Saxon's Conquest

by Sable Hunter

  * * *

  “You’ve got to be kidding me?” Micah whispered to Saxon as he checked out Alivia’ android. “What is that thing?”

  The thing answered.

  “Good morning, Mr. Wolfe. My name is Savvy, and I’m very pleased to meet you. You can rest assured that I’m well-mannered, knowledgeable, and I don’t require you to stop for bathroom breaks. So, I’m a true step up from your normal female passengers.” Savvy settled herself in the seat right behind Micah, leaving Alivia to sit between her and Saxon. “I also must inform you that I’m a fan. In my search to understand human sexuality, I’m reading your Don Juan novels for reference.”

  Micah made wide-eyed contact with Saxon in the rearview mirror. “Well, Miss…uh…Savvy, I hope you have a happy journey.” He shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

  Pacified, Savvy became still and cooperative.

  “Hey, Alivia. I’m Madison Wolfe. I don’t believe we’ve met.” Madison leaned over the seat to clasp Alivia’s hand.

  “Oh, you poor thing, you.” Alivia grinned at Madison. “As far as wives go, you deserve a medal for service beyond the call of duty.” She pointed at Micah. “He’s a handful.”

  Madison blushed, and Micah guffawed. “That’s what she says!”

  Saxon groaned, “Don’t give him even more ammunition, please.”

  “Oh, shoot.” Alivia finally realized what she’d said. “You know what I mean!”

  Madison laughed. “I certainly do, and you’re right.” She looked up into Micah’s face adoringly. “Although, there are some perks to the job.”

  “That’s my girl.” Micah hooked an arm around his wife’s neck and kissed her. “So, there’s the five of us in this van and behind us,” he pointed at the vehicle to their rear, “is Pate and Landry. I’ve got those two mixed up so many times today, I might have to call them by their last names. Tyson and Titus are too close to keep straight.”

  “This problem could be due to you having a phonemic disorder or perhaps a touch of dyslexia. If you like, I could run an analysis on your response to verbal stimuli.”

  Savvy’s offer was met by stunned silence from Micah, who turned slowly to lock eyes with Saxon again. Saxon grunted a laugh. “Does she have an on/off button?” Micah asked Alivia.

  “Savvy, be nice.” To Micah, Alivia whispered, “This is the way she flirts.”

  “I do not flirt!” Savvy was emphatic, turning to look out the window. “You’ve embarrassed me, Alivia.”

  “Wow,” Madison muttered. “She’s amazing!”

  “Typical woman.” Micah had to agree. “She’s more human than some humans I know.”

  Once they were on the road, Saxon asked their friends, “Have you heard from Sami and Jet lately?”

  Madison sat sideways in her seat. “They took advantage of having a floating home. They boarded ship and left Houston. I think they took Micah’s advice and headed to Florida for a few weeks.”

  “The Cajun Navy is still going strong, though. I heard from Beau and the rest last night. They rescued over three hundred people and two hundred pets. When the waters receded, they started helping folks clean up. Oh, by the way.” He reached into his pocket and handed something to Saxon. “This is from Spicer.”

  As Saxon accepted the note, Alivia marveled at the relationship he and his friends shared. Violet was her closest friend, yet they didn’t have the same connection they’d had as children. She was sad to realize how funneling all her energy into her work had left her lacking someone to share her life with. She might have an achievable life plan, but Alivia didn’t have the connectivity and support Saxon did with his friends.

  Saxon didn’t try to angle away from Alivia to read Spicer’s note. He didn’t have to. She turned her head away to look out the window next to Savvy, giving him complete privacy. Once he opened the note, he read:

  Read this, then destroy it. No kidding. Going deep undercover for one year. Infiltrating a cult. Do not let them look for me. Go to my house and get my dog. I will contact you when I need help.

  “What does it say?” Micah asked.

  Saxon folded the note and stuck in it the front pocket of his jeans. “Not much. He’s going on vacation. He wants me to go to his house and get his dog.”

  “How long is he going to be gone?” Alivia asked with a smile. “And what kind of dog does he have?”

