by T. Jones
"Are you still dreaming about that blond guy, the one with eyes like yours?"
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"You talk in your sleep, and you're not supposed to lie to me."
"When I do that poke me. I don't want those dreams. Goodnight." Callie closed her eyes, feigning sleep until she heard Jenny's breathing level out, then rolled over to stare out the window at the moon. She was sure of what the dream meant, that her mother had been with another man. But did her father know? And the dreams didn't seem like others she'd had. These dreams didn't feel like her own, these dreams seemed like another person's dream being pushed into her mind. Like he was dreaming about her, not the other way around. She stared at the crescent of the moon until it slipped behind the building next door to the loft, then finally drifted off to sleep.
***
Deeann Long cleared her throat and the other women around the table stopped talking and turned in her direction. Danielle, Callie, and Juliette sat to her left, Mary-Rose, Teri, and Madeline Rice were on her right. They had agreed to meet at Deeann's club because they had access to a small conference room. They each had coffee or tea sitting in front of them, the door was closed, the room private.
"I think we all are already on the same page here, but we need to formalize things. For obvious reasons, there won't be anything in writing. Mary and Juliette are representing the Sisters as a whole. The Elders have always made the decisions, and mostly it's been Teresa. Now that she is gone, it seems like a good time to formalize things. I just want to lay a couple things out, then we can discuss, or argue, or whatever we need to do to come to a consensus." Deeann glanced at each person quickly then continued. "We all have different levels of psychic abilities, for the most part, the Sisters are the most far sighted, and the Elders the most specific. But because of their heightened clarity, the Elders have always made the final decisions. Now we have Callie, who brings her own extra level of prescience. I think everyone should be reporting to one person, at least about events that seem to have the potential for catastrophe, like last year, with the gas leak at the grade school."
"Like I told you, I had a premonition about that little girl having skin cancer. It didn't seem necessary to call any of you about something like that, do you think?" Juliette asked.
"It seems to me, we would leave it up to each member, when to make a call. If you keep having a picture in your head of a meteor hitting the capitol, that, you might want to mention! Bottom line is, we do have special gifts and you'll probably know when something is important enough to need the attention of the group. I like the way we did it before. When several Sisters called in with similar visions, we start taking a harder look. Does that sound okay to everybody?"
"Who would be the contact? I hate to say it, but Grace only has a couple days. I could do it, it would keep my mind off losing her." Teri offered, looking glum.
"I'm sure I speak for everyone, when I say how sorry we are, Teri. You'd be great at it, but don't take it on until you're ready. Anyone object to Teri being the liaison?"
"I think she should be involved with choosing when to intercede too." Callie put in. "And you too, Dee."
"If I'm going to be the finance officer, which has been suggested since the money in trust was mine, then I don't think I should be involved with deciding to change fate. Too easy to want to abuse the power to line my own pockets, same for someone who might take over my job in the future."
"Yeah, probably not an issue for you, but it seems like a good separation."
"Callie, what about you, are you willing?" The blonde snickered a little.
"If Teri doesn't mind arguing with me. It's not likely I'm always going to agree with the idea of messing with someone's fate. But I know it's a good thing, occasionally. I think we should have someone from the Sisters too. Mary Rose, would you do it? No offense Juliette, but you said you wanted to stay out of it, and Mary has been around a lot longer." Callie smiled quickly. "You know what I mean."
"Anybody object to these three overseeing our corrections? Madeline, you've been very quiet, jump in any time. We all know your abilities are a notch above, yours and Callie's."
"The only thing I would say, is that there may be times when three heads aren't enough. Danielle and I could come in when that happens. I think we should agree though, that if the five of us vote, a simple majority rules." She looked pointedly at Callie. "If anyone of you three can't agree, and it becomes contentious, all five of us vote, and a simple majority rules. Assuming of course, we have all the facts, everyone's hunches and visions have been explored."
"Jeez," Callie laughed. "Why is everybody looking at me?"
"Any other business?" Deeann asked.
