“I have tried to be patient and wait her out, but in light of this news, I am calling on all of your assistance to reason with her. I need to be with her. I have to protect her.”
No one said a word for several moments, unsure what to say or do. Granny James stood slowly and walked over to Kenann and sat where Danny Mac had vacated. Granny took her hands and Kenann looked at her, tears beginning to brim her eyes.
“Granny,” was all she said.
“Sweetheart, I have watched you grow up. I have seen you close yourself off from emotional pain in order to survive the gypsy lifestyle your parents created for you.”
Kenann’s parents worked for the National Geographic Society and died in a plane crash doing their jobs earlier that year. Kenann grew up being home schooled all over the world. She never put down roots or allowed herself the luxury of becoming close with anyone, even her emotionally distant parents.
Granny James continued. “I know you love Danny Mac. And I also know you can trust him.” She looked up and met Danny Mac’s eyes before returning her gaze to Kenann.
“There is no reason to shut him out. I know you are afraid but let’s do this, honey.”
Kenann looked down for several moments. No one breathed. She looked up and met Danny Mac’s eyes. “Okay.”
He started. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
Everyone was on their feet talking at once. Carter, forgotten, sat glaring in confusion at the activity surrounding him. Danny Mac and Kenann were in their own bubble at that moment oblivious to the chaos in the room.
He whispered, “Are you sure, Kenann. I know I strong armed this.”
“Oh, Danny Mac, I’ve been silly. Granny is right. I am just scared. And I refuse to be ruled by fear anymore. We will meet our life head on–whatever it holds- together...”
He brought her fingers to his lips. “I love you.”
Andy looked at Judy. “Does this give you any ideas?’
“If that’s a proposal, you’re going to have to do better than that, buddy.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The “girls” were congregated upstairs at Mrs. Gage’s house in a cozy room none of them had seen before. Kenann wondered if Mrs. Gage herself has seen all the rooms in this monstrous house. Mrs. Gage herded them out shortly after Kenann had agreed to marry Danny Mac.
Sitting in a circle with Judy, Granny and Kenann, Mrs. Gage said, “Kenann, dear, I am so relieved and happy you have made this decision.”
“Relieved?”
“Well, perhaps not the best choice of words but it concerned me that you would succumb to fear and thwart any effort at this happiness. And to be honest, I agree with Danny Mac. You need protected.”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Granny James agreed and placed her small hand over Kenann’s. “I think there is something evil after you. You need someone strong who can protect you in the earthly realm and a spiritual warrior to defend you in the celestial realm. Danny Mac is both of those.”
“Granny, do you honestly believe I am being attacked by something demonic?”
“You may find it hard to believe but, in a word, yes.”
Mrs. Gage weighed in. “I do not begin to understand the spiritual aspects the way Moira or Danny Mac do, but I have been around the world several times and have seen things that defy any earthly or physical explanation. So, I am inclined to agree that the possibility exists. If their own press is to be believed, this society has wielded a lot of power through the millennia.”
Granny James added, “The Bible itself says that the ancient gods and goddesses that were worshipped were actually demons. I think we need to be alert on all fronts.”
Judy sat listening until now. “Okay, we may have to battle the forces of evil but right now we have a wedding to plan.”
“Yes!” was the unanimous chorus. Kenann giggled.
* * *
The “boys” remained downstairs in the den. After the usual back slapping and congratulations for finally wearing Kenann down, they got down to business.
Carter made perfunctory congratulatory remarks and then asked Danny Mac, “What do you make of the things Kenann told you?”
“I knew something was off with her and couldn’t put my finger on it, but I kept reminding myself she killed a person. The big question now is who or what is doing these things to her because I believe something is actually happening.”
“I can guarantee it is.” All eyes turned to Carter. He went on. “I didn’t want to say too much in front of the women.”
Andy laughed and said, “You’d better not let them catch you saying that.”
Jake chimed in and winked at Andy, “Full and equal partners. Gabrielle will have your hide.”
Carter did not appear to see the humor. Danny Mac was very quiet too as he waited to hear what he had to tell them.
“There have been multiple killings recently across the globe. That is what brought me here today. They appear too random for the major news agencies to pick them up, but they are all people on our short list to talk with about this Society. They are tying up loose ends and you folks are definitely loose ends to them.”
Danny Mac asked, “Do you think they are planning something big?”
“No, I think they probably were but they’re on the defensive now. Their sole objective is the preservation of their Order. I just wish I knew what they were all about.” Carter paused and looked at Danny Mac. “Kenann is the key, you know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you willing to let me use that … her to bring them down?”
“Only if you use me to protect her.”
“Could I stop you?”
“No.”
“Then let’s work together. She won’t be safe till this bunch is brought down. None of you will be for that matter.”
“What’s the plan?” Jake asked.
“I am counting on Danny to help me out with that.” Danny Mac simply looked at Carter but was already working on that plan in his head.
Andy had been watching Danny Mac closely as he talked, thinking about all the times Danny had been their squad leader in the Marine Corp. It felt good to be here with him again even though Danny chafed at the idea of being back in this business.