  “He doesn’t say how long he’s going to be gone,” Saxon answered. “And as far as a dog breed, knowing Spicer it’s a Rottweiler, but I don’t remember him ever saying for sure.”

  “How do you know Spicer?” Madison asked. “He’s a little strange.”

  Saxon snorted. “You can say that again. Funny thing, I met him in church camp when I was about eight or nine.”

  Bam!

  The van swerved as Alivia jumped. “What was that?”

  “We blew a damn tire,” Micah muttered.

  Since they were going north on Interstate 35, there were no places to pull over. “Get off at the next exit,” Saxon told him.

  Micah did so, easing the van into a convenience store parking lot. The vehicle Tyson was driving stopped in behind them. “Sit easy, girls. We’ll take care of this in a jiffy.”

  Going to the back of the van, Saxon opened the rear doors. “I’ll have to partially unpack; the spare is underneath the carpet.”

  “Need any help, bro?”

  Saxon felt his hackles rise. “I got it, Landry.” He set a few suitcases on the ground, then pulled the carpet to one side, so he could remove the spare.

  “Oh, come on, Abbott. We’re on the same team. Let’s put our junior high differences behind us, and see if we can get along to do this job.” He held up the jack. “If we do this together, it’ll take half the time.”

  Fighting the urge to tell the guy where to fuck off, he caught Micah’s eye. The look that passed between them told Saxon volumes.

  For the sake of the team. Whatever it takes.

  “Sure. Whatever.” He bounced the spare on the ground, and Titus knelt to jack up the van. As they worked together, Saxon sought for anything to say. He kept waiting for Landry to say something, but the man seemed totally focused on the job at hand.

  “So, how did you end up back in Austin?”

  Saxon’s question appeared to surprise Titus. He quickly glanced over his shoulder and gave him a slight smile. “No mystery. My mother has a sister in Lakeway, and she wanted to be close to her. I put her in a nursing facility on the west side, and I moved to be near her.”

  The explanation was so different from anything Saxon expected that he was momentarily taken aback. “Oh. I’m sorry. That’s tough.”

  “How are your folks?” Titus asked as he loosened the lugs on the tire. He’d completely taken over the job, leaving Saxon to stand to one side and watch. Micah and Tyson were examining something on Tyson’s phone, and he could see Alivia and Madison heading into the convenience store, more than likely to visit the facilities.

  “They’re fine. Retired. They live north of Georgetown in a development called Sun City.”

  “That’s good. My dad died a few years back.”

  Saxon cleared his throat. “You haven’t had it easy.” At a loss for words, he fumbled for something to say. “Kyle’s glad you’re back in the area.”

  “Yea?” He laughed wryly. “Kyle has a hero complex. Haven’t you noticed? He saves people. He looked at me, saw a guy on the brink, and couldn’t curtail his inbred impulse to be a damn hero.”

  “Huh.” Saxon couldn’t argue with Titus’ assertion. Kyle had saved him. First in the service, when he’d personally rescued him out of enemy hands. Second, when he gave Saxon a purpose in life, one that channeled his talents for the greater good. Kyle was this great shepherd of men. He tended his flock and kept them going in the right direction. This ability was the reason he was a great governor and would be an even greater president someday. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find your footing in the Equalizers. For one thing, you won’t be bored
. One day is never like another.”

  As Titus removed the jack, he stood and rolled the damaged tire to the back of the vehicle. “Yea, I hope so. I want to do good for the team. I’m just trying to figure out how I fit in.”

  Saxon could hear the unspoken message loud and clear. “When we get settled in at Richardson, why don’t you sit down with Alivia and me and let’s look at what we’ve learned? Maybe you can see something we’ve missed.”

  Titus grinned. “I’d like that. I want to be involved.” He nodded toward Micah. “I’ll stand where Wolfe tells me, and shoot when he gives the signal, but I’d like to be in on the inner-workings as well.”

  “Thanks for changing the tire.” Saxon picked up the tools.

