by Janet Leigh
I was in shock. I’d had no idea Mamma Bea knew about the Mafusos, the WTF, or the gift. Gian-Carlo stood still, as if waiting for something to happen.
“Your little brat Mitchell is caught up in the poacher’s net toward the back of the garden there, if you are waiting for him to come save ya. You can find him hanging from the old oak tree twenty paces west.”
The Mafuso elder released Jake, who returned the favor by pointing his .45-caliber pistol at the Mafusos.
“Easy, Jake,” Mamma Bea coaxed, keeping her shotgun pointed at Gian-Carlo.
“Bea, come on now. Be reasonable.” Gian-Carlo held his hands up in the air, and Jake removed the gun from his hand.
“I’ve been reasonable my whole life,” Mamma Bea said. “My John was taken from me because I was reasonable, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you bully these young’uns into giving up what’s theirs.”
“Bea, at least give us Mahlia’s key back,” Gian-Carlo said.
Mamma Bea paused, thinking about the request. “If you take the key and leave quietly.”
“You have my word,” Gian-Carlo said, giving Mamma Bea a nod of sincerity.
“Eli, that key don’t belong to you,” Mamma Bea said. “Give it back to the pretty girl.”
Eli paused, considered. He took off the key and handed it to Mahlia. She quickly secured it around her skinny neck, and the key glowed briefly. I frowned. We’d had Mahlia’s key and could have sent them away empty-handed, but I knew if we didn’t return it, all hell would break loose between the Mafusos and the WTF.
Mamma Bea put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. A few minutes later, Brodie showed up, pushing Mitchell forward. “Look what I found tied up in the trees.”
“What about the Sleigh key?” Toches asked, sounding a bit hysterical.
“No Tribal key, no exchange,” Gian-Carlo said to Toches. “You can try and get it back from them yourself.” He turned on his heel and left, Mahlia and Mitchell trailing after him. Jake and Brodie followed them to assure they left the premises.
I tightened my grip on the Sleigh key, and Ace patted Toches on the back. “Better luck next time, bloke.”
Toches went berserk. He rammed me, pulling the Sleigh key from my grasp and pushing me backward into Ace. We both fell to the ground. Marco, Caiyan, and Eli were standing between Toches and the exit to the back gate. Toches made a break toward the wedding reception.
“Damn, you slippery little weasel,” I heard Mamma Bea shout as she took off after him. Marco and I ran after her and took opposite sides to find the little freak.
We made it to the reception as the Nuwaubian Nation choir was in full vocal harmony of their rendition of a song from The Lion King. The choir was blocking the exit. Toches tried to make his way, pushing and shoving through the choir, and was stopped short by a rather hefty choir member, who gave him a bop on the head with her tambourine. He tripped and fell, losing his grasp on the Sleigh key. The key flew through the air and landed in Gertie’s lap.
Gertie picked up the key and saw Toches floundering on the floor. “The fugitive has escaped,” she shouted and pointed at Toches.
“It’s that present stealer!” Hildy screeched. The choir stopped singing, and guests were craning their necks to get a look at the criminal.
I looked for Marco and spotted him coming out of the barn on the far side of the wedding tent. He was too far away to help.
“Gertie,” I called out to her as Toches regained his footing and ran toward her. She jumped up from the table where she was seated and made a quarterback pass over the heads of the guests. Gertie overthrew me, and Melissa Jo intercepted it at the head table.
“I’ve got it!” she yelled. Toches made a grab for it and took the key as he ripped the bodice of her wedding dress, causing her boobs to pop free and bounce around like large Jell-O molds fresh out of the fridge. Kanye grabbed Toches’s right arm and bent it behind his back. I was able to squeeze through the singers and headed for Toches. He sneered at me as he used his free hand to try and secure the key around his neck before I could reach him.
“No!” I screamed as I balled up my fist and rammed it directly into Toches’s face. I felt the bones crunch under my fist, and blood began flowing from his nose.
