by T. Jones
"I guess I get that, and maybe it isn't totally out of line that the members use their abilities to raise money, but why not have a committee or a board, to keep an eye on things. It should be that way for everything that's important. It shouldn't just be up to that bitch."
"Well, good luck with that. Maybe you can get Deeann on your side. If you had her and Madeline, and maybe even Grace and Teri, Teresa would have to listen. Most of the girls get a small salary, and the elders get a little more. I've always been more of an operative, like a hired gun, without the gun obviously. But I end up dealing with people when things get messy, so I have a regular salary, plus the loft and this car, of course."
"Yeah, I get that it takes a lot of money, but Deeann said those three have made a pile, besides what they've given back to the group. Something else I can talk to her about, I guess. She always acts kind of dizzy and empty headed, but I have a feeling she's no dummy."
"I'm going to the club tonight, maybe I can bump into Ozzy, get things moving quicker." They had arrived at the loft. Callie grabbed a banana from the counter, spread her books out on the table, and began studying. At eight thirty Danielle left for the club, promising an early night.
The loft was quiet after several days of Jenny's chatter, and Callie turned some music on, trying to distract herself from feeling lonely. As if on cue, her phone buzzed with a text from the redhead, and she spent several minutes responding. By ten o'clock, Callie put her text books away, remembering that she had planned to try some painting. She spent another hour, brush to canvas, trying to recreate, or remember the accident she had dreamt about between the semi and the car. Or was it a pickup truck? That was the problem, it wasn't clear. She could practically envision a license plate number on the semi-truck, but any details of the car, seemed completely gone. She cleaned up her brushes and left the painting unfinished. She climbed into a bed that seemed too big and empty, closed her eyes, and dreamt of Jenny. She didn't hear Danielle return at two in the morning, pulling an intoxicated Ozzy Marsh behind her.
Chapter Eight
Saturday morning, at nine sharp, Deeann Long picked Callie up to continue her introduction to the Sisters. Deeann, as usual, was dressed like a woman of wealth. Callie wore blue jeans and a sweater, the hood of her winter coat pulled tightly around her head. She kicked the fresh snow off her feet, climbed into the Mercedes, and smiled at Deeann.
"Holy shit, it's cold out. Where's all that global warming when we need it?"
"Oh, it's real, don't get me started." Deeann said, pulling away from the curb.
"I think we have enough politics in our little group, without worrying about that. So, are we going to spend the whole day, just talking to the Sisters?"
"And a couple of the other Elders. I set up a lunch with Grace and Teri. Madeline is hard to get ahold of, she usually ignores phone or text messages. She does show up if something important comes up, but she's never gotten along with Teresa. She's a lawyer for the State, so she's always busy." Callie had no intention of letting on that she had met Madeline.
"I keep hearing how gifted she is, her and my mother." Deeann glanced at her, frowning.
"So, you didn't know that your mother helped start the Sisters?"
"Not until just now." Callie laughed at Deeann's expression. "Don't worry, I'm sure it wasn't a big secret or anything. I didn't know until after Natalie was killed, that she had any abilities at all. But she can do things that the rest of you don't seem able to do."
"I've heard that she can communicate in actual words. If Teresa, Jane, and I all get together, we can kind of message, but it's vague, just feelings, or urges."
"Last year I suddenly had the urge to come to the campus at seven in the morning, completely out of the blue. It was the first time I met Danielle, was that you three?"
"I think Teresa had some of the Sisters get together for that."
"Okay, what do you mean, get together?"
"For something like that to work, they all have to be together, literally. Usually they just all sit around a table in a quiet room and think about what they want to do, like contacting you for example."
"See, now we're getting somewhere. I want to know how all this works. Why them, and not Teresa and some others." Deeann hesitated for a moment.
"I think Teresa is afraid of you Callie, or maybe it's your mother. I get the impression she is avoiding any psychic link with you. Maybe she thinks you could pick her brain. God knows what you'd learn. I think Teresa has done some things she wouldn't want anyone to know about, much less you."
"Why is she worried about me? I still don't have a clue what I'm doing. I don't understand a lot of the things I see, or I misinterpret them. I could probably learn a lot from Teresa, if she wasn't so paranoid and nasty to me."