  “You’re welcome.” Titus lingered silently for a moment, then spoke. “And for what’s it worth, I’m sorry I was such an ass when we were kids. I was wrong. I’ve learned since then that what you possess can be taken away in a heartbeat. The important thing is who we are without those things. I’ve learned to measure myself and others by a different criteria – honor, strength, and fortitude.”

  Saxon clapped him on the shoulder. “Can I borrow that soliloquy for my next game. That’s just what a hero would say.”

  Titus laughed. “Sure, have at it. Just let me know when it comes out, I’ve beaten all the levels in Saxon’s Conquest, and I need something that will challenge me.”

  “Oh really?” Saxon laughed. “Well, I tell you what – one night come over to my house, and I’ll introduce you to an advanced level, invitation only. A level that will eat your lunch.”

  Titus held out his hand, and Saxon took it. “It’s a deal. When we finish this mission, you name the date, and I’ll bring the beer.”

  After repacking the back, Saxon shut the doors, revealing Wolfe standing behind one.

  “Damn, why don’t you announce yourself. You just creep around!”

  “I’m stealthy.” Micah grinned. “So, you two work things out?”

  “Yea, I think so.”

  “Good. Well worth a flat tire.” Micah turned to climb back in the SUV. “Load up!”

  * * *

  “Are we there yet?”

  Micah looked at Savvy in the rearview mirror. “If you ask me that question one more time, I’m going to put you out at the next roadside park.”

  “Sorry,” Alivia apologized for her droid. “She’s bored.” Pulling a paperback book, and a pen from her purse, she gave them to Savvy. “Here, do these crossword puzzles. I got the advanced vocabulary level, so you’d feel challenged.”

  “I can’t read and ride. I get car sick.”

  Alivia laughed, exasperated. “You do not. You don’t have an inner ear canal.”

  Savvy leaned her head back on the seat and shut her eyes. “Discordant signals sent from different part of my body to my brain cause the nausea and feelings of discomfort that typically accompanies motion sickness. I have that. In spades.”

  “What are you good for, remind me?” Micah asked.

  Saxon started to speak up, afraid Micah would offend Alivia. He didn’t have to worry. Next to him, he could feel her vibrating and was surprised to discover she was giggling. “This is great,” she whispered. “Their interaction is priceless. She’s adapting to this new dynamic. She’s…becoming one of the guys!”

  Saxon glanced at each one in the car. Madison was as amused as Alivia. Micah was irritated. Savvy was playing the role of recalcitrant child, and he…he was confused.

  “It’s simple, Mr. Wolfe,” Savvy muttered, still languishing in her supposedly upset condition. “I’m programmed to save the day. My unique abilities will prove invaluable when the pivotal moment arrives.”

  Micah took his hands off the wheel to wave them in the air. “Oh, let me guess. You’ll roll up at just the right moment and squeak, ‘Danger! Danger! Will Robinson!’”

  “Possibly. Possibly,” Savvy mumbled. “I won’t know for sure until the time arrives.”

  “Speaking of time,” Saxon took the opportunity to break into the conversation. “Do you have an itinerary for us, Micah?”

  “Well, we’re going to get checked into the Renaissance Hotel first and unload all our equipment. Alivia will need to get registered, of course, and Victoria will probably want to go over some things with her. I want to check out the Eisemann Center. The police chief has arranged for us to have a control room of sorts with cameras and monitoring equipment. What about your end of things, what’s your plan?”

  “Sounds like you have everything in hand,” Alivia said, pulling out her tablet. “Saxon and I are going to delve deeper into Father James’s journal. We’re also going to try and locate the young man Murray abused at the school. He might be able to give us some insight that we haven’t discovered so far.”

  “Oh, and Victoria wants you to shoot a quick thirty-second public service announcement for the pageant, Alivia.”

  Alivia stared at Micah like he was crazy. “Shoot with what? My .38? I don’t do commercials. I’m a completely behind-the-scenes type girl.”

  Saxon covered his mouth, hiding a smile. He knew that voice of hers. She wasn’t pleased.

  “Oh, this is nothing.” Micah shrugged his shoulders.

