He raised his hand without looking in her direction. “Yes, Angel, seriously. It’s just a question.” He looked at Grace. “Anything?”
Once again, she shook her head. “Nope. Never saw him before.” Then she grinned. “And I’m quite sure I would remember him if I had…mmm, mmm, mmm.”
Joe rolled his eyes and then motioned toward Rishi to close the image.
“Wait!” Ellie grabbed Joe’s arm, apparently transfixed on the handsome physique.
“You recognize him?” Joe asked.
“I…no…maybe. I’m not sure. There’s something familiar…” Ellie tipped her head to the left and then to the right.
“Well, of course there is!” Angel snapped, opening both hands toward the image. “It’s Rique! My brother. You saw his picture in my room last night.”
“Oh, sure, now I see it.” Ellie relaxed her shoulders, then took another long look as the image spun again to the backside. “He definitely grew up…and out. I mean, uh, you know…” She held her hands in a way that was supposed to represent broad shoulders.
Angel started laughing. “Yeah, I know. He’s pretty popular with the ladies up in D.C.”
Ellie propped her elbows on the table and dropped her chin into her hands, still staring at the screen. “I’ll bet.”
Then Angel turned her attention back toward Joe and Rishi. “And he may not be a member of this organization, but he would never do anything to hurt any of us. You know that, Joe. He’s helped us several times, and he would do it again. He’s constantly working to make himself a better Defender and a better person.”
Joe again motioned for Rishi to close the image, then looked directly at Angel. “Angel, he’s a big boy now. He doesn’t need you to protect him. And for the record, I have complete faith in Rique. I wouldn’t have invited him to join us—more than once, I might add—if I didn’t.” Joe consulted his tablet. “But he did drive to Atlanta six months ago and stayed for three days, so he was on the list. That’s all there is to it.”
Joe addressed the group again, “I knew it was unlikely that Ellie and Grace had seen any of these people; we just had to verify it.” He looked at Rishi. “So you found nothing anywhere to give us a clue about this kid Aiden?”
Rishi was shaking his head. “I tell you, Joe, nothing. Within hours, every trace of him disappeared from cyberspace. Somebody really knew what they were doing. Most impressive. Almost as good as me.”
Joe wrinkled up his forehead and thought for a moment. “Ellie, honey, I know your brain was scrambled, but do you remember anything that Aiden said or did that seemed really strange? Just take a minute, think about it.”
Ellie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She looked like she was trying really hard to remember, but then started shaking her head. “No, Joe, it was all just normal teenager chit-chat…” Her voice trailed off.
Grace grasped Ellie’s hands. “What, honey? There was something, wasn’t there? Tell us, even if it seems silly or unimportant.”
Ellie opened her eyes. “Well, there was this one thing. It’s probably nothing, but he said something about my eyes.” She turned to look at Joe. “He said I have my father’s eyes. But I don’t. Why would he say that?”
Chapter Eight: Jump Seat
Her father’s eyes. Hmph. Joe was still cogitating on that one three days later. First, the guy drugs Ellie with God knows what, and then he makes a crack like that. As if the little creep knew anything about Ellie’s father. Joe was looking forward to the day they tracked down that Aiden kid, so he could kill him with his bare hands.
Oh, okay, he wasn’t going to kill the kid. Just make him wish he were dead.
Joe rolled his head around on his neck, attempting to loosen the taut muscles, and kept walking the path toward the main livestock barn. He looked skyward, hoping to clear out those ugly thoughts with some brilliant April sunshine. There was still a chill in the air and enough breeze to keep him moving, but even the fresh smell of a springtime afternoon wasn’t going to take it all away. Between learning he had some kind of weak link in his organizational structure, and then, almost losing Ellie and Grace to unknown forces from the “dark side” of the Gifted gene pool…well, he’d had about all the stress he could handle this week, and now there was just a little more. Nothing quite so dramatic brewing up in D.C. this time, but enough to require a visit in person, and that meant convincing Grace to go along.