"Yeah, what about Danielle, and me for that matter? Are we Elders now? The last I heard I was on a trial basis. Danielle should be if I am. She brings something extra to the group, so she should be an Elder. I don't know what it's good for, is there a Christmas bonus or something?" Everyone laughed, then Deeann spoke up again.
"Danielle's a special case, because she is kind of our Enforcer, as Callie calls her. Because of that she has always been compensated a little more than everyone else. She takes risks the rest of us don't, so unless there are objections, that will continue. Everyone has, and will continue to get a small salary from the trust I've set up. I will continue to manage the trust, trade in stocks as I see fit, to be sure the group always is healthy, financially."
"One thing I have to say," Callie spoke up. "Danielle always did whatever Teresa asked, and it wasn't always pleasant. Nobody should be expected to do something they find personally reprehensible. If a person thinks it's worth it to change an outcome, that's one thing, but it shouldn't be required." Callie turned to Madeline. "So Madeline, are you going to be more involved? It seemed like I had to do some serious arm twisting to get you here today. Are you in?"
"I'm doing all I can right now, as a lawyer, to pursue the case with Johnathan Marsh. I think everyone agrees, he and Ozzy deserve our attention." Callie caught the look Deeann was sending her way, but she ignored it.
"I get that you can go it alone, but we could use your insight." Madeline smiled.
"You have plenty of your own insight, Callie, you just need to trust it. I will be around if you need me, and your mother can always get ahold of me." Callie felt a sense of ease settle over her, and knew somehow the woman was responsible, but let it go, sitting back with a smile on her face.
"Alright, so this unofficial meeting is over. We can all hash things over as they come up. Teri, I'll contact each of the Sisters and explain your situation to them. When you're up to it, you can start taking their calls. Are there funeral arrangements yet?"
Callie watched Madeline slip out of the room quickly, wondering if she might be aware of her mother's indiscretions. Each time the dream reoccurred, she was more sure that the blond man had to be her biological father. At some point, she was going to have to ask that question.
***
"How'd the big meeting go?" Jennifer asked, spooning yogurt from a small container. She put the empty package down, leaned back against the arm of the sofa, and stretched her legs across Callie's lap. Callie gave her a dark look, but when she wiggled her feet, started rubbing.
"Is this a thing now? I have to massage your feet daily?" Danielle fell into the over-stuffed chair across from them, laughing.
"It went really well, Jenny. Not much has changed really, except that we kind of have a better idea of how we're going to decide when to step in to change things. I'd be perfectly happy to just let fate run the show for a while, I'm worn out, and my shoulder hurts like hell again. I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow."
"Now that everyone's on the same page, the Sisters will get more active. I'm going to talk to Teri, see how she wants to work things. Mary-Rose likes to jump in, she'd have us saving stray cats if we let her. But we can't fix everything, at least that's what I think. I could see where she and I might butt heads. I still wonder if we'
re really changing things." Callie glanced at the redhead, who smiled at her.
"God's got a plan, I keep telling you that! You can mess with Fate all you want, but things turn out the way they're supposed to."
"You and my parents, I know. I'm not saying you're right, Jen, so don't get too excited. But sometimes I wonder if there is something running the show, besides us. We tried so hard to stop Oz from getting shot, then Natalie died. Was that supposed to happen? If there's some deity, why wasn't Ozzy the one to get killed?" Jenny started to speak, but Callie cut her off. "Yeah, I know, he works in mysterious ways, bullshit. Sorry, I'm not trying to be mean, I just don't buy that." Jenny shrugged and Danielle spoke up.
"I'm not religious in the church going sense, Callie. But for all our gifts, it doesn't seem like we ever really know how things will turn out. Natalie never should have died, and I feel like that was partly my fault. But Ozzy shouldn't have either, it shouldn't have been an either, or situation. In the big scheme of things, maybe Ozzy will still play a part, maybe he'll do something good down the road."
"That's a leopard that isn't going to change his spots Danielle."
