She barely noticed the cries of the tall bird’s that scattered in a thunderous mass towards the sky. The Sandhill Cranes were here in the spring for only a month or so, their numbers in the hundreds of thousands. She so desperately wanted to come to this area and see the spectacular sight of them. She thought to herself, ‘if I ever make it out of this I will heed the warnings of talking to stranger no matter how nice they seem.’ She stumbled and fell in the mucky water. She could hear boots near, but couldn’t see her pursuer. She could however, make out an electric crackle. Was it the same one that had been used on her for all those days ago when she was flagged down and the stranger asking her help? How much juice do those things have in them? She wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to stick around to find out. Make a choice, and follow through. She jumped to her feet and took off from the marshy Platte to the wooded area in hopes of losing the maniac following her.
It was the wrong choice. The birds had given her escape route away, the hunter had guessed the way she was running and was getting in place. To the hunter, this would be a game of catch, release, and subsequent kill. The other two were quick kills, no real planning. This one would be mourned. There will be web pages when it was over mourning her. Before that the articles’ and sound bytes of families and friends will be begging for her to come home safe. Pity, their pleas will go unanswered. Crouching low the hunter in pounce position, she blindly ran past, the hunter was unseen.
A hand shot out of the dark. She was down; in one fluid motion the hunter was upon her, unsheathed the knife and cut her throat. Face down in the peat and slime the hunter reveled in the soft spurt then flow of her blood. After regaining composure, the hunter went to work on her body.
************************************************************************
Shooting straight up in bed drenched in sweat all Olivia could do was wonder if she could make it to the bathroom in time. The images of the hunter slicing that poor girl’s flesh vivid. Feeling the girl’s terror and fury to live, it was all too real to be just a dream.
Olivia‘s husband woke along with his wife, all too accustomed to these nights. It took an understanding and accepting person to sleep next to someone whose dreams have solved kidnappings, located the living and dead, murders, and missing items with uncanny accuracy. He knew all this about her before saying “I do.” After all, she was a world renowned author, lecture and intuitive.
Knowing that tonight was different then the nine years of night terrors about the young Katy. The case that in her opinion got away, her biggest failure haunted her most nights. It was one of the reasons they were in this small town, to get away from the spotlight. To her she had she realized one small clue an hour earlier, that little girl’s sanity would have been salvaged. In reality, the local police refused to zero in on one of their own, instead of chased shadows till it was too late, she would be intact had they listened. A seasoned detective finally gave in and listened to her pleas, but only after Major Wolfe intervened. He had a way of making anyone listen to him and reason, but it was still too late. The sheriff was a pedophile that had kidnapped, tortured, and left the little girl die in hopes of no witnesses. Her body survived the ordeal, her mind seemingly lost forever due to the trauma.
Olivia had seen the story on the news when they were on holiday, and had picked up on the little girl. Nine days of begging the law to listen, she finally played the card she knew would work. She had Major Wolfe come in person. Media had swarmed the area news broke it was the senators daughter that was taken. It took one sly reporter to recognize Olivia, and the media began to focus on the fact she was there, twisting it to the point the family began asking for her help. One hour could have made all the difference to Katy. To this day, some in the town cannot believe that two plus two equals the sheriff. Shortly after Katy was institutionalized, Olivia refused public appearance when ever she could, fulfilling only the book obligations left in her contract. This was a stark contrast to the person who loved presenting and writing for so many years. Matters only getting worse two years ago to the point the only way she would help out was behind the scenes or via the internet when the program would ask for assistance. So far so good, living incognito pseudo rural Nebraska
She felt she was dealing quite well with living out of the spotlight, preparing for their first litter of Havanese puppies from Smokey and Hope. Hope, going into her second heat was finally ready to be bred. She was given as a gift from Wolfe shortly after they moved two years ago, and she was a former show dog just like Smokey. They were the perfect couple and were expecting a litter of 5 pups according to the X-ray.
After a few minutes of dry-heaves she came back her side of the bed plopping down and sobbing. She turned to her husband, he knew then it was for sure not about Katy. She was focused on something and it was big. What was the connection to her, the touchstone? There was always some kind. Katy’s touchstone was her small coin purse that Olivia by chance found and turned in at the town’s local mall office. Other times it was a simple news broadcast, or an article in a paper, as it was with the set of painting from a Dutch museum heist.
Something about the area in the dream rang a bell in her mind. Was the touchstone a place she had in common with the girl, this person calling themselves the hunter, what? She has been all over the world. Crap. It was time to make use of her bedside recorder and record the dream. Then write it all down while it was fresh in her mind. Look for the tiniest details she may have over looked.