Although she’d been at the farm only a few days, Grace had already become a fixture in the barns and fields, plying her veterinary skills with the animals and experiments that Dr. Bianco’s departure had left in the lurch. When Joe couldn’t find her in the farmhouse, he knew just where to look.
Before he even reached the big barn building, he spotted her through one of the windows. Unaware that she was being observed, Grace labored aggressively, brushing down one of the Belties who was feeding from a trough. Joe paused for a moment. Watching her through the fuzzy glass, in her jeans and casual shirt, muddy sneakers, and hair in a pony tail, he could feel the years melting away. He thought of a day, nearly twenty years before, when he’d taken both Lucy and Grace to the State Fair. Lucy, the dainty and delicate intellectual, was awkward and uncomfortable around the big, smelly animals, while her baby sister boldly approached them and marveled at their majesty. Who knew that fascination would become her career?
He turned away from the window and walked the rest of the way to the side door of the barn. He took a few steps inside but stopped when he heard their voices laughing together. Doo was with her now, and they were sharing a moment over something the cow had done. Joe felt immediately uneasy, superfluous, and oddly intrusive. He shifted his direction, intending to retreat.
“Joe, come here!” Grace called out to him, her voice light and playful. “You have to see this crazy cow eating this seaweed. She actually likes it. Apparently, she’s got a more sophisticated palate than I have.”
Hiding his discomfort, Joe proceeded inside. “One of the research protocols?”
“Yes, sir,” said Doo with a smile. “We’ve been looking for natural tonics that might increase milk output without messing with these poor girls’ hormones.” He stroked the animal’s head. “Gilda here really seems to be taking to the seaweed. Her production is up 27%.”
“That’s great, Doo. I’m glad to hear you’ve been able to keep up the research without Bianco.”
Doo looked over at Grace as he answered, “You should thank Gracie. We couldn’t have done it without her.”
Gracie?
Why was he calling her Gracie? That was Joe’s thing. He and Lucy were the only ones who ever called her Gracie. Argh! What was this stupid, protective, selfish thing he kept feeling about Grace? He bit his tongue and framed a response, “Well, you might have to manage without her for a couple days.” He looked at Grace. “Angel and I need to make a quick trip to Washington. Something’s come up that we need to take care of right away. I thought, with things being the way they are right now, that it would be best if you and Ellie came with us.” He paused, then added, “For your safety, I mean.”
“Washington?” Grace looked up into her head, then slowly answered, “I suppose that would be all right. I don’t think Ellie’s ever been there. We could see the sights, do some shopping…”
Joe gave her a lopsided grin. “I was thinking more along the lines of meeting some of my esteemed colleagues at the Council. Fraser Lincoln will be there to talk about his latest algal pond experiments and a couple of top-notch archeologists from Germany, too, but…whatever you think.” Joe did not want to push her. Grace had always had a stubborn streak, and if he was going to change her thinking about Ellie’s future, he’d have to let her come to it on her own.
Grace laughed. “Uh, I think Ellie will be more interested in the Lincoln Bedroom than Fraser Lincoln, but sure, we can go. When do we leave?”
“First thing in the morning?”
She nodded. “I can do that. Of course, we’ll have to track down Ellie and drag her out of that basement amusement park over there.” Grace motioned back toward the farmhouse. “She’s been hounding those gamers and stalking the Shakespearean actors ever since we got here. But yeah, that’ll give me the rest of the day out here with Doo. We need to finish up our work with the cows and then do a few things with the geese before I could leave. Right, Doo?” She lightly touched Doo’s arm as she said it, and he gave her a nod and a broad smile in return.
And then Joe was really glad he was taking Grace away with him.
# # #
Archer Orucov scanned the roomful of well-dressed men and women, who were sipping drinks and snagging caviar and goat cheese hors d’oeuvres from silver trays carried by tuxedoed waiters. He was more than ready to exit this dreadfully dull congregation of congresspeople, but Kumika was nowhere to be found. He took another pull from his drink, then set it down on the nearest table in disgust. He wondered how a budget as bloated as that of the United States Congress couldn’t find room for a decent bottle of scotch.
