The Illusionist - 3rd Edition

by Fran Heckrotte

  "As you wish, Mistress." The chauffeur stopped the Hummer and opened the door back passenger door. "I'll take the luggage through the back."

  "Thank you. Please let Maria know we will have dinner in the small guest room."

  "Yes, ma'am"

  Pointing toward the drawbridge, Yemaya nodded, slightly sweeping her arm toward the castle.

  "After you."

  * * *

  Dakota stepped hesitantly onto the wooden timbers that formed the base of the drawbridge. Each beam was over ten inches thick and twenty feet long and was held tightly together by forged steel bands and bolts. With the bridge over thirty feet long, Dakota couldn't imagine how anyone could raise it.

  "It was only raised in an emergency," Yemaya explained, picking up on Dakota's thoughts. "The last time that happened was about five hundred years ago. A local warlord challenged my ancestors for the rights to the land. He died a horrible death. Afterward, no one else bothered us."

  "You make it sound so… matter-of-fact," Dakota responded, trying to imagine what it was like in those times.

  "It is my family's history. There is no way to make it sound anything but what it is."

  Not sure what to say, Dakota kept quiet. Suddenly the silence was interrupted by the sound of baying wolves. From the dense forest that surrounded the estate, she saw several animals charging toward them.

  "Yemaya!" she screamed, pointing to the wolves. In an unconscious effort to shield Yemaya, Dakota jumped in front of her. She had no idea what she would do, but she knew she would do whatever it took to protect Yemaya.

  Yemaya was so startled by Dakota's actions and courage, it took her a moment to react. Then she stepped forward and motioned to the five wolves. Immediately, they halted panting, their tongues lolling from their mouths. Yemaya knelt on one knee. A female wolf slowly approached, her eyes gleaming brightly in the moonlight. Lips curled upward, exposing enormous teeth, and a low growl rumbled from her throat.

  "Yemaya," Dakota whispered, watching the pack closely. "Those… those are wolves. Be careful."

  Yemaya stretched out her hand, palm down. The female bent her head and rubbed her forehead against the palm. As if a sign, the remainder of the pack dashed in, knocking her to the ground.

  Dakota immediately jumped in and grabbed one of the wolves by the fur, trying to pull it off Yemaya. The wolf spun, lunging at her, fangs bared.

  "Cushna. Ho! Prieten!" Yemaya yelled. "Scalciat!"

  The wolf dropped as if shot. The rest of the wolves backed off and lay down. Getting up, Yemaya brushed the dirt from her trousers. Laughing softly, she took Dakota by the arm and pulled her forward.

  "Sorry, Dakota. Let me introduce you to my children."

  "Children? You call these children? They're wolves!" Dakota's voice trembled.

  "Yes, they are certainly that. They are friends, too. I think of them as my children since I raised their grandmother and great-grandmother before them. This is Regina. She is the alpha female and the leader of the pack. Voinic here is her mate. His name means Prince Charming. He loves to be loved, although he acts indifferent." Yemaya ruffled his fur. "Her three offspring are Tandru Simtire, which means gentle soul; Tanc, or brat; and Clovn, clown."

  Calling each wolf forward, one by one, she introduced them to Dakota. All but Tandru Simtire simply sniffed at her, then backed away. The young female wolf seemed more curious, though. After Sniffing Dakota's hand, she then set about inspecting the rest of her. Apparently satisfied, the wolf sat and stared into Dakota's eyes. Transfixed, Dakota was unable to look away. It was obvious the animal was highly intelligent.

  Yemaya watched the wolves closely. She wasn't sure how they would react to Dakota. Rarely did they appear when strangers were around, but their bond with Yemaya was so strong, their excitement so great, they couldn't resist the need to be with her.

  "Simtire likes you."

  "How can you tell? Maybe she's just trying to figure out what part of me to eat first," Dakota said, maintaining eye contact with the young wolf.

  "Well, first, she does not eat people. Second, if she did not like you, she would have backed off. As for eating you, there is a thought," Yemaya joked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  Blushing, Dakota tried to ignore the images racing through her mind. The temperature outside seemed to be getting a lot warmer.

  "Oh, great! So the others don't like me, huh?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation on the wolves.

  "Did I say that?" Yemaya laughed, aware that Dakota's heartbeat had increased considerably and decided to go easy on her. "Actually, they take longer to make up their minds. You have no reason to fear them. Should the need arise, they will even protect you."

  "That's comforting," Dakota said, turning slowly to look at Yemaya. "Can we go in now? I think I may need to use your bathroom," she joked halfheartedly.

  Laughing, Yemaya turned to the wolves and waved her hands toward the woods.

  "A se duce!"

  The wolves immediately jumped up and ran away, bouncing and playing like over exuberant kids.

  "Bathroom it is," Yemaya said, trying not to laugh.

  Both women turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

  "Good evening, Brother," Yemaya said, turning to greet the tall figure standing in the shadows a few feet away.

