by Anise Eden
“Oh, that.” Ben was referring to how I grappled with Phil. Max had probably left out the part about how I’d kicked Harris, and it was just as well. If Ben knew I’d stood in the middle of a bunch of armed men and attacked their boss, I was sure that every last one of his overprotective buttons would get pushed.
“I’m going to kill Phil, by the way,” Ben said, his tone hardening. “I still can’t believe he dared to put his hands on you. Apparently Tucker didn’t think having someone tie you up and drug you constituted a risk to your safety. I think I’ll kill him too, while I’m at it.”
The pain meds had clearly compromised Ben’s usual restraint. I tried to cool him down. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to curb your vengeful impulses. I suspect both of them are in custody by now.”
“Hmm,” he said with troubling vagueness. Then he shifted onto his side, forcing me to lift my head until we were face to face. Even with the bruises and swelling, I recognized that he suspected he’d missed something, and was going into interrogator mode. “What did you mean, Lonzie wasn’t there? Something else happened, didn’t it?”
In my whole life, I had never been so grateful for a surprise explosion of chaos. The door flew open, and a cannonball of black and brown fur burst through, heading straight for the bed. Instinctively, I lunged forward onto my hands and knees, covering Ben’s bruised body. But I was no match for the unbridled love of the Rottweiler who leapt up onto the mattress. He landed near Ben’s feet and drilled his way up, nose first, pushing me off of the bed. With a loud, “Ooof!” Ben swerved onto his side and threw his arms protectively over his torso as Tank began a relentless assault, licking every inch of his face.
Finally, Ben managed to open one eye and take in the dog’s adoring gaze. “Tank?” he asked, his tone awe-filled.
Tank barked and resumed his face-licking project.
“Tank!” Ben gingerly removed one arm and slung it around Tank, who at that point was in a full-body wag. “Hey, buddy! It’s good to see you! What are you doing here?”
“Ask your fiancée,” Kai said, pushing Pete in a wheelchair. Asa was close behind, grinning from ear to ear.
Ben looked incredulous. “Cate?” he asked as he wrestled with the dog. “You did this?”
“I told you I had a secret gift idea.” I smiled tentatively, hopeful that he’d be pleased.
“I can’t believe it!” Ben guffawed as he tried to dodge Tank’s slobbering tongue. Even with his injuries, Ben’s face took on a boyish delight I’d only seen hints of when we’d visited the kennel.
“We told the nurse he was your service dog,” Pete said.
Satisfied with his licking job, Tank settled down on the bed, half lying on the mattress and half on Ben, who shifted to make room. Ben didn’t seem to mind the inconvenience, though. He was smiling as much as his face would allow and enthusiastically petting Tank. Then he saw Pete. “What’s with the wheelchair? I thought you were okay.”
“I am,” Pete growled. “Hospital policy.”
“Oh,” Ben said. “Well, enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I’m enjoying it,” Kai said. “He has to stay where I put him. Good morning, you two. Benjamin, how are you feeling?”
“Fantastic,” he said, and at the moment, he clearly meant it. Tank appeared to be a miracle drug. “Cate, how did you get this big, dirty old mutt over here for a visit?”
“I asked Pete to ask Captain Abbott,” I explained, unable to stop smiling as Ben wrestled with his dog. “And he’s not just visiting; he’s yours. He retired not long ago and he was being fostered, but they’ve been looking for a permanent home for him.”
“He’s mine? You mean, I can take him home?”
“Yes.”
Ben gave me a look so full of affection and gratitude that it made me melt into my shoes. “You’ve given me so many wonderful gifts. I wanted to get you one.”
“Oh, Cate.” Ben scratched the big dog on the head and closed his eyes. “This is the best.” Tank nuzzled under Ben’s arm, as though echoing the sentiment.
I walked over to the bed and held the back of my hand out to Tank, as Pete had told me. Tank immediately licked it, then burrowed his head into the palm of my hand, asking to be petted. I immediately complied.