"Maybe she sees something, something in your future, that she thinks is a threat to her. She doesn't have anywhere near your prescience, but she may feel that you’re a threat to her without knowing why."
"Well, I told her why! She could have prevented Nat's death. I still think that." Callie leaned against the cold glass of the car window, starring out at the snowy yards they were driving by, lost momentarily, remembering Natalie Clark. "Sorry Dee, I don't blame you for that, but I don't buy the idea that Teresa didn't know about Eliot. She wanted him to kill Oz, that much I know, but why? It has something to do with the money, right?"
"Jesus Callie, I can't say." Deeann pulled the car over, pointing to a large white house. "This is our first meeting, we better go in." Callie glared across the car at her.
"Bullshit Dee. Letting Oz get killed because he would end up causing other people more harm, may be justifiable, that's another whole argument. But hoping Eliot would shoot him, to get him out of the way, to somehow put money in your pocket, that's just murder. You can't make those kind of decisions if your motives are selfish, I learned that the hard way. I want Oz to pay for what he did, or at least have to admit to it, but I'm not willing to kill him. If that's what you want Dee, I'm out. I won't help you, and I'll do what I can to stop you."
"Callie, stop!" Deeann put her head down on the steering wheel, her eyes closed. She sighed, then turned to Callie. "Okay, I'm all in I guess. I'm sure Teresa expected me to tell you some of what's going on, but she thinks I won't tell you everything, because it will cost me a lot of money. I already have more money than anyone can spend, but I'd like to keep my soul. Teresa wants Ozzy dead Callie. The group has foreseen that Ozzy will kill his father, or at least attempt to, that part isn't clear. But if he kills Johnathan, Teresa's big money deal goes to hell, because she is one of his major investors."
"So, it is all about the money! Why not just go to old man Marsh and tell him?"
"Tell him what? Johnathan, we believe your son is going to try to kill you, we know this because we have a group of women that can see the future. Would you believe that, if you were him?"
"No, but his own father? Are you sure?"
"That's why Teresa wants you on it. I'm supposed to keep you away from Ozzy, but she knew I would tell you at least part of this, and you'd get involved. She wants a clearer picture of what's going to happen, and you're able to see things even more clearly than the whole group. After the disaster with Natalie, she knows you're not going to help her without knowing everything that's going on."
"You're giving me way too much credit again. I dream shit so randomly it may be of no use at all."
"Well, now you know, anyway. If Teresa finds out I told you this, my goose is cooked."
"I'm not about to tell her, but Dee, what can Teresa do to you? I know I'm new to this mess, but if I'm really going to get involved with the Sisters, be an Elder and all that shit, things have to change. Teresa is just one person. You and I can talk to the others, starting with Grace and Teri. This group should have some kind of oversight, like all the Elders having meetings or something, not just Teresa running everybody over. She can't kill people, even scumbags like Ozzy." They sat quietly, both lost in thought, unti
l a middle-aged woman opened the front door of the white house, waving them in. Callie turned to Deeann. "I'm going to start right now, the Sisters are mostly good people, and most of them are sick of Teresa. Are you with me?" Deeann clasped the hand she had raised, laughing.
"I am, but I swear it's just those pretty eyes of yours."
***
Mary-Rose was a Latina woman in her late thirties. She'd been one of the Sisters for fifteen years, and was well aware of the general feeling of unease with Teresa. She poured coffee and set out a small plate of pastries. Callie hadn't eaten, and she grabbed one of the apple fritters, filling her mouth as she listened.
"I get that the group has to have operating capital, and it's great that Teresa and Jane, and you, keep things going financially. Teresa has called me quite a few times about stocks, and that's fine. And no offense to you Deeann, I mean, I know you come from a wealthy family to start with, but Teresa seems obsessed with making a killing off our information. It doesn't seem ethical, but obviously there's no law against it, how could there be? But it seems like the real business of helping people is getting ignored. Remember last year, the gas leak at the school?"
"The Sisters started getting impressions of an explosion at a local grade school," Deeann said, turning to Callie. "Dozens of kids would have been killed, but we prevented it with a phone call to an inspector."
