool?"
"Course it is Oz. Whatever it takes to keep the party going. Shit, there must be ten grand in here! This really helps. I'll hook you up with some good stuff."
"Yeah, we'll keep the party going. Glad to help you out Billy. I've got plans, and the old man isn't going to like them."
***
"Oh my God Callie! This place is awesome. Let's move in right away."
Danielle's apartment was a two-story renovated loft. Callie smiled at her girlfriend.
"Dani, the rent for one month here would keep me in the dorm all year. The Sisters pay for this as part of your wages?"
"Not really the Sisters, exactly. Some of the Elders. Teresa and a couple others, have a lot of money. It's complicated. Sometimes I have to entertain people, as part of the deal. Like maybe, keep somebody from a meeting, stuff like that." Callie stared at her.
"You mean kidnap them?"
"No, that's not what I meant, although most times that would be a lot more pleasant."
"Jesus, you mean you have to entertain, entertain them? Like sex?"
"If that's what it takes, sometimes, yeah."
"Well first of all, ewh!" Callie frowned at the tall woman. "They better not expect me to do that, I don't care how nice a place they get me." Danielle's face fell and Callie quickly apologized. "I don't mean like you do it for the apartment, I'm sure it's for the cause, but shit! That has to be hard to do sometimes, isn't it?"
"The first couple times Teresa made it seem really important, life or death, now she just expects it. There are days when I feel like a hooker."
"I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry. Are we still invited to live here?"
"You have to be, I think." Danielle laughed. "Jenny is pretty excited about the place."
They spent the day moving Callie's stuff out of the dorm and into the loft. The second bedroom was already furnished, but they spent a couple hours shopping for supplies. Jenny was ecstatic.
"I'll make something to eat, you guys figure out this Sister shit. No more guns, or bombs, or any scary crap like that, okay?"
"Jenny, is it okay if I take Callie out for coffee? Some of this is kind of confidential."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm making something easy. Be back in an hour." Callie followed Danielle down into the street, then to a small coffee shop half a block from the loft. The waitress greeted Danielle like an old friend and they sat at a lone table beside a window looking out at the street.
"Jenny's amazing Callie." Danielle smiled at the blonde. "I'm glad you're happy."
"She is something, she keeps me from doing stupid shit."
"Did you always have a thing for each other?"
"I always thought about it, but I figured Jenny would end up with a guy. It doesn't seem to matter at all to her, being with a girl, she says she loves me and that's it; I'm stuck with her."
"Seems like a good way to be stuck to me. So, what about the group Callie? Are you going to give it a try?"
"It looks that way. I just wish I understood everything better. Is Teresa the head honcho, or are there more bosses? Are there monthly meetings that I haven't been told about? How do you decide what to do and how to do it? And who keeps track of all this, makes sure that when you change things, it's actually helpful? There's a lot I know, from the time I connected with the group, but the Elders kept a lot from me."
"We'll have to arrange another meeting with Teresa, she can fill you in better than I can, but I can tell you what I know."
"Did you know about my Mom, being psychic?" Callie looked into Danielle's eyes, watching for a reaction. Danielle just smiled and nodded.
"I wasn't going to tell you about that, Bess would've hung me out to dry."
"You know my Mom? You should've come to Thanksgiving."
"I only met her once, years ago. I was a teenager, new to the city and just starting to figure out my abilities. I was just kind of drawn to her. She was in town for something, and I kind of wandered in off the street and introduced myself. She's a very strong woman Callie. I think Teresa is scared of her, and I know Jane and Dee are."
"So, Teresa, Jane, and Dee. Then there's Madeline Rice, Grace and Teri something."
"Grace Winthrop, and Teri Brinkman. They're not very active in the group. They don't get along with Teresa. And they don't like that the group is used to turn a profit."
"So, everybody knows that? I was under the impression it was just a theory my Mom had."
"Oh no, it's pretty well understood. They put a lot back into the group, things like my apartment, our apartment, I should say. Everything takes money, but I think Teresa might abuse the Sisters' abilities. She puts a lot in her own pocket."
"I hate the thought of owing Teresa anything. I don't trust that bitch. I still say she got Natalie killed. Granted, she didn't pull the
trigger, but if she or the Sisters saw it, Eliot should have been stopped."
"Maybe, but if something is meant to happen, don't we have to let it sometimes?"
