by Alexie Aaron
“We need confirmation that this book isn’t a hoax and that there are at least two other sources to tell us that this prophesy is real,” Mia said.
Chapter Eleven
Cid ran into the office followed by Lazar. Ted, irritated by the interruption, looked up. “What?”
“Have you received anything from Charles or Amanda?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t look at the mail, but I think the contract will be given to me at the meeting tomorrow. Why?”
“They think Piers Savatier or one of his minions got to Amanda. She may try to pass you a trigger. Mia wants you to wear gloves from this point on. Also, we have to be extra vigilant with the boys. And there is one more thing…” Cid looked at Lazar because he forgot.
“Father Santos has already been compromised,” Lazar said.
“How?”
“Gerald gave him a rosary with a spell on it before he met us in France.”
“So all of his concerns…”
“Were being spoon-fed to him from Gerald,” Cid said.
“So I’m not a fuckup in Father Santos’s eyes?”
“No. I think all of that was to get you to Idaho and cause problems between you and Mia. A very elaborate plan. What worries me is, this was their plan B. I’m sure there is a plan C and, worst yet, an exit plan.”
“Do we take the boys to the game?” Lazar asked. “There are a lot of people at the game. Lots of opportunities to snatch them.”
“We’ll be there. I think it would be harder for a team of Others to work with all those witnesses than to come after us here.”
“Why are we still a target?” Lazar asked.
“Because of Jake’s program,” Ted said. “The trial was delayed because of a dozen or so favors Gerald collected on. In the meanwhile, Jake keeps taking their assets away. The only way to stop Jake…”
“Is to get control of you,” Cid said.
“I’ll get the boys ready. Is Mia going to make it home in time?” Lazar asked.
“As far as I know, she’s coming home. I still have a ton of work to do before I can leave for the game, but I intend on going too.”
“You can stay home. We can manage the boys,” Cid said.
“No, this all may be a hoax of some kind. Ralph being paranoid and Amanda just being a pisser. I want to see my son play. Mia would be heartbroken she missed it.”
“You’re a good dad,” Cid said. “But you did have an excellent role model.”
“I’m a lucky guy,” Ted said and turned back to his work.
Cid knew better than to continue a conversation when Ted was in number mode.
~
Mia circled the ship a few times before she dropped down and pulled in her wings. The day watch was a bit surprised, but as she didn’t look threatening, he lowered his sword.
“Where did you come from, my beauty?” he asked.
Mia pointed up. “I tried to get your attention, but you were a bit busy.”
“Aye, Captain Waite likes decks as shiny as his boots.”
“And what great boots they are. I’m an old friend. Could you tell him Mia is here?”
“He’s in his cups, miss.”
“Oh dear.”
“He may not be fit for a lady.”
“She’s no lady,” Murphy said from the doorway. “Come on in and be sociable.”
Mia looked back to the first mate for permission.
“Go, get. But if he gets you in the family way, remember Old Glass Eye warned you.”
Mia nodded and walked quickly to Murphy who was weaving. “You don’t drink. What the hell, Murph?”
Murphy wrapped his arm around Mia and liked the way she felt. Mia bore his weight as best she could. His hand slipped down to her behind, and she slid it back up to her waist. She managed to haul him into the cabin. When her eyes adjusted, she found Captain Waite sitting at his desk with his feet up and another fella sprawled out on the floor.
“Captain Waite,” Mia said, dumping Murphy in a large chair. Murphy pulled her onto his lap. Mia jumped up and turned and warned, “Cut it out or I’ll prune you with a saber.”
Captain Waite laughed. “Aw, give him a kiss, Mia. You’ll find his parts in perfect working order here in the GSD, although a bit rum-soaked.”
“He doesn’t handle booze well. You on the other hand…”
“I’m very sober. What do you want?”
“I have two questions.”
“I’ll answer them, but it will cost you.”
“What will it cost me?”