Her husband knowing this was going to be another all night event, left for the spare room next to their son to get some sleep. She shut the door and began the all too common prep work of switching on the recorder and surrounding her self in the while light of the Holy Ghost. Having to relive this one was going to be painful physically as well as emotionally; she grabbed her ancient teddy bear.
Time passed, as she opened her eyes, the sun was peaking over the hill behind her home. Had she really been recalling for four hours? She looked down, pages filled, pages she once again didn’t remember writing. Now it was time to review all that was written and hope there were details to narrow down the location of the crime. So much for sleep till her son is off to school and her husband off to the lab for the day. Her brain needed a bit of caffeine, the one vice she refuses to break.
Down in the kitchen, she hit the button on the coffee machine for her husband. She pulled out the milk and got the steamer ready for her hot chocolate. The beeper went off for the coffee; her husband would be down any minute. Foot steps from above coming towards the stairs indicated that Cade was on his way for his morning cup. The uncomfortable dance was about to begin. She dreaded this moment, but looked forward to human companionship at the same time.
Cade trudged down the steep and narrow stairs case in the old farm house. At each step the weight of his feet on the ancient farm house made a squealing noise. It was like nails on a chalkboard to Olivia, she wished he would take the time to fix it. Fat chance of that till this project was over with. The house could fall apart, Cade wouldn’t notice with his one track mind when he was neck deep in any project. He was rubbing his head in time with each step giving the illusion his head was making the noise. She cracked a smile and went to get his coffee for him. It was the least she could do after all but banishing him from his own bed once again last night.
“You cup o’tar dear.” He liked his coffee black and thick. When it comes down to morning drinks in their house, it was either you like what the other is having, or you detest it. She hated coffee, too much caffeine made her hyper, moody, then quickly sleepy. It clouded her mind. A hot chocolate on the other hand gave her the kick start she needed in the morning without the nasty after effects. He snatched up the cup and sat down at on one of the island bar stools.
Thinking she would head him off at the pass, she handed him the notes she wrote. He scanned them, and as usual, took notes from her notes. Her brilliant sounding board, he usually could look and listen to things with fresh eyes and not criticize. Being a speed reader was a huge help. His great epiphany this morning was, “Well we know it’s not the desert. The murder likely occurred in this country by the sound of your voice while recording reenactment. My guess is she is from the Midwest , ‘…get out of this alive,’ gave no noticeable accent from our own. Usually you take on what ever dialect and accent of the case you are on. You are on a case now, aren’t you?”
“Damn, I know I married you for a reason, I over looked that. Thank you!” He blushed. Refilling the cup of coffee, he glanced at his watch. Almost time to go off to the lab another day at work.
“We are finalizing those panic chips today. We could have them in mass production in months if the marketing executive is impressed this afternoon.” The chip idea spawned off a case that hit very close to home. Young men disappearing from bars, only to wind up dead in the river days, weeks, even months later. Police said, all tragic deaths were related to too much drinking. When in fact the deaths were no drunken accidents at all they were murder. It was a mentally deranged man “cleansing the wayward boys” by drugging, kidnapping and submerging his victims in the water. The last potential victim had felt someone was following him for a few weeks. While at the bar one night he called his neighbor to come pick him up. Cade was not there that night, but his young wife was.
Upon the phone connection with her a touchstone was created. Olivia saw the whole scene beginning to play out. She urged him to call the police and get to the hospital. He had been slipped a drug to incapacitate him; the bartender would ask him if he needed to sleep it off. Taking him in the back room and out the back door to his trunk, tie and gag him, then on break bring him to the river and drown him. God had told him he was to, ‘cleanse the sinners.’ What these, at least nine young men had done other then drink a bit too much was up for debate still to this day over twelve years later. The young man heeded what she said and got the call to 911 out just before he began losing himself to the drugs placed in his drink. He was rushed to the hospital and when he awoke gave a description of the man behind the bar to the police. Cell phones were not as common place back then, but gaining popularity. What if those other men had had them, could they have called for help? This event spawned the idea in Cade for a discrete location chip for humans.
The idea blossomed into a panic button for children, after the fifteen year anniversary of the Jacob Wetterling abduction. Amazing how ones ideas change when you have a child of your own.
