Legacy of the Watchers Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Nancy Madore

  “That dude that was killed!” he exclaimed. “Yeah! I told the cops about that already!”

  “What did you tell them?” asked Beth.

  “Just that he came in here that day,” said the clerk. “And that he bought a hot dog and a drink.”

  “That’s it?” she asked.

  The clerk shrugged. “There wasn’t much to tell,” he said.

  “I think he might’ve been meeting someone here,” said Beth.

  The clerk thought about this for a minute. “I’m pretty sure he was the only one in the store at the time,” he said. “It gets pretty slow in the shop around this time of day. It’s busy in the mornings and at lunch, and then it picks up again around four-thirty, five o’clock.”

  “Is it mostly locals who come by?” she asked.

  “Mostly,” he agreed. “People who live here but work in Fairbanks stop by pretty regular.”

  “This would’ve been somebody from out of town,” said Beth. “Possibly someone with a lot of money. Did anyone like that come in here that day?”

  The clerk’s eyes lit up. “You know there was some rich dude that came by in a big stretch limo!” he said. “With all the excitement I had forgotten about it.”

  “When did he come by?” she pressed.

  “I think it was before that Ritter guy came in,” he said. “Or was it after?”

  “Was there much time between visits?” she asked.

  “It was after!” he announced suddenly. “I remember it now. He came by just as the afternoon rush was starting up. I wanted to ask him a few questions…you know, find out where he was from and all that, but there was a line at the counter so I didn’t get much of a chance.”

  Beth thought about this. If the man in the limo was here for the afternoon rush—say, four-thirty—that would most definitely have been after he had already met with Greg. They could’ve met on some nearby dirt road.

  “Do you remember what he bought?” asked Beth, silently giving thanks for the long, tedious afternoons that made this bored young man sit up and take notice when anything of interest occurred.

  “Coffee,” he said. “Black.”

  “Okay,” said Beth. “Now for the most important question of all. Do you remember what he looked like?”

  The clerk smiled, and Beth was a little surprised to find that he was actually an attractive kid. He could use a haircut and some shampoo, but he had nice, straight teeth and his eyes lit up when he smiled. “Sure,” he said, clearly pleased to be able to perform this task. “It was pretty warm that day, but here he comes, out of this big black limo, wearing a heavy overcoat and gloves! And he was really old.”

  “What do you mean by ‘really old?’” asked Beth. To someone under twenty, ‘really old’ could mean someone in their thirties.

  “Sixty maybe,” said the clerk. “His hair was white. What was left of it.”

  “Was there anything else you noticed about him, besides that he had white hair?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” said the clerk. “He had some kind of rash on the side of his face.”

  “A rash?” asked Beth.

  “Yeah. Like a purplish rash. Or maybe it was a birthmark.”

  “Purpura?” asked Beth.

  “Huh?” queried the clerk.

  “It’s a condition where blood vessels burst beneath the epidermis,” explained Beth. “It leaves reddish-purple patches on the skin.”

  “I guess it could’ve been that,” said the clerk.

  “Where was it located on his face?” she asked.

  “Here,” he said, drawing out a small circle on the left side of his face, just above the ear. “It wasn’t that noticeable except when he turned his head to the right.”

  “Had you ever seen him before?” asked Beth.

  “No.”

  “Any idea why this guy might’ve been out here that day?” she persisted.

  The clerk shrugged. “Guys like him come through here all the time. Usually they’re on their way to Fort Greely, on Air Force business. I just figured there was probably something big goin’ on at one of the military bases.”

  Beth nodded. “Can you think of anything else unusual that happened that day?”

  The clerk took a moment to think about this before shaking his head. “Nope.”

  “You didn’t happen to notice what limousine service he used, did you?” she asked.

  The clerk shook his head again. “Hey, should I call the cops and tell them about this?”

  Beth pretended to think about this before shaking her head. “I don’t think the two are related,” she told him.

  The clerk nodded. “I didn’t think so either.”

  “Thanks for your time,” she said, and left.

  Once outside, Beth looked up and down the highway. It was so isolated out here. There were so many little dirt roads and dead ends where Greg and the man in the limousine could’ve met. Despite what she said to the clerk, Beth was certain that he was the man Greg met that afternoon. She turned back toward the convenience store and saw that the clerk was watching her from his seat near the window. He waved awkwardly when she spotted him. She waved back.

  She got into her car, picked up her cell phone and dialed information.

  “I’d like a listing of all the limousine companies in Fairbanks Alaska,” she said.

  Chapter 44

  Manhattan, New York

  “Surprise!” announced Nadia when Will opened the card and two airline tickets fell out.

  “Tomorrow morning?” he asked, examining the tickets.

  “I know it’s short notice, but I knew you were available so I couldn’t pass up this opportunity for an afternoon with you.”

  Will looked up. “Afternoon? So I take it you have plans for the morning?”

  Nadia scrunched up her nose. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” she said. “I have a meeting with a gentleman by the name of Jeremy Nasterson.”

  “Jeremy Nasterson,” repeated Will thoughtfully. “Am I thinking of the right guy or is it the anchovies on this pizza that are leaving such a bad taste in my mouth?”