“You kiss him and let him have his way with you.”
“Oh, for Neptune’s nightdress, I’m a married woman. How about these gold earrings?” she asked, taking hers off.
Waite looked and them and nodded. “I’ll take your gold.”
“What do you want to know?”
“You sold a black man an illuminated manuscript thirty years ago. Where did you come across it?”
“The one with the tricky pictures?”
“I think so. How many illuminated manuscripts have you come across… Wait, don’t answer that. It’s not my second question.”
“It came from an old temple. The Pride, she was wrecked in a storm, and we were looking for materials with which to fix her when we found this temple carved out of the side of a rocky cliff. Inside, it was dry and warm. We ventured further, and it opened up into a room where they had many books and clay pots and jars. The dust was horrible, and the spiders had all but taken over the place. I found the pretty box. It had a key sticking out. I opened it, and inside was the book. It had pretty wings on it. The more I stared at the wings, the more the letters made sense.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want his pecker inside? I could leave you. Harley’s passed out.”
“No thank you. I have a mission to complete. Why are you stalking the museum? Does it have anything to do with the vault brought here by the cargo ship?”
“Before I answer that, you’ll have to give me a kiss.”
“No, I don’t. I thought you were a gentleman. That’s who you appeared to be when I saved your butt from Captain Wall.”
“You’re not in a position to be giving me orders.”
“No, but I can cause you problems. I’ve kept quiet about your location. I don’t think you know what’s going to happen if they open that vault.”
“It has to be valuable to be guarded for so long. When they put it on the boat, the three came out of the fog. They and their horde tried to retrieve the treasure, but they were too late. I intend on taking it before they find their way here.”
“Who are they?”
“Payment first. I don’t see any gold on you. Undress and show me your charms.”
Mia unbuttoned her top button.
Waite sat up in anticipation. Murphy pulled himself out of his chair and stumbled over.
Mia reached in and grabbed Abigor’s gold chain. She pulled it out and dumped it on Waite’s desk. She rebuttoned her blouse and waited.
Murphy walked back over and slumped in the chair disappointed.
“Is that what I think it is?” Waite said, recognizing the necklace the previous captain was sporting before he was murdered.
“It’s payment for my question. Who are they?” Mia asked again.
“Odin, Vili, and Ve.”
“Thank you,” Mia said and turned to leave.
“Mia, let the farmer have a poke. A dead man’s seed won’t harm you none.”
“Not physically. But it will harm both of us emotionally. He was a proud man in life. He is an honorable man in death. You and the rum have made him forget who he is. I’m taking him with me. Don’t try to stop me.”
Captain Waite stood up.
“Romeo, Juliet,” Mia called, and two daggers appeared in her hands. “Let us leave, and I’ll not harm you or your crew.”
“I don’t know if he wants to leave with you.”
“If he doesn’t, I’m goi
ng to burn his forest down.” Murphy jumped to his feet and moved drunkenly into her arms. Mia opened her wings and closed them around them and disappeared.
“Did you see the blue fire in her eyes?” Harley asked from the floor.
“She’s a magnificent woman. One fit for a captain of a pirate ship.”
Mia was pissed. She flew directly home and landed in the aerie. She tossed Murphy on the guestroom bed and salted a circle around it. She stumbled into the bathroom and threw up. When she had recovered, she peeled off her clothes and ran a shower. She stepped in and scrubbed away the memory of Murphy’s drunken pawing on the way home. Mia sunk down into the bottom of the shower and cried.
He heard her crying, but he couldn’t get to her. She had salted him in. His axe was outside the salt ring.
Mia walked through the room and grabbed a set of PEEPs sweats. She picked up his axe and pointed at him. “The story is, I lost my balance and fell in the water. You laughed at me, and that’s why I’m so pissed at you.”
Mia took her clothes and put them in the guesthouse washer. She didn’t expect them to do well, expensive clothes rarely did unless dry-cleaned. She didn’t care because Murphy’s drunken exploits spoilt them for her. She felt dirty and used.