"Leopards don't change Callie, but sometimes people do." They sat staring at each other until Jenny, aware of the tension, broke the silence.
"What's up with you and Deeann, Dani? You two getting romantic?"
"She's very lonely, and I'm fond of her, but we're not like you two. I'm not saying I don't enjoy her company, we've spent some time together. But I don't see us being a couple."
"Define spent some time together." Jenny smirked.
"No, I will not." Danielle laughed. "Callie, your girlfriend is a gossip."
"She's a lot of things, there's a lot going on under that red mop." Callie laughed when Jenny poked her with her foot.
Chapter Sixteen
Spring came late to Minnesota that year. April, which was normally a combination of sleet, drizzle and beautiful sunny days, stayed cold. A freak snowstorm, along with residual snow from the harsh winter, left little room for the snowplows to push the streets clear. Finally, three weeks into the month, the weather broke, sending the residence of the state out in droves, all sure they were suffering from seasonal affective disorder. No one was immune from at least wondering if they had the malady, even the gifted.
Danielle Ogren slowed to a walk and bent over to stretch her tired legs. The pain in her shoulder had subsided. Infection had slowed the healing process, and her normal training regime, but she was nearly back to full strength, and very happy to be outside. She had just finished a ten-mile run and was pleased with her time. She stretched again, glancing across the park, just past the baseball field, to where a small crowd was gathered. She smiled ruefully, knowing she was stalling, which wasn't like her. But gift or no, she had no idea what kind of reception she could expect. She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up, being sure that the mane of black hair falling down her back was hidden, then walked across the field, striding up to the small group. The speaker was just finishing to a flurry of applause. It was a small, but enthusiastic crowd. Danielle ducked her head slightly, trying to hide as best her six feet would allow. She stood behind two young men who were cheering loudly, and peered at the speaker.
Ozzy Marsh was nearly unrecognizable. He wore a sports coat over a paisley colored shirt, and while Danielle couldn't see well, what she thought were Dockers. His hair hung loosely onto his collar, not plastered with gel as before, and she was sure it hadn't been cut since she saw him last. His hair seemed lighter, the red tinged with blond, but that might have been the bright sunlight. His eyes were bright and warm as he glanced around at the audience, and Danielle was struck by the fact that he looked even younger than he had in the past. His gaze swept past her, and she leaned to the side quickly, hiding behind one of the men in front of her. She waited a five count, then peeked around again, only to see Oz staring directly at her. He finished thanking the small crowd of well-wishers, then turned and said something to the man on his right, who appeared to be a body guard of some sort.
Danielle wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She hadn't allowed her thinking to get past just seeing him, making sure that he looked alright. Now she wanted to talk to him. She walked closer as the crowd dispersed. Ozzy was picking up papers from a small table, fighting to keep the wind from carrying them away, piling them into a small box. A couple of people lingered, talking with him and helping him capture loose pamphlets. The man he had spoken to stood to the side, glaring at her.
He wasn't a tall man, but thick and sturdy looking. Oswald Marsh was at best, a small-time politician. Even after the attempt on his life, there was no reason he would have any form of government security. If this was a private body guard, he needed a raise. The suit he had on looked worn and his shoes were scuffed. Probably just private security, Danielle decided. She didn't want a scene, but she was growing more anxious to talk to Oz. His new appearance made her wonder what else had changed. When the last two stragglers shook his hand and walked away, she approached the two men. Ozzy frowned, looked at her warily, then stepped behind the security guard.
"Ozzy, I just want to talk to you, explain some things." Danielle tried. She attempted to sidestep the guard, who was smiling at her now, arrogantly, she thought. He put his hand out.
"Miss, Mr. Marsh is done for the day, and he doesn't wish to speak to you." Danielle smiled and tried again to make eye contact with Ozzy.
"Oz, come on, I just want a minute." The guard stepped forward, extended a hand and pushed her back slightly, his hand lingering on her left breast. She grabbed two fingers, twisted, and pushed down, forcing the guard onto one knee, gasping in pain. She watched his other hand carefully. "Grab my tit again dickhead, and I'll break more than these two fingers." Ozzy stepped in quickly.