  Nadia laughed. “You’ve got the right guy,” she said. “He’s a sleaze,”—even more than you know, she added to herself—“but he’s got something I want.”

  “Let me guess,” said Will. “Money?”

  Nadia shrugged. “I’m determined to raise as much of it as I can,” she told him.

  “You don’t have to explain,” said Will. “I’d be doing the same, if I were you.”

  Nadia was taken aback by the wave of guilt that suddenly washed over her. She closed up the pizza box for something to do, and then took it into the kitchen. “I thought we could head out early,” she called out to him. “Have breakfast at the airport, and if you want, you can do a little sightseeing while I’m in my meeting. Have you ever been to the American History Museum? It’s really amazing and it’s right down the street from where I’m going to be.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” said Will. “I’m sure I can find something to do.”

  Nadia rushed back from the kitchen. “So you’ll come?” she asked.

  “Of course I’ll come,” said Will.

  “Oh, goody!” she exclaimed, jumping into his arms. She sat in his lap like a child. “We’ll have the whole afternoon! What should we do?”

  “Since you planned the morning, why don’t you let me plan the afternoon?” suggested Will.

  Nadia raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you have something in mind.”

  “Maybe,” he said evasively. “I’ve been around our nation’s capital a time or two.”

  Nadia laughed. “That sounds perfect!” she said. “I probably would’ve ended up dragging you all around Dupont Circle.”

  “We can go shopping if you want,” said Will.

  “No,” said Nadia. “I’d much rather you pick the activity.”

  Will kissed her and they both grew serious. They just looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, until the close proximity becam
e too much for Nadia and she stood up. “I appreciate your patience with me these last few weeks,” she said awkwardly.

  Will got up too, and reached for her hand. His felt warm and strong. “It doesn’t require patience to be with you,” he said, leading her into the bathroom where, to Nadia’s further surprise, there were lit candles everywhere and a tub full of bubbles. She looked at Will questioningly.

  “I thought you could use a little help relaxing,” he told her. “You sounded so tired on the phone.”

  Nadia was completely disarmed by Will’s thoughtfulness, first by showing up with her favorite pizza and now this. He bent over to turn on the tap. “I’ll just add a little more hot water and then I’ll leave you alone,” he said, dipping his hand into the water and swishing it around.

  “No,” said Nadia. “Stay.”

  Will shook the bubbles off his arm and turned to look at her. She slowly lifted off her blouse. “You can keep me company,” she told him.

  He closed the toilet lid and sat down. His blue eyes seemed to grow darker as he watched her undress. She lifted her hair to make a ponytail at the top of her head and then slipped gracefully into the tub, aware of his eyes on her.

  She closed her eyes as she lowered her body into the steaming hot water. “Mmmm,” she moaned contentedly. “What a good idea!”

  “I thought you might like it,” he said. Was there the slightest tremor in his voice? Nadia smiled. It was nice to know that she had the ability to get to him…just as he got to her.

  “I do,” she said, moving her hands over her skin. It felt as if her limbs were engulfed in warm silk. “What is this stuff, anyway?”

  Will laughed. “Grapefruit bubble bath,” he said. “The salesgirl recommended it.”

  Nadia liked that he had gone to so much trouble to please her. She glanced at him sideways. “It must be true what they say about men,” she teased. “You know…the more you neglect them the more attentive they become.”

  His blue eyes turned somber. “I thought it was work that was keeping you away,” he said.

  Nadia instantly regretted her joke. “It was!” she said defensively.

  “I don’t consider that neglect,” he said. “In fact…I’m hoping you’ll be just as understanding when the shoe’s on the other foot.”

  Nadia looked at him in surprise.

  “Sometimes my work takes me away for weeks at a time,” he said.

  “Hmmm,” she said, considering this. “I hope I will be too!”

  They both laughed at this.

  “And I admire what you’re doing,” he added. “I have to admit that I’m getting really excited about this masquerade ball of yours. Have you come up with any ideas for a costume yet?”

  “I have tons of ideas,” she said. “I just can’t seem to settle on one. What about you?”

  Will moved from the toilet seat to the fuzzy mat that was lying next to the tub. Very carefully, he lifted several strands of Nadia’s hair—which had slipped from her ponytail—out of the water. He studied them a moment, as if they provided a clue to a mystery he’d been pondering recently. Nadia watched him a little breathlessly. Her skin, which was already flushed from the hot water, seemed to grow even warmer.

  “When I was little—maybe nine or ten years old—I used to imagine myself as a super hero,” he said. He was grinning slightly, as if he weren’t completely serious. Only Nadia had the distinct impression that he was very serious. His eyes were still fixed on her hair. “I felt a connection to certain characters in my favorite comic books, especially if they were alone in this world. Or…different.”

  Nadia instantly understood. His father had died in prison and his mother had been killed while setting off the bomb that they had constructed together. She could only imagine how alone he must have felt. Her heart went out to him.