Ben chuckled. “So you two have already met.”
Pete nodded. “We used Tank to track you last night. He sped the search up a bit, probably saved you a few knocks.”
“He did? Thanks, boy.”
“And somebody shot him with a tranquilizer gun,” Asa added. “He was guarding Cate and me in the woods, and then bam, he just went over.”
“Oh, buddy!” Ben said, sympathetically rubbing his side. “You took a bullet for me.” Then Ben’s expression sharpened, and I could tell he was thinking back to the conversation we’d been having before our guests arrived. “What happened then?”
I didn’t want to be around when Asa told Ben that I’d kicked Harris. “Kai,” I said, smiling innocently, “any chance you’d like to come downstairs with me and get coffee for everyone?”
“Absolutely,” Kai said. “Let the boys bond for a bit.”
Slowly and deliberately, Ben said, “Cate, I don’t need any more coffee.”
“Selfish much? I could use some,” Pete said.
“Me, too,” Asa admitted. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” I said cheerily, ignoring Ben as Kai and I headed for the door.
“Asa,” Ben said, “you were saying?”
“Oh, yeah,” Asa continued, his voice alive with excitement. “So then these Mercier security guards took us down into the clearing. That was when it was just Pete and the other three Marines out there, and that asshat Harris came out and started flapping his gums.”
“I see,” Ben said. “And when did Cate break out her ‘warrior moves’?”
Fortunately, Kai and I were already in the hallway when that question was asked. We heard Asa speaking indistinctly, then Ben’s raised voice demanding, “She did what?”
Kai gave me an intrigued side eye. “What did you do?”
“I just asked myself, ‘What would Kai do?’ and did that.”
He winked down at me, linking his arm with mine. “That’s my girl. Somebody’s got to keep Benjamin on his toes.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
ParaTrain Internship, Day Fourteen
Once Pete and Ben were released from the hospital, we returned to Mercier, spending one more night there and most of the next day. Yankee Company and the FBI were still there, making sure they nabbed any and all corrupt individuals at Mercier and collecting evidence. Apparently some of the guilty parties had tried to escape on boats, but Lonzie, Clayton, and a small army of watermen had closed off the waterways leading out of Mercier Cove. We all gave witness statements, and Max and Danielle shared their research with the FBI agents.
Meanwhile, the remaining staff, led by Owen and the Selbys, asked if I would take responsibility for the place, since all of the other owners were “indisposed.” Our lawyer, Danielle, had come down to help with the investigation, so with her approval, I signed papers accepting ownership. But since I lived in Baltimore and had no idea what it took to manage the place, we needed to appoint someone on site to be in charge. Then the staff took a vote, and it was decided that Owen would run things.
Vani, Eve, and Asa spent their time helping the investigators as much as they could, while Kai and I had our hands full making sure that Ben and Pete rested and recuperated. That involved a lot of time lounging in front of the television, so we four were among the first to see on the news that there had, in fact, been a tunnel collapse at the Chu-Sarysu uranium mine. Fortunately, they had evacuated the mine ahead of time—thanks to “warning signs in our geological data,” an Opretec spokesman said.
“Well, I’m glad Team Forward did some good, at least,” Kai said.
But there was unanimous agreement when Ben replied, “Not enough.”
Friday night, we’d headed back to Ba
ltimore. On the ride home, I texted Simone from the car, letting her know that I was finally on my way back. She said she was glad I’d contacted her, because she had been about to put out an APB on me. I refrained from telling her how appropriate that would have been just a couple of days earlier. Instead, I told her Ben was “under the weather” and I was taking care of him, so it would still be a few more days before we could get together. Reluctantly, she acquiesced, but with the promise that if another week passed without her laying eyes on me, there would be “serious consequences.” Her confidence was restored when I gave her my solemn word and sent her another “proof of life” selfie.