Carter said, “Call Angelo.”
“David,” Danny Mac reminded him absently. He remained lost in his own thoughts.
“Well, whatever you call him now, he may be the only one who can pinpoint who is leading the group now. We need to jog his memory some more.”
Danny Mac considered, “With Katerina and Pierre out of the picture, I cannot think who would want to target Kenann in particular. All of us were culpable for the discovery of this society.”
“Kenann was considered to be fulfillment of prophecy, right?” Carter asked.
Danny Mac responded. “By Pierre. I can’t say by anyone else. It seemed most of the people around him were simply indulging his fantasy. But to be honest most of the ones I met were simply his muscle.”
“Someone must have believed in Pierre or he would not have risen to the top of this society. If he thought she was Inanna, it is possible others continue to believe it. We have no way to know with whom he communicated about his belief in Kenann. But one thing seems certain, someone is intent on getting their hands on her for some reason.”
“Over my dead body,” Danny Mac said without humor.
“Until this is over, all of you are getting a security detail and for goodness sake, get that girl wedded and bedded so we can get on with this.”
He did not see the look of irritation on Danny Mac’s face.
CHAPTER NINE
Since everyone Kenann or Danny Mac cared about was right there, he told her there was no reason to wait. He also didn’t want to give her time to change her mind. She did occasionally resemble a deer in headlights but clamped down on her fears with the help of Granny. They met all the requirements of the State of Tennessee. Jake had his license to perform marri
age ceremonies. The only thing left was the finery. Mrs. Gage had this well in hand. She orchestrated this the same way Patton marched the Third Army through Germany.
All the men were fitted with tuxedos. Once Kenann mentioned her favorite colors were mauve and navy blue, the flowers and decorations were obtained in short order. All that remained were gowns. This required a bubble of time for the ladies to thoroughly enjoy the experience. They were going to have their day. Mrs. Gage insisted on taking care of all costs saying she had more money than she could spend in two lifetimes and she was going to spend it the way she wanted. No arguments.
The night before the grand excursion Kenann thought she heard something on the front porch. She went into the main hall and with the ever-present security watching out for her, she had no qualms about opening the front door. Standing looking up at her was a huge yellow dog. He was bigger than a retriever but had the look of one with a strong handsome face. They simply stood staring at each other for several moments. Then the dog dropped his head and trotted into the foyer and turned into the open door to her apartment. Kenann stood looking after him amused.
“Well, make yourself at home, buddy.”
She followed him into the room and the dog was standing in the middle of the floor watching her as if waiting for a command.
“Don’t you look rough and ready?” The dog wagged his tail. She was smitten. “Okay Rough, we have to lay down some ground rules. I am getting married this weekend. There will be no sleeping in my bed. Well, not for a while. Are you house broken?”
He barked. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Danny Mac came through the door. “Hey, that’s the dog.”
“Yes, his name is Rough, and he has adopted me.”
“Hello Rough. No sleeping in our bed.”
“We have already discussed that. He tells me he is house broken.”
Danny Mac smiled. “That’s good. What does he eat?”
“No clue.”
Danny Mac walked over and ruffled the dog’s head. “You’re a big guy, aren’t you? Where do you come from? Well, no matter. You looked out for Kenann, so you are golden.”
“No pun intended?” Kenann laughed.
“Yeah, he’s a Golden Retriever on steroids. Why are you calling him Rough?”
“It’s short for Rough and Ready.” She dropped to her knees and put her arms around his neck nuzzling him. His tail beat a tattoo on the back of the couch. She looked up at Danny Mac and smiled. His heart clenched. He could not remember existing before she came into his life.
Kenann saw the look of love come over Danny Mac as he looked down at her and she knew she was making the right decision at the right time.
“Look, Danny Mac, we have started our little family.”
He dropped to his knees. He wasn’t sure they would hold him. He put his hand on Rough’s back to steady himself.
“We haven’t really talked about kids.”
Kenann burst out laughing. “Look at the big bad Marine scared out of his wits. Down, tiger, I was not suggesting kids.”
“Well, don’t you want any?” Now he felt defensive.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t planning on getting married so the whole kid thing has never been on my radar. What do you want?”
“Well, I guess I am the same as you. Looks like we both have some thinking to do.”
Hoping bravado would help distract her from her fears, she gave Danny Mac a wicked grin and said, “I can’t think past the honeymoon.”
CHAPTER TEN
The women met at Mrs. Gage’s estate for high tea before leaving to go to the wedding boutique. She outfitted each of them with a special hat from her own wardrobe to complement their outfits, and they “retired to the veranda” to be served tea and biscuits. They giggled like children playing dress up and compared notes on their respective body guards. Mrs. Gage seemed more relaxed than any had seen her, and she talked about some of her adventures over the years. No one interrupted beyond comments designed to encourage her to continue.