"That's what we should be doing, not trying to make Teresa richer."
"Kind of why we're here, Mary." Callie spoke up. "I think it's time we all got together and came up with a better way to run the group. From everything I've heard, Teresa did a good job for years, but like you said, she's seems to be too concerned with other things. Again, no offense Deeann, but the Elders need to step up and take some control. I really think Teresa had enough information to stop Natalie's murder. That shouldn't have happened. It's not easy knowing what someone's fate is, and if we're going to step in to try to change it, it shouldn't be up to one person. That's been my thing since I learned about the Sisters. It's too much power, we're not God, we can't always know how things are going to turn out."
"I know you weren't thrilled that we kept tabs on you when you were younger," Mary smiled, "but from the time I got in the group, I always heard about you, how strong your abilities were, or would become. But we kept it from Teresa, and nobody ever really said why, it was just understood. It's like we've been waiting for you, Callie."
"I hope the hell not." Callie laughed. "Most of the time I haven't a clue what's going on with what I'm seeing. I just learned the hard way that you have to be really careful when you try to fix things. Like what happened with Nat. I don't think for a minute that she was supposed to die. The Sisters should be like doctors, the first rule should be, do no harm. We should fix what we can, but never make things worse."
"So Mary," Deeann drew a breath. "part of this is my fault, I've never stood up to Teresa, but that's about to change. Please, keep this quiet, but we're going to talk to Grace and Teri today, and as soon as we can, Madeline. If the majority of the Elders can agree on a better way to run things, we'll just make Teresa listen to us."
"Sounds great to me." Mary-Rose smiled, sliding the plate of Fritters in Callie's direction.
***
Grace Winthrop was a frail looking woman. Callie knew her to be in her late fifties, but she appeared twenty years older, walking with a cane and wearing a brown shawl that she pulled around her after removing her coat. The room was warm, but she dragged the garment up around her shoulders, shivering slightly. They had agreed to meet her at the local Denny's, since it was within a few blocks of her home, and Teri Brinkman had agreed to give her a ride. She extended a small hand to Callie, grasping weakly, as Callie avoided any extra pressure.
"Teri will be along shortly, she's parking the car." It was widely believed that Grace and Teri had more than a friendship, both were single and seldom were seen apart. Callie was surprised when the second woman walked in. The two could not have been more different. Teri Brinkman was about the same age as Grace, but looked strong and healthy, even athletic. She walked quickly, taking long strides that reminded Callie of the way Danielle crossed a room. She slid out of her winter coat, revealing tight Yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She smiled at them and sat down beside Grace.
"Sorry if we're late, I was at the Gym and lost track of time. Didn't even shower after, so I hope I don't smell bad." She grinned and tucked her nose near her armpit, making a face. She extended a hand to Callie, smiling. "Callie Fisher I presume, the young woman who is really throwing a fuck into Teresa Blackburn's life."
"That's what I'm told." Callie laughed. She liked the older woman instantly. "I don't think that's going to change anytime soon, either." They settled in, looking at the menu's and making small talk until the waitress had taken their orders. Teri helped Grace with her shawl at one point, and suggested some things on the menu that she thought Grace might like. After they ordered Deeann explained what they had in mind.
"We, at least Callie and I, think it's time to sit Teresa down and kind of slow her down. But we want a consensus from everyone. Teresa's kind of been running the show, it just slowly evolved that way. Jane and I are at fault for that more than anyone. We let her have her way on practically everything. We're thinking that we should formalize things, run it more like a corporation, with a board of directors, sort of."
"Wouldn't have to just be the Elders, everyone could vote on it. We could have a committee in charge of finances, and another one overseeing when and how the group intercedes in people's lives. We can't sit back and be too careful, but we need to be cautious about how we intercede. If you agree with something like that, we could get everyone together and hash it out. We haven't talked to Teresa or Jane yet. Teresa and I don't get along very well, and I'm new. I know a lot of the Sisters aren't thrilled with the way things are going, but the Elders are the ones who kind of make the decisions, right?" Grace drew a shaky breath, looked at Teri, then spoke.