Privacy advocates have been screaming about and putting the chips forward progress back for the better part of a decade ‘personal infringement the cried’. It was only after yet another mass rash of child abductions and murders did the complaints quiet down, but never completely gone. The truce was met, for those under the age of eighteen. What if your child’s watch, back pack, or favorite bracelet had a panic button in it? Hidden, so if there was ever trouble, it would flash up and alert police as well as the parents to the location. The GPS chip could be turned on at any time to locate said child. With the plain GPS version being used as the new micro chipping for pets, replacing the old out dated identification chips of years past. All the information from the old chips put in conjunction with a locater. The technology was affordable and accurate, for those who wanted to not lose their pet. It made a small fortune for the McCann’s. The pet panic version got through the privacy people with out a blink, Cade’s company hoped this new version for kids would pass the scrutiny and be able to be marketed; not just for the bottom line, but the betterment and safety of children.
“Well dear, I am going to go to the lab for a bit. Could you get ----- off to school in time for your interview? I know it’s my day to do it, but with the guys coming this afternoon, I want everything perfect. Zane got back into town last night and I have to get info from him and bring him up to speed when he gets in at noon. Good luck with the interview today, and don’t fret about it; Heather will keep them in line. She knows how touchy the program is about divulging too much.
Don’t forget to contact Wolfe; don’t delay, from the looks of it this hunter’s victim is not his first.
Try to get some rest right now, really. I will think of some of the places it could be while we are having down time.” And he was off to the lab on the other end of the property.
She went in to lie down, only after checking on her son yet again. A habit of comfort to rest a mind that would never get over a night two years ago, when a mad man had stalked her and tried to abduct her and her son while her husband was on an overnight trip. She still couldn’t bathe or take a shower when the sun went down without her husband in the house. Anxiety and panic attacks or post traumatic stress disorder she still couldn’t take a shower or bathe after the sun went down with out her husband in the house.
What ever illness you want to call it that was the last night that they had spent in their posh home. So, from eastern Nebraska off to live in the in flat farmland of central Nebraska
With Smokey at his post at the door way of her sons room, now across from their own, and Hope I spending more and more time in the whelping box her goal was to get a quick power nap before it was off to school for her son, and then onto the online teleconference. She hoped her dreams would reveal more of the latest dream, what was that touchstone? She needed more information before she went to her contact with the information of this hunter?
Her son safe in his bed, both dogs safe and sound in respective areas, she crept to her own and was asleep as her head hit the pillow. She woke an hour later refreshed and ready to get to work.
Olivia knew it was time to touch base with her contact in the government. The go to for all her premonitions. He was the liaison with the local police. She copied all her notes in the scanner and uploaded her voice notes as he taught her long ago. Sending them off into cyberspace to a man that for all practical purposes didn’t even exist. She waited as long as she could for him to reply. Darn it all Wolfe, I am going to be late getting ----- to school.
************************************************************************
The hunter was reveling in the latest kill. The stupid cow had agreed to meet with the hunter’s online persona. In hope of making a true movie, not just the sleaze she had been making. Making all her money by not just taking her clothing off, but also by letting people defile her body over and over and posting it on the internet. She thought that is how she could make easy money. Silly cow, didn’t she realize that any sick person could see the smut she was posting, get fixated to the point of ignoring his family, there would be hell to pay. Silly cow, thinking it was not a crime, she would be safe. She was dead wrong, The Hunter laughed at the pun. The lock of hair cut from her head, placed with her picture and with the other three whores in the book of death. Written and created by the hunter for the hunter.
It was unbelievable that there was another one already. The hunter was shocked it was seemingly one of their own. Looking at the online history in disbelief how long had the hunter known this woman, not even realizing what she was? Time blanked out more and more with the hunter. This one was living so close, almost close enough to touch. The family was fairly new to the community, but had made an impact with her husband generating so much for the small local economy with his business. She was taking her place in the ranks of the PTO, organizing. How many other men were lusting after this imperfect whore? Who sold herself online, not in the traditional way as the others, but still sold pieces of herself none the less. The hunter would try to make contact with her, and see if she was truly worthy of being a chapter in the book of death.
Mrs. Olivia’s perfect little family, the husband that adores her and the son that is eerily smart for his age.
For three days the hunter has been sitting and waiting for the twenty-four hour news networks to pick up coverage of the latest woman any connection at all to all of the others. Had the cold weather kept everyone out of the far ends of the massive feedlot? It was beyond comprehension that the hunter’s wonderful pet projects had not been connected. Maybe with this one the nation will stop and take notice. Someone was coming, time to leave, and not enough time to get rid of the images and clear the history.
***********************************************************************
Six months earlier
Sitting outside at the drive up coffee café, the women are giggling. Olivia is sitting with only close friend in the area. She could feel the pain emulating off of Andrea. Realistically she was not going to read to deeply into some ones personal life without their permission. She was such a close friend; Andrea’s husband would even be made a partner if project he was assisting Cade with went through. She could barely stand the unspoken sadness through the laughing.