Toches dropped the Sleigh key and fell to the floor clutching his nose. Cousin Hildy promptly sat on him as Brodie and Jake arrived. Jake pulled his gun and pointed it at Toches. This was followed by a serenade of guns being cocked. I looked around, and almost every guest had a gun on Toches.
“Damn!” Brodie said. “There’s more heat here than at a five-alarm fire.”
“Looks like you’re done, Toches,” Jake said as he cuffed Toches and brought him to his feet. Toches was using his shirt to try and stop the blood running out of his nostrils.
“Here ya go, doll,” Hildy said, giving him a hankie from her purse.
Jake informed the guests the fugitive would not escape again and thanked them for their contribution. My parents plowed through the gawking guests, and my mom grabbed me and hugged me tightly.
“Jen, are you OK?”
“I’m fine, but you’re squeezing the air out of me.”
She released me with a once-over, checking for any broken bones.
“Mom, really, I’m fine.”
“Way to go, slugger,” my dad said, giving me a high five. He told a nearby guest he’d taught me how to throw a right hook. He wasn’t completely wrong. He had shown me how to make a fist when I was five. I wouldn’t tell him about my kickboxing instructor or the many self-defense training classes the WTF had checked off my list.
The Nuwaubian Nation choir started singing again, and the party resumed. Brodie was allowed to stay with Gertie and keep an eye out in case the Mafusos returned. Jake thought this was unlikely.
I handed Jake the Sleigh key, and he tucked it inside his jacket pocket. I walked with Jake and Ace as they escorted Toches out of the reception.
“I’m going to have Ace take Toches and me to headquarters to sort this mess out. You get the Thunder key and meet me there in half an hour.” Jake glanced around. “Where’s McGregor?”
Damn. Our eyes met, and Jake turned a little pale.
“Oopsy,” Ace said, wincing. “With all the commotion, I forgot all about that key.”
Jake stopped and threw his head back as if life couldn’t get any worse. I made a sprint for the secret garden. I didn’t recall Caiyan being in the vicinity when Toches had made a break for it. I found Eli sitting on the stump, holding the Thunder key’s box. I peered inside. Empty.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I ran after you, and when I saw you punch that guy in the nose, I came back here. It’s all a little surreal.”
“I didn’t think I could hit someone that hard,” I said, sitting down next to him.
“It was pretty freaking awesome.” He laughed and then looked down at me. “You have some explaining to do.”
“That makes two of us,” Mamma Bea said as she walked toward us.
I stared at her with my mouth hanging open.
“What?” She smiled. “Did you think I didn’t know about the goings-on in my own family?” I rushed toward her and hugged her. “Come here, dawrlin’.” She motioned toward Eli, and he slinked in for a hug.
“I have to report to headquarters, but we can meet later, and I’ll explain everything,” I said and broke free from the hug.
Marco joined us, and I was curious about how much of our conversation he’d overheard. “Where’s the Thunder?” he asked, pointing to the empty box.
“I don’t know,” I said, but I did know. Caiyan had taken the Thunder key and vanished. “I wonder what Toches meant by his key being possessed.”
“If that was his key, he couldn’t have killed Agent Grant,” Marco said. “Brodie and Ace were in the year 1665 when they took the Thunder key, and nothing has changed.”
Marco was right. If a key was taken, as long as it was returned i
n the same moon cycle, time would remain unchanged. We’d had the Thunder key for over a year. Toches had been stuck in 1945 the same way I would have been stuck in 1914 if we hadn’t retrieved my key from Pancho Villa when I first began my traveling. There was no way Toches had killed Agent Grant.
“Toches didn’t kill anyone,” Mamma Bea confirmed. “He’s a petty thief, an excellent pickpocket, and an impersonator. He’s not a murderer.”
“Mamma Bea, do you have the gift?” I asked.
“No, child, but your Pawpaw John was a fine traveler. We didn’t keep any secrets. You go on now and do your job. After this shindig is over,” she said, using her thumb to point over her shoulder at the wedding reception behind her, “we can meet and have a glass of sweet tea, talk about the way things used to be.”