  “You felt you had something to prove,” she said.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “But, in a way, it shaped who I am today. At first, I just needed to prove that I was not like my parents. That I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.” He dropped her hair and met her eyes. “That’s the way everyone looked at me, like they were afraid of what I might be capable of.” He dipped his hand in the water and, forming a cup with his fingers, lifted out small handfuls to sprinkle over Nadia’s exposed shoulders. Nadia was waiting for him to continue, but it appeared that he wasn’t going to.

  “Which was your favorite super hero?” she asked.

  The little smile returned, playing at the corners of his lips, but in his eyes she could almost see the little boy he had been. He shrugged. “Superman.”

  They both laughed, mostly to ease the awkwardness of the moment.

  “I can see it,” she said. And she could. He was the abandoned boy, left in a world that didn’t understand him, with a shy, almost nerdy intellect, and a heart that wanted nothing more than to protect the people he loved. “You and Superman have a lot in common.”

  He laughed again.

  “Is that who you want to be for the masquerade ball?” she asked. “Superman?”

  “No,” he said dismissively. “I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing red tights.” He paused, thoughtful. “I’m not sure why I just told you that.”

  Somewhere along the lines his fingers had advanced from spreading the water over her shoulders to gently nuzzling her breasts. The sleeve of his shirt was getting wet, but he appeared not to notice. “This bubble bath is pretty amazing stuff,” he observed.

  “Well…if you change your mind, I’ll be happy to go as Lois Lane,” Nadia told him.

  “I don’t think so,” he said. “You’re much more suited for the role of Cat Woman.”

  “I think you have your super heroes mixed up,” she giggled. His hand was getting more brazen and she clasped it in hers, suddenly serious as a thought occurred to her. “What made you think of that just then?” she asked, sitting up. A vague feeling of alarm was coming over her.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “It just popped into my head, like a—”

  “Premonition?” finished Nadia. It was as if the bathwater had suddenly turned to ice.

  Will looked confused. “No. I just told you I don’t want to go as Superman. Nadia, what’s the matter?”

  Nadia shivered. “Nothing,” she said, standing up and reaching for the towel. Will rushed to help her with it. “Nadia, what just happened?” he asked. “Talk to me.”

  Nadia struggled to pull herself together. “Nothing,” she said. “I just got a chill is all.” She tried to smile. “It was like…I don’t know…like someone just walked over my grave.”

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She shivered again. “Did we finish the wine?” she asked.

  “I’ll get you a glass,” said Will.

  Nadia went into the bedroom and sat on the bed.

  No, no, no, she kept repeating in her head, but the thought that had flashed through her mind would not go away.

  Was it a premonition that made Will think of his parents just then?

  To have gone through something like that; subconsciously, the little boy would’ve remembered every nuance of the events leading up to it. Later, they would come back to haunt him.

  The horror of it! To have the woman you trust most in the world—the first woman you would ever trust—do something so unthinkable. Clive later told Nadia that Will’s parents were activists who had turned extreme. They had believed in their cause. Nevertheless, they were villains in the eyes of the boy whose life they destroyed.

  On some level, Will must sense that Nadia was about to do to him what his mother had done. Nadia had considered every aspect of what she was doing—except this.

  Could she really do this to him?

  What was the alternative? If she didn’t stop T.D.M.R. she felt certain that millions of people would die. And yet, if this were really true, why did the solution require her to become a vigilante? If she were really in the right, shouldn’t she be on the side of the majority?

  N
ever before had Nadia so fully understood the fallacy of ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’

  Chapter 45

  Delta Junction, Alaska

  “You did good,” said Asmund, with genuine approval in his voice. Isabella was sitting quietly on the couch. Beth wondered if she was still upset with her for putting Asmund back in the ring. “Now all we have to do is find this man with this purple mark on his face.”

  “That’s easier said than done,” said Beth. “There are many different conditions that can cause Purpura, and it’s not all that uncommon. Not to mention that the clerk at the convenience store was right about these big-shots visiting Fort Greely. They come down from Fairbanks all the time.”

  “It’s our only lead,” said Asmund. “And it happens to fit rather neatly, don’t you think? Wayne warns Isabella about Ritter, and then Wayne ends up dead. The way you described his body, there’s no doubt in my mind that his soul was forced out of it and put into a ring. Next thing you know, Ritter’s making promises to his girlfriend about a windfall. It must be that he was offering the ring to the highest bidder.”

  “But why would anyone want that ring?” asked Beth. “It’s useless without the one you have.” Her eyes lit up with sudden dawning. “Do you think they wanted to prevent Wayne from coming back?”

  “What else could it be?” asked Isabella. “They know that Wayne will never stop trying to prevent them from destroying this earth.”

  “The person Ritter was meeting would most likely be someone operating outside of T.D.M.R.,” said Asmund. He glanced at Wayne’s computer. “Is that online?” he asked.

  “Of course,” said Beth.

  “I suggest we begin a search,” he said. “If you’ll sign us in, Isabella and I can do the work.”

  Beth went to the computer. “I guess there wouldn’t be any harm in letting you use Wayne’s computer,” she said, turning it on. “Do you have something specific you’re looking for?”

  “A rich, white haired man with a small purple mark on the left side of his face,” said Asmund.