She told them of the death of her first love fighting the Soviets in Hungary and the years following when she had not a care for her life or anything in it. It was at this time she met her husband. Mr. Gage was the origin of her current wealth. She was young and spirited. He was several years her senior and very charming. What she did not share was she soon learned his charm masked a darker side. Sadistic. He gloried in subjugating her in private. In public he was the epitome of deference and consideration. In private he laughed at her tears and made her beg for even the slightest kindness. She never knew why she stayed. It was not for the money. It meant nothing to her then and even now it was simply a means to other ends. She believed in keeping promises and she had made a vow before God. It was probably as simple as that.
When he died after five years of marriage, she felt defeated. She had never been able to get him to love her. As the final insult, she found out from his lawyer he had been in the process of writing her out of his will. Since it was not finalized when he dropped dead on the golf course, she inherited it all.
It took her a year or two to recover. When she finally awoke to herself, she vowed she would never let someone control or affect her that way again. Looking back, she did not think she ever loved him, but had been desperate to belong to someone or something. She eventually found her meaning in helping others. And in ways no one else could or would. It was during these years she honed a craft of subterfuge and a network of resources that enable her to impact peoples’ lives on a global scale. When Kenann jokingly called her an International Woman of Mystery, she had no idea how close to the truth it was.
Mrs. Gage revealed none of this except to recount funny or poignant episodes that dotted her history. She had them all laughing and shaking their head at her hutzpah. Granny James reached over at one point and laid her hand over Mrs. Gage’s.
“Gabrielle, you are a wonderful woman who deserves everything you give to others. When are you going to let Jake into your life on a permanent basis?”
“Oooohhhhh Mrs. Gage. We could make it a double ring ceremony?” Judy laughed.
Mrs. Gage deflected with, “Or a triple!”
Judy blushed and Kenann jumped on this as Mrs. Gage intended. Granny James gave Mrs. Gage a knowing look. Mrs. Gage responded with the slightest of shrugs.
Kenann slapped Judy on the shoulder. “What’s the dish, Crawford? You and the strapping G man going to make it official?”
“One shotgun wedding at a time if you please.”
“Hey, what do you mean? This is not a shot gun wedding.”
“Oh please, if you don’t go down that aisle, Danny Mac is coming after you with both barrels!”
Mrs. Gage clapped her hands after the laughter subsided. “Come on ladies, let’s go paint the town.”
* * *
The women had the time of their lives. They had never laughed so much or felt so carefree. It may have been a conscious effort in light of the troubles that lay ahead. Regardless, they had fun. They came back to Mrs. Gage’s estate loaded with parcels and bags. Kenann and Danny Mac had decided to marry at Mrs. Gage’s house, so the women laid out everything they needed for the next day’s events.
“Well, my dears, we have had a banner day. What say ye now?”
Judy spoke up, “We could have a slumber party?” Kenann was amazed at the change in Judy.
“Excellent idea. Moira, Kenann, are you in favor?”
Both agreed so she dispatched everyone back to their homes (with security detail in tow) to fetch pajamas and bring their junk food of choice. Granny James and Kenann were laughing as they entered the foyer outside Kenann’s apartment. Both stopped dead in their tracks and then began forcibly jockeying for front position in order to protect the other one. They had almost wrestled each other down in the attempt, when Danny Mac came in behind them. He started to laugh until he saw the reason for their antics. He put them bodily outside on the porch while he and Rough began securing the area.
It was a mess. Things were pulled off walls and shelves and strewn over the floor. The most disturbing sight was the word ‘Whore’ written in what looked like blood splatter on the large window at the top of the stairway landing.
Kenann and Granny James stood in the doorway watching the stealth and control with which Rough and Danny Mac worked together. No one made a sound until they came back down the stairs and walked out on the porch joining the women and their bodyguards.
“What do you make of this, Danny Mac?” Granny James asked.
“It wasn’t a robbery. To be honest, it looks like someone had a huge temper tantrum.”
“You think?” Kenann said sarcastically.
“Kenann, we cannot let them get to us. We are going through with our plans.”
She did not look convinced but nodded anyway. Granny James took her by the arm. “Danny Mac will have to call the police and deal with all of that.” Granny James looked at him, “I’m sure he will also call Andy.” Danny Mac nodded. “Let’s get our things and go back to Gabrielle’s. Danny Mac and Andy can come later and let us know what they find. All right?”
Kenann nodded again and allowed herself to be led up the stairs past the blood spatter. Rough looked up to Danny Mac who sensed his attention. He looked down.
“I know, boy, I am worried too.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Andy and Danny Mac stood in the foyer watching the local law enforcement exit to their vehicles. Andy thought they did a decent job with their investigation. Neither he nor Danny Mac volunteered any information regarding who they knew to be the perps. This one will go down as unsolved as far as the Memphis police would ever know. The two men standing shoulder to shoulder now would take care of this – guaranteed.
Danny Mac spoke quietly. “I found out how they were tormenting Kenann with voices and screams.”
“Really? How?” Andy asked.
Danny Mac produced two small transmitter/receivers from his pants pocket. “I found these in Kenann’s bedroom and bath during my sweep earlier.”
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