I nodded and gave her a hug. I’d had no idea my grandfather was a traveler. I had so many questions for Mamma Bea, but they would have to wait. Marco and I avoided the wedding guests by sneaking out the back gate.
“I bet your grandma has an interesting tale,” Marco said.
“Yep, I’m gonna need more than sweet tea to get me through this weekend.” My inner voice was pouring a mug of Mamma Bea’s moonshine lemonade. I couldn’t help but agree.
Ace and a blindfolded and handcuffed Toches were seated in the back seat of Jake’s Land Rover. Jake was speaking on his cell. I could hear General Pott’s booming voice from where I was standing. Jake looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head, indicating the obvious. No Caiyan and no key. Jake ended the conversation and informed me Eli was requested to report to WTF headquarters.
“That would be his decision.” I frowned at Jake. Did he have to run and tell the general about Eli?
Jake started to argue, but Marco cut him off.
“We need to get the Sleigh key back to 1945,” Marco said.
Marco was right. We needed to fix the problem we had inadvertently caused in 1945.
“I’m going to drive up the road,” Jake said. “Ace can meet us and take us back to headquarters. The general will make a decision on what to do with the Sleigh key.”
Marco scowled but agreed to meet at headquarters. Jake sent a text to Brodie and asked him to pick up his SUV.
After they left, Marco pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry about Caiyan. I know you were hoping he didn’t take that key.”
I rested my head against his shoulder. I had been hoping I would find him in the garden. Marco bent down to kiss me, but I stopped him, abruptly pulling back.
“Wait, how did he leave?” We knew the Thunder belonged to Toches, but we didn’t know his vessel.
Marco sighed. “Caiyan and Toches go way back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Caiyan knew how to find his vessel.”
“He never said anything the entire time we had the Thunder key.” He knew it belonged to Toches, the rat bastard. He knew it wasn’t the Tribal key. The rat bastard.
“Caiyan took the Thunder key. Toches isn’t going to be happy he’s keyless. The Mafusos are going to have to make good on the promise they made Toches, or he’s going to cause problems for them, which is good for us.”
“Won’t the WTF keep Toches in the prison?”
“For what?” Marco asked. “Disrupting a wedding? We have the Sleigh key, and he didn’t steal it any more than Caiyan was going to steal it.”
“True.”
“After they give him a good interrogation, they will release him.”
Another brigand for us to keep in line. I sighed, and Marco and I walked down the road to a place we could call our vessels and report for duty.
Chapter 14
We were on the second day of the full-moon cycle, and I felt like I had lived a week in two days. The bombs weren’t literally dropping around me anymore, but Eli having the gift was scary. Did I want him to travel? I understood why Jake had been concerned about my decision to join the WTF.
What if Eli was killed on a mission or went MIA? My inner voice was plucking newly sprouted gray hairs. I dismissed her and tried to keep my chin up.
When I entered the debriefing room, Gerald was sitting at the conference table. I sat down next to him and let out a long breath.
“Rough day, buttercup?”
“My boyfriend almost got me killed and then ran off with a stolen key. My brother was abducted, and we were all rescued by my shotgun-toting grandmother.”
“Just another day at the office, I’d say.” Gerald smiled and took a bite out of an oatmeal cookie.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me I was missing the reception dinner. I chose a cookie from the plate on the conference-room table and ate it in two bites.
“I thought you and Tina were in Ireland?”
“We were, but we couldn’t find the Cracky clan, and then Tina came down with a bug.”
“Weren’t you in the fourteenth century?”
“Yes, dreary time. Everyone was wearing black.”
“They were probably in black because they attended so many funerals, due to the deaths from the bubonic plague,” I said, recalling the intel from Ace and Brodie about the impoverishment and death on their past travels.
Gerald halted with a cookie midway to his mouth. He pocketed the cookie and scooted abruptly off his chair. “I’m going to the infirmary to check on Tina.”
He left, mumbling something about fleas and a damn cat.
I was devouring my third cookie when Jake walked in, followed by Marco and Ace. The boys were plotting without me.