  "Good evening, Sister. I hope your trip was uneventful."

  "Quite. Shall we go inside so I can make the proper introductions?"

  Raidon stepped aside, allowing the two women to pass. Once inside, he motioned them toward the study.

  "Shortly, Brother. I think Dakota needs to freshen up a bit first."

  "Of course. If you will excuse me." Bowing slightly, he disappeared behind a large wooden door.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, the two women joined Raidon. A small fire blazed in the oversized fireplace recessed in the far wall. Shadows flickered as the flames danced across the wooden logs. Yemaya led Dakota to a soft leather couch, pushing her gently down before sitting next to her. Raidon walked to a large chair and sat, crossing his right leg over his left.

  "So, Yemaya, be so kind as to introduce me to your young friend," he ordered.

  Raising an eyebrow, she stared at her brother. He could be so pompous. Raidon smirked and acknowledged her thoughts with a nod.

  "Certainly. Dakota, this is my brother, Raidon Lysanne. Raidon, Dakota Devereaux, my friend."

  "A pleasure, Ms. Devereaux. Yemaya tells me you are a journalist. Perhaps I have read some of your work."

  "Probably not, Mr. Lysanne, and the name is Dakota."

  "As you wish, Dakota, and I am simply Raidon. You must be exhausted from your trip. Would you like to rest before joining us for dinner?"

  Dakota got the impression Raidon wished to talk with Yemaya alone. Rising to her feet, she nodded.

  "Actually, if someone would show me to my room, I'd like to unpack a few things."

  "I will show you to your room and the facilities. Excuse us, brother," Yemaya said.

  "Take your time. I have several reports to look over."

  Standing, Raidon bowed to the women before leaving the room.

  "Is he always so formal?" Dakota asked.

  "Always," Yemaya laughed. "But he can be so much fun to tease. I have only seen him relax around Reymone, his confidant. Now let me show you to your room."

  * * *

  Once Dakota was settled in, Yemaya returned to the study. Raidon was sitting by the fire reading a local newspaper. Once she was seated, he looked up and noticed how tired she looked.

  "You look exhausted."

  "The flight was long as well as the drive home."

  "You need to take better care of yourself. I've noticed your shows are getting more dangerous. Even you have limitations, Yemaya."

  "I am aware of that. I take all the necessary precautions to protect myself and my crew."

  "That's not my point and you know it," Raidon chastised. "I'm simply expressing my concer
n."

  Yemaya knew he was right and apologized. Raidon smiled.

  "You're mellowing. Does it have anything to do with the young woman?"

  "What is your point, Raidon?"

  "Just curious. You have never brought anyone to our home before, other than Sonny. I'm just wondering what this woman means to you. As a journalist, she is a threat to our people," he stated calmly.

  "As a friend, she is a guest in our home. As a guest, she will be accorded our hospitality and our protection. And as to what she is to me, that is my business."

  "I have responsibilities, Yemaya. While you travel the world, I must take care of business here. Any stranger in our household is my business."

  "Within limits. My limits. Understand me, Brother. My guest is none of your business. Do I make myself clear?" she demanded coldly.

  Laughing, Raidon smiled broadly.

  "You always make yourself perfectly clear. I've always respected your wishes. I have to admit, she's quite charming and very attractive. I'm not surprised you find her desirable."

  "She is a friend, Raidon. Nothing more," Yemaya said.

  "Whatever you say," Raidon replied, smiling knowingly. "Now to business. Sonny has managed to find out a few things but nothing about what happened to the platform, aside from what is on the police report. His sources tracked down a few leads through government contacts and discovered a man named Eddy Jones has been making a lot of inquiries about you. Your young friend has been checking on you, too, it seems."

  "She is a journalist. Naturally she would ask questions. She is working on an article about magicians and illusionists."

  "I have no doubt she is exactly who she says she is. I merely commented on her name coming up also. It seems she has a curious connection with this Jones fellow."

  "In what way?" Yemaya demanded, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees.

  "Apparently Jones works for a man named Robert Chisholm. Mr. Chisholm is the CEO of Wentworth Publications, who in turn owns the magazine Ms. Devereaux works for. A rather strange coincidence, wouldn't you agree?"

  "Merely coincidence and nothing more," Yemaya said dismissively. "Anything else?"

  "Yes, Jones attended some of your performances."

  Raidon handed Yemaya several snapshots. She looked at one photo and immediately recognized him as the man she saw at the Montreal show.

  "He was at my last performance. Dakota said he was also trying to take pictures of me in Charleston. It would seem he has been busy."

  "So it appears. We have managed to backtrack his movements from Miami to Charleston the day of the show. He then went to Atlanta that weekend and returned to Miami several days later before traveling to Montreal. He has again returned to Miami. This man definitely gets around. Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Chisholm lives in Miami?"

  "No. Why the trip to Atlanta?"

  "Perhaps this may have something to do with it."