Mia dialed the museum. “Bernard, Mia. I talked to the guy who sold you the manuscript, and he confirms that it’s legit. Odin, Vili, and Ve are players in this saga. I left the truck at the museum.”
“I’ll make sure the lot manager knows.”
“I’ll pick it up when Ted comes tomorrow. Tonight, we’re going to forget all about conspiracies and concentrate on nachos and football.”
“Give all my best,” Bernard said. “I’ll let Mike know what you found out.”
“Thanks! I love you, bye!” Mia said in the happiest voice she could fake.
Mia then smudged the salt line. “Sleep it off or whatever ghosts do. We’re going to the football game,” she said before she slammed the door behind her.
Murphy sat up, walked over, and grabbed his axe. He felt woozy. Is this why his father took so many naps? He laid back down and passed out, holding on to his axe.
~
The Martin entourage arrived at the football stadium en masse. They turned heads as three handsome men and Crazy Cooper arrived carrying the two boys. They took their time moving through the milling crowd. Varden’s head moved back and forth as he looked at the lights, people, and listened to bits and pieces of conversations. Lazar introduced Robin Krouse to the Martin family.
“My little brother, David, is playing tonight. This is his senior year. He’s being looked at by a few college scouts.”
“Robin is a musician. She plays oboe,” Lazar said proudly.
“Oboe,” Varden repeated, liking the way it popped out of his mouth.
“He is so cute,” Robin said.
Brian lifted an eyebrow. He would later point out to Lazar that his girlfriend may have night blindness.
They moved forward in line. “You’ve got quite a group here,” Robin said. “How about I go and save some seats in exchange for a coke?” she offered.
“I’ll go with you,” Lazar said.
“She’s cute,” Ted said. “How long have they been dating?” he asked Cid.
“I’m not sure. He’s pretty closed-mouthed about it. You can tell that she’s smitten with him.”
“Dad, can I get down?” Brian asked.
“Sorry, sport, but I’m worried you’re going to get stepped on,” Ted said.
“Mom?” Brian tried.
“Sorry, but I’m the one who’s really worried,” Mia said.
They had reached the counter, and Brian was primed.
Rand spotted Cid and walked over to take their order. Brian pulled out a piece of paper and read off the group’s order, adding Robin’s coke on the end.
Rand started to leave to put the order together.
“Tell me, are you using plum or beefsteak tomatoes in your salsa?” he asked.
“Beefsteak,” Rand answered, intrigued.
“Why?”
“Plum are good for sauces because they break down, but in salsa, you want chunks of tomatoes.”
“What kind of onions?”
Rand answered that and the next five questions. She finally looked at the long line and held up her hand. “I’m sorry, Brian, but if you would like to come to the farm, I would be glad to show you how the salsa is made. I have to keep this line moving.”
“Very well,” Brian said. “If I must.”
One of the women in the other line sighed. “He’s so cute.”
Brian looked over and smiled.
“Dang, he’s working the crowd,” Cid said. “He spends too much time with Mike.”
Ted didn’t flinch at Mike’s mention; he didn’t hear what Cid said. He was calculating in his head. The arrival of their order pulled him back into this world. They moved towards the stands.
Brian waved at his fans at the concession stand as they left. “See, Varden, you’re not the only one who’s cute.”
They inched their way into the spots Lazar and Robin were holding. They had picked seats where there wouldn’t be anyone standing in front of them. Varden allowed Robin to take him while Ted and Mia got settled. Brian stood on his seat and looked around. He spotted Acalan and waved.
Cid turned around, worried who he was waving at. “Who is that?”
“Acalan. He’s an artist. He owns the art and paint store. He helped save us when the Others wanted to take the little boys,” Mia explained.
“Hero,” Varden said simply.