Jake was carrying an armful of magazines. He plopped them down on the conference table, and everyone took a seat.
“Here’s the deal,” Jake said. “You and Marco are going to Berlin to return the Sleigh key.”
Had Jake figured out a way for us to save Anna and Isla? The thought of landing during the bombing was scary, and my inner voice was unpacking her gas mask.
Jake jammed the cogs of the wheels turning in my mind. “You won’t be going back to 1945. It’s too close to your original travel time, and I can’t take the risk of you landing in the middle of an air raid or the invasion of the Soviet troops.”
“But what about Isla and Anna?” I asked.
Marco turned to me. “Jake found Isla—she lived,” he said, grinning, but then his grin faded. “Anna didn’t make it. Our facts were correct.”
“Why can’t we go back and save her?” I asked. “If we hadn’t been there, Toches wouldn’t have taken her, and she would have lived.”
“Jen,” Jake said. “We did the research, and we don’t know if she died before or after you returned to the present. We can’t risk your life or changing the past.”
I understood, but I didn’t have to like it. I knew thousands of people had died in World War II…but Anna should not have been one of them.
“What year?” Marco asked, sliding one of the magazines over in front of him.
“Nineteen sixty-five.” Jake pointed at the stack of reference materials. “Ace will be here to help if you run into trouble. Jen, I expect you to summon Ace if you have any problems.”
“Great,” Ace said. “Hope you don’t ’ave any problems. The last time I was in Berlin, I got arrested.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I might ’ave caused a bit of excitement on the steps of the Siegessäule.”
I raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
“It’s the Victory column with the gold woman at the top.” Ace smiled and interlocked his fingers, placing them behind his head. “I think it was 1976. The clubs were open all night, and I might ’ave partaken in a few shots of illegal absinthe and tried to shimmy up the pole.”
“He forgot to include he was butt naked,” Jake said with a hint of a smile. It was the first time I’d caught a glimpse of the old Jake in a while. This job was turning him into a staunch, stiff-necked military man, and it was refreshing to hear him joke with Ace.
“If we go back to 1965, we might be too late,” Marco said. He huffed.
“What
do you mean?” I asked.
“My grandfather finds the key in April of 1965 when he goes to Berlin on business. He visits the bakery tomorrow and discovers the painting.”
“But the painting isn’t there,” I said.
“That’s correct,” Jake said. “We have to get you there before Marco’s grandfather visits the bakery. Isla doesn’t own the bakery; an older German couple owns the bakery that Isla and Anna would have purchased from them and turned into one of the best bakeries in Berlin.”
“Where is Isla?” I asked.
“She works at a nightclub called the Eden.”
Isla worked at a nightclub. I dropped my head in my hands. We had ruined her life. Isla was supposed to own the bakery with Anna. I jerked up. I knew where the painting was left in 1945. Maybe it was still there. “I know where the painting is.” I almost shouted the words.
“Where?” Three heads turned in my direction.
“I saw Caiyan bury it in the Volkspark Friedrichshain under one of the statues in the Märchenbrunnen Bottomain park.”
Jake ran a hand through his already mussed hair. “It’s in East Berlin. I can’t authorize landing behind the wall in a Communist country. You might as well be back in 1945. This is a quick in-and-out mission.”
“But how will she know who Marco’s grandfather is?” I asked. “Without the picture, he won’t find the key.”
“Marco can give Isla the key. You two will have to convince her what to do with it.”
“Why can’t we go back to another time before the wall is up?” I asked.
“It’s mayhem,” Jake said. “The Russians invaded Berlin and committed so many acts of treason the government couldn’t count them all. It took years for the four allied groups to divide Berlin and become civil with one another. General Potts wants the key placed close to the time Marco’s grandfather discovers it to decrease the opportunity of another heist.”
“Before we screwed up, Anna and Isla moved back to Berlin and purchased the bakery in West Berlin. Isla went to culinary school in Paris and returned to help Anna run the bakery,” Marco said, reminding me that Anna’s death changed everything.