  Raidon handed her a news clipping about a woman killed in the MARTA subway. Had it not been for the remark about her attending Yemaya's show, no one would have made the connection.

  "Sonny is really good. Remind me to give him a raise," Yemaya said. "So how does Brenda Simpson fit into this?"

  "I'm not sure. She attended the Charleston performance but has no apparent connections with anyone. We're still trying to figure that out. Perhaps you might see something we haven't. Take a look through the folder and see if something jogs your memory."

  Nodding, Yemaya leaned back and opened the blue folder. Several more pictures of Eddy Jones were in the file as well as two photos of an attractive older woman. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and dimples made her think of Dakota. It wasn't until she picked up Sonny's detailed report on Ms. Simpson that she felt uneasy. Brenda Simpson had been sitting one row behind Dakota's. She was also one seat number off.

  "When Dakota told me she saw a man fitting Jones's description, she said he was trying to take pictures. She looked directly at him after she saw the flash. Once he realized she had seen him, he left in a hurry."

  "Do you think he was after Dakota and got the wrong woman? Why would he kill Dakota just because she saw him taking a few photos?"

  "Why indeed, but we can't discount the possibility. If he does want her dead, he might make another attempt."

  "I don't think that's likely, Yemaya. Why would he connect her with you?"

  "Because Dakota was at my last show. When I was walking off stage, I stopped to look at her. I was about to step behind the curtains when I felt a presence, something sinister. That is when I saw this Jones character at the back of the theater. He was looking directly at Dakota. I could feel his fear, Raidon, and something more. He wanted her dead. I would have killed him then if I could have," Yemaya said coldly.

  "Most unlike you," Raidon said and chuckled, amused at her unusual display of emotion. "I don't think Dakota is in danger here."

  "Probably not," she agreed. Her people wouldn't betray any member of her family or their friends. Still there were others who could be bought for the right price. No place was completely safe. Sensing Dakota walking toward the study door, she handed Raidon the file.

  "We will not speak of this to Dakota. At least not yet."

  "As you wish, but I think your young woman is quite capable of taking care of herself under normal circumstances," he commented unexpectedly.

  "These are not normal circumstances. Until we find out what drives Jones, we keep this quiet."

  A light knock on the door interrupted Raidon's response.

  "Come in, Dakota," Raidon said, standing when she entered the room. "I trust your accommodations are satisfactory."

  "My room is beautiful, Raidon. Thank you."

  "Good. Then we can eat. You will lead the way, Yemaya?"

  * * *

  Dinner was a combination of salads, steamed vegetables, a sweet potato casserole, cheeses, and fresh bread. Dakota thought it was a strange combination, but after sampling each dish, she felt pleasantly full.

  "This was delicious Do you always eat like this?"

  "Like this?" Raidon asked.

  "I noticed no meat," Dakota said. "Not that I'm complaining."

  "Ah, yes. We rarely eat meat."

  "Are you vegetarians?"

  "No, we have our moments, but for the most part, we stick with this style of food. Do you wish meat at your next meal? I can have the cook prepare a nice cut of veal or lamb for you."

  "No, I kind of like this. I don't feel so stuffed," Dakota replied, patting her stomach. "Besides, I just might lose a few pounds on this diet," she joked.

  "You are fine just the way you are, Dakota."

  Blushing again, Dakota looked directly at Yemaya. "Thank you. Do you mind if I call it a night? I'm rather tired from the trip." As if to confirm her exhaustion, she barely had time to hide her yawn with her hand.

  "I think an early night would be good for me, too. Will you excuse us, Raidon?"

  "Of course. Sleep well Dakota. Sister."

  CHAPTER 10

  EDDY JONES arrived in Cahul with Chisholm's three henchmen. It had cost Chisholm $50,000 apiece to get them to agree to the trip. Another $10,000 expedited the paperwork and visas.

  Once in Cahul, Eddy managed to find out a few sketchy details about Yemaya's whereabouts. No one was eager to talk about her or her family. He was advised to go to Taraclia and given the name and phone number of a local man who could assist them further… for another $5,000. Within minutes arrangements were made to meet the individual.

  Chisholm didn't question Eddy's continual need for funds. He was well aware of the difficulty in getting cooperation in Moldova. The fact Jones had gotten as far as he had was impressive. Perhaps he underestimated the little man's abilities.

  The ride to Taraclia was long and monotonous. Eddy rented two local vehicles to make them less conspicuous. The group traveled together until they arrived at the town limits. Then Eddy gave the three men the address of a local motel with orders to stay there and
keep a low profile. Afterward, he drove to his contact's house.

  A middle-aged woman with graying hair answered the door. Stepping back, she motioned Eddy in and led him to a chair in the kitchen before leaving the room. Minutes later, a large fat man walked in, his head covered in the local headgear. A long beard, thick eyebrows, and a scar running through his right brow and down his right cheek gave him a sinister appearance.