"Spare me the destiny bullshit. Besides, the Sisters are all about changing fate. Teresa let Eliot go because he was supposed to kill Oz, that's what the Sisters saw, right? Somebodies vision of what was going to happen was screwed up, obviously, or Teresa is playing both of us."
"I can't swear that she wouldn't, she's always pulling something."
"So why is she calling the shots? She seems like the biggest liar of the bunch. I swear, if I stick around, after we nail Ozzy, her and I are going to have it out."
"How're we going to get Ozzy for anything?"
"We're going to have to make contact with him. We need a connection if we're going to figure out what he's doing that we can nail him for. I'd like to see that he gets hit by a train. Maybe Teresa can help me with that. It sounds like I'm your new roommate, as long as you're okay with Jenny being around as much as she wants."
"She's always welcome, especially if she cooks. She knows that we slept together, and that doesn't bother her?"
"A little, but she likes you, and she takes everyone at their word. Watch out for her, okay? I've had a couple dreams lately, and she and Ozzy were both in them. It scares me."
"I'll watch her like a hawk."
"I've been meaning to ask you, how did you make Chester fail those two exams? I'm still pissed about that, but I didn't think that was something you could do."
"Sorry, really. I thought it was for the best, keeping you here. I was told he would end up with Jenny anyway. Obviously, that was a lie."
"I hope the hell so. I bought into it for a while. But hey, the whole idea is that we can change fate, right? So, did the Sisters help you, or was that Teresa?"
"Teresa and the other two, together. Getting into someone's head is difficult. You're special in that regard, the way you did it to the whole group, using me somehow."
"My Mom did it, the night of the shooting. It was like she just reached in and took over my brain. When I got to the alley it felt like someone was sitting on me and wouldn't let me move."
"Like I said, nobody wants to mess with your mother. I think she and Madeline are on a different level than the rest of the Elders. I'm not sure where that puts you. I think Teresa and her little crew will be very careful around you. Be careful what information you share with me, Callie. I wouldn't intentionally betray you, but I'm not like you. I can't shut her out if she and the girls get together. She might pick my brain without me even knowing it."
"That's comforting. Jesus, what am I getting myself into?"
"There's so much potential to do good, Callie. And Teresa has done a lot of good things over the years. It just seems like lately, she's gotten a little obsessed with the power and the money. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely, right?"
"Yeah, that's what they say. I'll take Jenny home tomorrow and bring my car back down. She has to work a few days, I think she's going to go to part time so she can split her time between here and her Mom's. But I don't want her around Teresa, ever. We can hash everything over, and talk about Oz. I've got a week and a half before school starts, and I need to spend some time with my folks."
"Not sure what Teresa will say about you going to school fulltime."
"Real sure I don't give a shit what she says. My Dad paid my tuition for a year, so I'm going, end of story."
***
Callie stood horrified, helpless, as Ozzy's arm wrapped around Jennifer's neck. He leered at Callie, laughing at her helplessness, bringing back memories of Greg Johnson's taunting face. She screamed loudly for him to let Jenny go, gasping for breath as she shot upright in the bed. The redhead turned on the light above their bed, then reached out for her and encircled her in her arms, making quiet soothing noises.
"What was it this time, Callie? What scared you so bad?" She asked.
"I don't think it's safe for you here, Jen. He had you. Ozzy was going to choke you."
"Callie, it was just a dream." Callie raised an eyebrow.
"I think we've established that a lot of my dreams mean something."
"I'm going to be where you are, as much as I can. The hell with Ozzy. Callie, it's just like when you saw Travis and I, sometimes you don't see the whole picture. Maybe your dream doesn't mean anything, maybe you're just thinking about Ozzy too much."
"Maybe, but it makes me crazy. We have to get close to Ozzy if we're going to nail him, but I don't want you anywhere near him. Besides the fact that he got Nat killed, he's just really pervy."
"Well, I'll be at work for a few days until I can talk my manager into a part time schedule. There's a lot of perverts at Walmart, and I handle them, so don't worry. You need to be careful too."
"I will. Danielle could kick his ass anytime she feels like it, and she's kind of my body guard anyway. She's going to line up a meeting with Teresa, so I'll keep you posted."
"I never have to worry about you two, right?" Callie smiled, staring into the redhead's eyes and reaching out for her, teasing.