"As you may be able to tell, I'm not well. We have kept that from the group, Teri and I, but I've been fighting cancer for a while now. Teri has helped me, all along, and it's kept us both from being active in the group. I don't know how much time I have left. If Teri knows, she has refused to share that information," She smiled quickly at the woman beside her. "but I would like to think, that when I'm gone, the Sisters would continue to thrive. They won't, the way things are going. I'm all for knocking Teresa off her high horse, right Teri?"
"Absolutely. There are only half a dozen members of the Sisters that really support her. What about Jane, and Danielle?"
"Fairly sure Danielle will be okay with it." Callie nodded. "She and I are working on something together right now. I know she always thought a lot of Teresa, but that seems to have changed lately."
"I still consider Teresa and Jane good friends." Deeann mused. "This doesn't have to get ugly, but Teresa is really thin skinned, plus she's had it all her way for so long, she won't be happy. But I'm going to sit down with them and have it out. Things can't keep going the way they are, pretty soon everyone will start doing their own thing, and nothing will get done."
"I can go with you." Callie volunteered. Deeann laughed.
"I don't think those pretty blue eyes work on Teresa, Callie. You seem to bring out the worst in her. We'll talk to more of the girls, make sure most of us are on the same page, then I'll try to ease into it with Teresa. She is brilliant, and gifted, we still need her in the group."
"What about Madeline?" Teri asked. "She needs to show up! We need her on our side at least, and she won't even answer a text message."
"I can reach her." Callie said confidently. "If I can't, my mother can." The food came and they all busied themselves eating. After lunch Teri helped Grace from her seat and out to her car. Callie and Deeann followed them.
"I'll talk to Teresa and Jane as soon as I can, but it might be a week or two before anything happens." Deeann said, leaning down beside the car. "We'll get this so
rted out, take care of yourself Grace." She straightened up and walked with Callie back to the Mercedes. Callie looked at her, knowing what she would say. "Five weeks."
***
Callie made another attempt at painting the accident scene. She added Deeann's Mercedes, afraid that it had been the car in her dream. It seemed like it might be right, but nothing was clear to her. She repainted the scene several times, then heard noise on the main floor. She wiped off her brushes and walked down the steps to the living room. Danielle and Oz sat on the couch, engaged in the throes of some passionate foreplay. They both looked up as Callie walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold soda.
"Gorgeous!" Ozzy grinned at her. "My friend Billy thinks you're the best-looking girl he's ever seen. Sure you aren't willing to try a guy?"
"I am one hundred and five percent sure of that Ozzy, but tell him thanks anyway."
"Did you want to watch television Callie?" Danelle smiled and winked. "We were just about to head to the bedroom." Ozzy leered at Danielle and Callie in turn.
"I like the sound of that! Danielle said threesomes are out though, she's a conservative kind of gal." Danielle slapped his arm.
"Conservative? Are you talking politics or in the sack? Just because I might vote for you, doesn't mean I'm not willing to get on top." They both laughed as Callie did her best to join in, the bile rising into her throat. She said goodnight, then climbed the stairs to her room. She sat on the floor beside her bed, crossed her legs and sat quietly. She had no idea if what they had planned would work, if she could enter Ozzy's mind, even with Danielle's help. She relaxed and tried to drift into Danielle's consciousness, hoping her physical connection with Oz, would help her bridge the gap. She sat quietly, nearly dozing, the blue drifting slowly from her pupils.
She was dreaming, or close to it. Ozzy was there, but there was no influx of information, just a slow building sense of some dread that she couldn't identify. She saw him, momentarily, lying on his back with his father on top of him, hitting him repeatedly across the face. Then his consciousness came in a rush, and Callie sensed the cocaine and the amphetamines, and realized that he was using daily. His thoughts were unstable and erratic but she could feel the anger, and the guilt. She realized that thoughts of Natalie were haunting him. Then he had Jenny, and her dream from before came rushing back to her. He had the gun, and had it pressed to Jenny's head, taunting her, daring her to come closer. She woke suddenly, from her near sleep, afraid that he might have felt her presence. She climbed into bed, sure that even if he had a sense of her, he wouldn't except the possibility of it. She closed her eyes again and fell into another dream, a new and unfamiliar one.