It felt wonderful to be home again, away from all of the drama. Ben’s bruises looked worse, but he said they were less painful, and the swelling on his face had gone down. His color was improving, and he was moving around a little more easily. Ben’s mother offered to let us stay at her house so she could help take care of him, but Ben was anxious to get Tank settled in at my place, where we planned to stay for the immediate future. Kai called me periodically to complain that Pete spent most of the time arguing that he wanted to get out of bed and do something. But since Pete was fighting Kai, we all knew he would lose that battle.
By Sunday, both Ben and Pete had been cleared by their doctors to go on short outings, and they were champing at the bit. Our whole group was anxious to get together to celebrate and debrief. Kai and I thought that since Ben and Pete were still recuperating, something low key would be best. We decided to meet at MacGregor Group headquarters and order lunch.
Our headquarters was a beautiful old abandoned church in East Baltimore that had been renovated into offices and the clinic. We convened in the lounge, a majestic room in the office wing with tall ceilings, furnished with a few coffee tables and an assortment of comfortable couches and armchairs. Vani ordered in Thai food—a staff favorite—and Asa and Eve brought “Get Well Soon” balloons and a Smith Island cake that the Mercier kitchen staff had made. Ben raised a few amused eyebrows by ditching his usual suit for jeans and a T-shirt, but he pointed out that technically, he was still on sick leave.
Dr. MacGregor even joined us to check on Ben and Pete, and to congratulate us on what we had accomplished. She could barely contain her rage when she spoke about Dr. Morgan, who had been arrested at her office and taken into custody. But Dr. MacGregor assured us that the rest of the Smithsonian team was continuing their research, and that they still wanted us to be a central part of their studies moving forward. With enthusiasm, we all agreed.
“Incidentally, we received a new batch of information from China,” Dr. MacGregor said. “Dr. Abera has translated more of the tablets, and the team has a theory as to why Ben is the key to activating the double kheir.”
While Dr. MacGregor sipped her tea, the rest of the room stilled. Such a revelation hardly seemed incidental to us—not after what we’d been through over the past week. Finally, Ben asked, “So what’s this theory?”
“Well, they’ve been puzzling over why your participation in the ritual worked, but Pete’s didn’t—particularly given the similarities you two share,” she explained. “As you all know, the symbol of the kheir is the hand, and the palm of the hand has been translated to mean the ‘heart of the kheir.’ Meanwhile, an empath’s powers are rooted in the heart chakra. The team has theorized that while Ben, the palm, functions as the key, it is Cate, the empath, who functions as the lock. Therefore, the palm and the empath must share a love bond in order to unlock the energy of the double kheir, thereby activating it.”
“Interesting,” Ben said, shifting closer to me on the couch and draping his arm around my shoulders. As my nerves kicked in, I dug my fingernails into my thighs.
“That is fascinating!” Vani exclaimed.
Kai sighed, beaming at Ben and me. “Not to mention romantic!”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” Dr. MacGregor said, smiling warmly. “Of course, it’s just a theory.”
“But it’s obviously correct,” Kai argued. “I mean, it makes perfect sense—right, Vani?”
“Well, yes,” Vani replied. “Not only does it explain our experiences so far, but it fits in with the spiritual school of thought, which holds that all paranormal gifts are a manifestation of divine love. Given that, it makes sense that a love connection would be the key to maximizing the use of our gifts. And of course an empath, with her abilities seated in the heart, would be the perfect instrument.”
I couldn’t deny that what Dr. MacGregor and Vani were saying made sense, but I would never get used to being the center of attention—and all eyes were turning toward Ben and me.
Fortunately, Dr. MacGregor seemed to sense my discomfort. “That’s an excellent analysis, Vani. But there is much more research to be done. Meanwhile, I have other news.” She paused to sip her tea again, heightening the drama. “Apparently, word of your activities over the past week has spread. I’ve been getting phone calls from various people asking if they can use the MacGregor Group’s services.”
Ben frowned. “What kind of people?”