The band came out on the field, and people stood up for the National Anthem. Brian felt like he was a zebra in a herd of giraffes. When everyone sat down, he felt much better.
Varden cocked his head as if he was listening to something. Brian thought his brother looked a lot like his mom when he did that. He suspected his brother listened in on birdman calls, but he couldn’t prove it. Varden kept a lot of things to himself. In this way, he was like their father. Brian thought about a lot of things. Sometimes his brain was so full of wonder and questions that he thought he would burst. His mother seemed to understand and would sit down and tell him, “Sort through what is important now, what isn’t important, and what will wait until you have time to ponder.” What was important now was to support Dieter and the high school football team. He would worry about why his dad didn’t think about why his mom came home without her truck, and soaking wet, later.
Mia loved the excitement of the game. She quickly caught on to the local cheers and participated in them. She was so infectious, everyone around her caught on to her energy and their portion of the stands won the first quarter cheering contest. Brian stayed with the men when Mia ran Varden to the bathroom.
They were successful. Mia all but danced out of the ladies’ room with Varden. She stopped to let a procession of teens walk by them. They inched their way to the fence and watched as Dieter caught a ball.
“Why are you here?” Lisa Lane-Cordoba asked behind her.
“My son, Dieter, is playing. Besides, isn’t it a great night to watch football?”
“That black kid is yours?” Lisa asked.
“Excuse me, Dieter is my son, and I don’t appreciate your tone,” Mia said.
Lisa was on a mission. She was going to humiliate Crazy Cooper in front of the hometown fans. “Then who’s kid is this?”
“This is my son. My other son goes to school with your daughter.”
“Which one of those men you hang with is this one’s father? Shall I try to guess?”
“It’s actually quite easy,” Mia began. “My husband and I have two boys naturally and have adopted Dieter.” Mia tried to move by Lisa with Varden, but Lisa stepped in her way.
“I heard you were a prostitute, and all these children are from your johns.”
“Then you need to get your hearing checked. Excuse me, I’d like to get back to my family.”
Lisa lunged at Mia and pu
lled her hair, just missing hitting Varden by inches.
“This has to be phony!”
“Excuse me!” Rand Templeton’s voice hushed the crowd. “Mrs. Lane-Cordoba, let that woman’s hair go.”
“Stay out of it. This is Crazy Cooper. I’m just trying to make her scream.”
“The only one that appears to be crazy is you. Let go of her hair, and either return to your seat or I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Mia pulled her hair out of Lisa’s grasp. “I’m sorry, Varden, not all people here are as rude as this lady.”
“Don’t you know who I am?” Lisa shouted.
“You have a child in preschool with my other son. I’m sorry I don’t know your name,” Mia lied. “Should I?”
“You little bitch!” Lisa lunged at Mia but was stopped by Susan Braverman. She and Deb Brooker were on volunteer gate duty. They dragged the fuming Lisa out of the common area and out the gate. “I’ll get you, Crazy Cooper. Whore! Bitch! Slag!”
Mia held her son to her chest and covered his exposed ear. She nodded her thanks to Rand, turned around, and concentrated on the field of play. Varden listened to Mia’s heartbeat that clearly showed she was angry.
“Mommy’s mad.”
“Yes, but if I show it, she will win. Watch the game. Mark has the ball, and all the big guys are chasing him. Come on, Mark! Woo hoo!” she said.
“Woo hoo!” Varden repeated.
Cid, who had heard it all, debated if he should have come down and defended her. But that was Ted’s job. Rand stepped up and helped Mia out. Mia could have killed her abuser easily, but she just kept her cool. He turned and saw Lazar had left his seat. Robin and he made their way down to Mia. They stood on either side of her and cheered for the home team.
Ted sat there holding on to Brian who had fallen asleep. He seemed oblivious to what was happening around him. Cid had seen it before. Ted was numbers-numb. He was working on a problem in his head and didn’t fully take in what was going on around him.