"You might want to remind me of what I'd be missing, if I ever did something that stupid." They made love until the alarm on Callie's phone signaled that it was time to get up. Jenny jumped out of bed and ran to the shower, but Callie put her head back on the pillow, hoping for another few minutes of sleep.
The dream started immediately. Just a lone truck driver on an afternoon haul, making good time through the growing darkness of the Minnesota countryside. The only lights visible were the headlights of the semi, searching their way down the quiet two-lane highway, and a flashing red beacon in the distance, warning of an impending stop. The trucker was sleepy, so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Callie knew the driver of the Mercedes wouldn't stop, it had the right of way, and there were no other vehicles on the road. Her eyes batted open just as Jenny called from the bathroom, the image of the Peterbilt broadsiding the car at seventy miles an hour, playing back through her mind.
***
They made it home by ten in the morning. Traffic leaving Minneapolis was always light until the afternoon. Callie dropped Jenny off at her Mom's house, then drove home to see her own mother and trade vehicles. She planned to take her painting supplies with her. The dreams and painting seemed to go hand in hand. Sometimes, part of the dreams that weren't clear to her would materialize on the canvas. She wondered about the dream with the truck driver. It seemed too random to not be prophetic. She was getting good at knowing which of her dreams meant something, which was why the dream with Oz and Jenny had scared her so badly. Her mother was just gathering up her array of morning newspapers.
"Morning Mom, is America great yet?"
"Religion and politics, I'm not going to talk either one with you. What's the verdict? Moving down there, or did you bring all your stuff back?"
"You probably already know the answer. The more I hear about you, the more it freaks me out. Danielle talks like you're the best of all of us, abilities wise, I mean. I had no idea you two had met. I didn't realize she was that old." Callie thought for a minute, then lifted her head over the door of the refrigerator, where she was looking for a snack. "Not that you're that old Mom, I didn’t mean it like that."
"Well, I am ninety-six, you know we psychic have unusually long lifespans, right?"
"What? How is that possible!" Her mother laughed loudly.
"No, of course it's not, I was just having some fun. You know your Grandmother's only seventy-three."
"Well, you never know anymore, my life just keeps getting nuttier by the day. Now I'm living at Danielle's house, compliments of Teresa and her wicked step Sisters. I guess it's kind of presumed that they were using the group to pad their pockets, and nobody's too worked up about it. Jenny and I have the top floor of the place. Bribery, but it beats the shit out of living in the dorm. Jen's going to split her time between here and there."
"Well I'm not okay with them using the grou
p to become wealthy. Granted the Sisters need some operating capital, but I don't think Teresa should get rich off the deal. When are you going back?"
"Couple of days, maybe. Danielle is going to set up a meeting with Teresa. She wants to get Ozzy as bad as I do, worse I think. She was hoping Eliot would kill him. I wouldn't cry if it happened, but I'm not ready to intentionally kill him. I'm going to suggest that I work with them on getting Ozzy, then see where it goes from there. No way I'm going to trust her, so don't worry about that."
"That's good, Teresa's always out for Teresa, so don't expect anything different. Callie, you're not even a legal adult yet, you're too young to be dealing with that bitch." Bess glanced down at her phone, which was ringing. "Hi Bob, miss me already? Okay, yeah, she's here. Let me see." She pulled her cell phone away from her ear, covering the mouthpiece. "Your Dad wants to know if you can help him out at the store for a few hours, Diane had to go home, flu bug."
"Sure, I miss all those bums that hang out back anyway." Her mother snickered, then relayed the message. "Tell him half an hour, I have to get my stuff out of your van." Callie grabbed her bags from the van and transferred them to her room. She had decided to wait until the following Monday to return to the Cities, and texted Danielle. A few days at home, or camped out at Jenny's, seemed like a good idea. She thought again of Natalie. She was determined to avenge her roommate, and a few days to rest might clear her head, give her time to come up with a plan. She grabbed the keys to her Camry, threw on a coat, and drove to the hardware.
"Thanks Callie, for coming in. The freight truck is going to be here soon, can you watch the cash register while I help unload it? Did you get the housing thing straightened out?"
"Yes and no. I moved out of the dorm, but I'll have to talk to them after the holiday. I'm good up here, it looks pretty slow."
"Cold as heck out. Nobody wants to be outside. But ring the buzzer if you get too busy." Callie smiled, that looked like wishful thinking to her. She grabbed a piece of typing paper and a pencil and began doodling a picture of Jenny while she waited for customers.