“People who introduce themselves using acronyms,” she said dryly. “FBI, CIA, NSA…”
“Oh, good lord!” Kai threw his hands up. “After this week, what we need is a vacation, not a bunch of suits running around, looking at us funny!”
Ben squeezed my shoulder. “I agree. I think everyone here has more than earned a break.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you say that, because that’s exactly what I’ve been telling everyone,” Dr. MacGregor said. “Besides, I know that’s not what any of you signed on for. We’ll have to talk it over and decide as a group before making any changes to our mission statement.”
There were general murmurs of agreement. Meanwhile, the thought of working for law enforcement or intelligence agencies had me chewing on my lip.
“Psst! Cate!”
I looked around and found Eve trying to catch my eye and smiling brightly. “Don’t stress out,” she murmured. “We’ve all got each other’s backs.”
If the events of the previous two weeks had taught me nothing else, they’d certainly taught me that I could count on everyone in that room—and I’d do anything to make sure I never let them down, either. It felt new and familiar at the same time, the sensation that I was a part of something—something a lot like a family. I returned Eve’s smile. “Thanks, I know—and I’m grateful.”
Dr. MacGregor left to spend the afternoon at her private practice. The rest of us took advantage of being together, safe and in our own space, to start processing what Malcolm’s spirit and Eve’s vision had told us earlier in the week.
Ben’s mother had originally started the MacGregor Group as an alternative healing clinic, a paranormal skills training program, and a center for her own research. But like the tide coming in, the realization was slowly washing over us that some greater force—whether we called it the Divine Source, God, the Universe—might have other, broader plans for us. At Mercier, we had stopped the threat of the “rising darkness” in its tracks. But Eve had seen other sources of that same darkness dotting the planet, so it seemed likely that it would rise again at some point. And according to Malcolm, we had been appointed stewards of the “light,” guardians of the paranormal gifts. That meant we would have to stay on top of any potential threats to sensitives and prepare ourselves to deal with them. Although that level of responsibility seemed overwhelming, no one even suggested the possibility of backing out. Instead, we buoyed our courage by reveling in the success of the victory we’d achieved at Mercier.
The week had taken its toll on all of us, though, and eventually, everyone began to look wiped out. One by one, Eve, Asa, and Vani said their goodbyes and headed home. Kai asked Ben and me to stick around for a moment.
Once it was just the four of us in the lounge, Kai said, “I had a few visitors last night.”
Pete nodded. “He did—the dead kind.”
“Oh,” I said, reaching over and taking Ben’s hand.
“They have ‘things’ on the Other Side?” I asked, incredulous.
“Apparently,” Kai said. “At any rate, since I never remember anything, Pete took down some notes.”
Pete pulled a folded-up piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans and smoothed it out, then handed it to Kai.
“Okay,” Kai said, squinting at Pete’s handwriting. “So first Joe came through. He wanted to thank all of us for figuring out that his death wasn’t an accident, and for putting his killers behind bars. He’ll be able to find peace now. And he wanted you to know, Cate, that he believes your mother was right to take you away from him. She was already getting ready to leave him over his research with Skeet when they introduced her to Tucker as the president of this business venture they’d started—Mercier. She immediately sensed how evil Tucker was, and tried to convince Joe to separate himself from the whole thing. But Joe thought she was being paranoid. He didn’t see them for who they really were until years later. Now, he’s grateful that she kept you safe—and that your new friends are doing the same. Both of your parents send their gratitude to our whole group.”
“Thank you,” I said, warmth radiating through me. Both of my parents were okay; they were together, and we had managed to do something good for them. I turned to Ben. “We should pass their message along to the rest of the group.”
“Agreed,” Ben said.
“And your father, Ben,” Kai said, “he was very determined that I give you a message.”
I felt Ben tense up beside me and instinctively slid closer to him. “Go ahead,” he said.
“Malcolm said to tell you that he’s sorry.”
I glanced sideways at Ben, but his expression was stoic.