  “Easy for you to say!” was her retort. “What kind of commercial?”

  “Well, even in the middle of all this confusion, good can be done. The Miss Texas pageant is teaming up with the state’s blood center to bring awareness to the need for more people to donate. Victoria’s arranged for a blood mobile to be parked outside pageant headquarters at the Eisemann and since you have a special relationship with the center, the director and Victoria think you’d be the perfect person to speak on behalf of the pageant.”

  “Well…uh…I don’t…Saxon?” She turned to him for support.

  “I think you’ll do great. As Micah said, it’s nice for some good to come from all this confusion.”

  “You’re no help.” She frowned at him. “When do I have to do this?”

  “Not today. Tomorrow, I think. Victoria said you’ve met the rep from the center who’ll be manning the mobile unit. I think he’s going to appear in the commercial with you.”

  Alivia narrowed her eyes at Micah. “Is she talking about Adam Curtiss?”

  “I think so.” Micah glanced over his shoulder at Alivia. “The name sounds familiar.”

  “Great.” Alivia laid her head back next to Savvy’s. “They could’ve at least sent some normal guy. Adam Curtiss is a bit weird if you ask me.”

  “What do you mean?” Saxon asked. “Did he come on to you?”

  “No,” Alivia shrugged, frowning. “He didn’t come on to me. The man just gives off a strange vibe, that’s all.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Once the group arrived in Richardson, Alivia began to get nervous. Other than the Lufkin trip, and the short sessions with Victoria, she’d been much more focused on the investigation rather than the beauty pageant. The closer they drew to the hotel and pageant headquarters, the bigger the knot in her stomach grew.

  “What’s wrong?” Saxon whispered. She’d slept part of the way with her head resting on his bicep. Now, she was stiff as a board.

  Micah and Madison were having their own conversation in the front seat. She seemed to be questioning the reasons he was insisting she remain close to him. “I’m feeling a little claustrophobic. You barely let me go to the bathroom by myself.”

  “Have you ever considered the possibility that you’re irresistible, and I can’t bear to be apart from you for a moment?”

  It was obvious the Wolfe was trying to joke his way out of telling Madison what was really going on.

  Madison gave him an adoring, yet knowing, smile. “You’re acting like we’re still on our honeymoon, Micah. Something’s going on.”

  Micah looked affronted. “We are still on our honeymoon. What do you mean? As far as I’m concerned, our honeymoon will last till we’re old and gray.” When she cocked her head, and gave him ‘the lo
ok’, he sighed and grew serious. “Just let me take care of you, okay? There’s a situation with those jackasses down in Mexico.” He put his hand on her knee. “I just don’t want to take any chances. Until it’s resolved, you’re stuck with me.”

  Alivia was surprised to see how Madison reacted. She didn’t panic; she didn’t bombard Micah with questions or demand more information. Instead, his explanation seemed to reassure her. “Okay. There are worse people I could be stuck with, I guess.”

  He barked a laugh and goosed her in the side. “Watch it, Fellows!”

  Seeing their byplay, Alivia giggled, then glanced at Saxon. “The closer we get, the more nervous I feel. I’m not sure I can pull this off.”

  Saxon took her hand in his, weaving their fingers together. “You’re going to be fine. Better than fine.” He leaned his head closer to hers. “Look at me.” Alivia did so. “You are a brilliant, beautiful woman who can do things these other women can’t even fathom. Their talents are looking pretty and walking in a straight line. I think you’ve got this.”

  “I hope so.” Alivia took strength from Saxon’s reassurance.

  By the time they drove into the parking garage of the Renaissance Hotel, Alivia was outwardly calm but inwardly trepidatious. She didn’t have too much time to worry, though, Victoria met them and swept her into a tornado of activity.

  “There you are, Alivia. Here is a list of what you need to do, and where you need to be for the next twenty-four hours.” Victoria handed her a piece of paper. “Sorry, I still make old-fashioned lists, I write them down.”

  Alivia took the note. “I like this. Easy. Portable.” She slipped it into her purse.