"Jesus Danielle, let him up. Carl, I'm sorry about that, you okay?" Danielle released him and stood back, watching him warily. "Can you grab the rest of the stuff and wait in the car?"
"Sure Mr. Marsh." He glared at Danielle as he backed away. "I'll see you again."
"Careful what you wish for." Danielle smiled. "Oz, sorry about that, but he put his hands on me. All I wanted was to see if you're doing alright. You can't always believe what you read in the papers, I wanted to hear it from you." Oswald Marsh studied her closely.
"It took me a long while, to realize how screwed up I was. Nat dying, the drugs, and my old man. I don't know how I got to the point where I thought it was okay to kill someone."
"Sorry about your friend Billy, it was him or us. He was getting ready to shoot, I didn't mean to kill him necessarily, but I had to stop him."
"I killed Billy, much as you did, probably more so. Who, or what are you Danielle? Why did you want that tape, was it for blackmail?"
"I was there the night Natalie was killed Oz, not your finest moment."
"You know more than anyone probably, that I think about it every day, a dozen times a day. I wish I could get it back, but that's not possible. One day at a time now. It's all I can do."
"We thought you deserved to be punished, that if the tape came out, it would even the score somehow, make you pay. I realized too late, what you were going through."
"We, you and Callie Fisher? I don't understand what she did to me that night, I couldn't breathe, I nearly died."
"She cared a lot about Natalie, and you were threatening Jenny."
"I still don't get what she did, hypnosis or what, but it scared the shit out of me. That's probably what sent me to rehab."
"Maybe you just figured out it was time." Ozzy looked hard at her.
"The tape is gone, so you can't ruin me with it. Why are you here?"
"I want you to know," Danielle stared down, shifting her feet. "I started out wanting to hurt you too, for what happened with Natalie, but that changed somewhere along the line. I really was starting to care about you Oz. Everybody has shit happen to them, some people more than others. A part of what happened to you was my fault in a way, at lea
st I had a chance to prevent it and didn't, so I can't judge you. I won't judge you. I just hope we can leave things on good terms." Ozzy shook his head, his eyes round and shining.
"But I almost got you killed? Pills and Coke, hate and me, we almost got you killed. How can you just get over that?"
"Yeah, don't do that again, you're lucky I don't carry a grudge." They both laughed. "Maybe you could make it up to me, buy me a dinner or something."
"Really? Can we just do that, after everything?" Danielle sighed.
"I can think of a few people that won't be very happy about it. Callie Fisher and your father, for sure, oh, and probably your security guard. But call me if you decide you want to. It's just a meal. I'm curious about the new Oz, you look like a hippy liberal all of a sudden."
"I never thought I'd see you again, much less have this conversation."
"That makes two of us. Just call when you have time." Danielle turned and walked back across the park, Ozzy staring after her. She broke into a jog and headed back toward the loft. She knew Callie wouldn't be thrilled by this development, and she wasn't sure herself. She hadn't slept with a man for pleasure in a lot of years. But what was she thinking? It was just a meal, right?
***
Johnathan Marsh stared across his desk at his son. The transformation he had seen in the last couple months seemed hard to believe. Other than Danielle Ogren, he and his son were the only people who knew the true nature of Billy Ricks' visit the night when he had destroyed the tape. Everything seemed to indicate that his intent had been to kill Johnathan as well as take the tape, and probably kill Danielle to eliminate any witnesses. There was some question, at least in his mind, if it was Ozzy's intent to have him killed, or if Billy had just been over zealous. It just wasn't something a father wanted to admit to himself, but the woman had seemed sure of it. He was well aware that if not for Danielle Ogren, he would probably be dead, but he wasn't especially grateful. She had gotten in the middle of things, and threw that poker to save herself, as much as him. There was a lot more to her than some girl his son had happened upon in a bar. She was obviously trained, and well trained at that. He just couldn't figure out her interest in Oz.