A high-pitched cackle from the other side of the room caught his attention. He lifted his head and spotted her, crushed in a corner with Senator Warren Lathey. With her already long legs perched atop four inch heels, she towered over the man’s bushy gray head, positioning her small but firm breasts not far below his chin. The senator’s rosy cheeks beamed as he pressed closer to her, and though Archer couldn’t see for the crowd, he was guessing Lathey’s hand was firmly planted on Kumika’s slender behind. Her arm was casually draped over the man’s shoulder, and her black eyes sparkled, as she alternately laughed at his jokes and whispered in his ear. Archer had to look away to keep from laughing himself. Did the old codger really think a woman that beautiful and that intelligent was genuinely interested in him?
When Archer looked again, Kumi caught his eye over the old man’s shoulder, and with the subtlest of glances, told him her mission was accomplished. He turned and headed for the door, stopping only to shake a few hands on his way out.
Twenty minutes later, she slid into the limo beside him. He patted her knee. “Excellent work, my dear. For a while there, I didn’t think you’d reel him in.”
Kumika opened her beaded bag and fished out a lipstick case. She carefully traced the black-red color onto her lips, eyeing herself in the case’s tiny mirror, and only when she was satisfied with the job, did she respond. “Please. From the first minute, he was so-o-o in.” She dropped the lipstick case back in the bag and withdrew a folded envelope. She flattened it out and handed it to Archer. “Did you really doubt me?”
He grinned and shook his head. “You have never failed me yet. However…” He paused while he carefully tucked the envelope into his inside pocket, then continued, “We still need three more votes to get this project through. You and I have a lot more work to do.” She didn’t respond. Archer supposed she was looking for a more flowery acknowledgment of her success. He reached over and brushed her lower lip with his thumb. “This lovely mouth can do such amazing things.”
She dipped her chin then and looked up at him through her lashes. “Talking is not the only thing it’s good for.”
He gave her half a smile, but refused to give in to her attempts at distraction. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later, Kumi.” He rapped once on the wall to the driver’s section, and in a moment, the car began to move.
Kumika glanced out the window. “Where are we going?”
“We have one more stop to make.”
“Archer, it’s after midnight.”
He shrugged. “I got a message from Mondo.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You can’t see him tomorrow? I’m tired. My feet are killing me.”
“He said it had to be tonight. And Aiden’s meeting us there.”
She flipped her knees toward the door and folded her arms over her chest. “Oh, for God’s sake. Shouldn’t he be tucked in his little boy bed by now?”
Archer bit his tongue and didn’t answer. Kumika Asano was an alluring woman with a sharp mind, and surely an invaluable asset in his business dealings, but sometimes, her childish needs for attention and adoration were wearying.
They traveled the several blocks to Mondo’s divey little ristorante and entered through the back door. A short, but thickly muscled man in a too-tight t-shirt greeted them and ushered them down a hallway to a private room. The space was picture-book Italian restaurant: checkered tablecloths, dim lighting, half-melted candles, and a lot of bad art.
Three men were seated at the only occupied table in the room. The largest and eldest of the three, whose broad back was to them, turned to look when Archer and Kumika walked in. He immediately stood and greeted them. His voice was gruff, but warm, “Archer, my friend, I’m glad you could join us.” He briefly grasped Archer’s hand in both of his, then turned his attention to Kumika. He gave her a mock bow. “And Kumika, so nice to see you again.” His eyes scanned her body up and down, then he lifted her hand to his lips. “You look absolutely ravishing this evening.”
She reacted to the gesture with a wry smile. “Armondo, you’re so full of shit.”
He laughed out loud and reached for a chair for her, but then noticed the two younger men at the table had not moved. “Hey, whattsa matter, you two? Get up! There’s a lady in the room. Carlo, you got no manners?” He smacked the head of the one nearest him, and the lad quickly stood.