“Drea, what is wrong? I promise whatever you tell me is between you and I, none of it will be Cade’s business.”
She stopped laughing immediately and her face screwed into something just shy of despair. “My gawd, what are you a psychic like the ones you write about it your books?” Olivia just smiled a sly knowing smiled, shrugging her shoulder. “It’s Ben, I caught him last weekend on the computer. He was downloading pornography. Normally I wouldn’t be offended by it, but he always acted like that stuff was smut. Like he was above it, and never looked at it. Or for that matter another woman.”
“How could he have time to do anything with the schedule you guys had last weekend? It was like wall to wall play dates and family activities?”
“He told me he was going to the gym to run instead and would catch up with us after he was done and cleaned up. I was a bit put off, but thought whatever.
I left the camera and camcorder on the counter and turned the next subdivision over when I realized what I had done. I opened the garage door from a block away by sheer luck. . I left --- in the car as I went inside to collect what I had left. Zane was at the front window looking like he was in deep shit. I walked to the counter not giving it a thought and happened to glance to the dining table where the laptop was sitting since last night. On the screen was a naked woman in a straddling position fondling herself! He was jerking off in my effing dining chair; we hadn’t even been gone two minutes! It was all I needed to see. I shot a look to him. Not saying a word. I took the cameras and took off trying to get out of the house. I just had to get away, you know? I was shattered. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Livy, I could have killed him, right then and there. He killed me. He was begging me to understand, and then said it was my fault. It felt like it was an hour, but it had to have been at most a couple minutes. I realized that --- was still in the car, and pulled out of his hold. He begged me again not to go, I told him he had 30 seconds to get his sorry ass up stairs, changed and to the car or we were leaving. I think he knew I meant forever. Livy I think I did too.” Olivia just sat feeling her friend’s pain, and letting her talk. “He got back and I was already trying to get into the driver’s side. I must have looked a wreck as I was shaking so hard trying to suppress the crying. Didn’t want to upset --- ya know. Zane comes hauling it outside and pulled me from the seat. Yelling that I was in no condition to drive! What the hell!
The neighbor who lives two doors down was at the next door neighbors and likely thought I was drunk or under the influence before 9 in the morning. I started yelling at him too. What a spectacle. I threw the keys into the grass and got in the car. We dropped --- off at the party, instead of staying, we left. I didn’t want to be with him, didn’t trust him alone. I didn’t know what to do? I just kept talking and yelling. I hate him, I love, him, I just don’t know what the hell to think or even feel. I am still numb. And I am sorry for lying to you about missing last week’s play date. I hope it was not too big a problem.”
“Pish-posh, don’t sweat it; you needed to take care of you. Most would fold in a situation like what you just went through. I think I would have killed Cade had he done something like that to me. I don’t want to sound like a prude, what is done between two consenting adults is one thing, but when one is on a relationship it’s a whole other ball of wax. “Andrea nodded tears still streaming down her face. “Even if both in the couple are into watching porno it shows there is a fundamental something lacking in their relationship. I see it a lot like you ‘Drea, cheating, plain and simple. I am so sorry that you were hurt by Ben. Are you working it out?” She nodded. “Good, going to couples counseling?” She shook her head no.
“No, I am though. It hit me so hard bringing back all kinds of horrid memories. Adding this on top of losing the second baby, I felt so useless, hopeless and sought counseling. Three days a week
***************************************************
Andrea stood and stared at the screen in utter disbelief. He was at it again, downloading smut. ‘He doesn’t even care,’ she thought sadly, ‘not about me, our family or the life I have tried so hard to hold together.’ Six months ago, she had discovered that he had been downloading pornography off the internet on the sly. It had devastated Andrea right to her core. Ever since their child was born, he distanced himself. She even entertained the thought of leaving him a few times. Then on accident she caught him at home busy on the computer when he said he was going out to run. Yet again he was shucking his duty as a parent. She hit the roof, but instead of leaving forever, she had a moment of clarity. It explained everything. In agreement of her not leaving he begrudgingly agreed to have the computer on lockdown. It helped, but the trust was wholly gone, maybe forever.
Two months ago she noticed he was reverting back, distancing himself, porn appearing once again in the history folders. How had he figured out the password? Did he not even care he was killing her inside, tearing her from the inside out? Not even hiding it anymore, just leaving it there for her to find, as if to gloat. That heartless bastard she thought to herself.
She scanned further back seeing names she vaguely recognized from the first look six months earlier. “The same women as before, he must be addicted.” She mumbled to no one in particular. She noted some memorial pages for the rookie and veteran porn stars. Good riddance she thought to herself. Two online newspapers caught her eye. Clicked on one, read it, sickened by it’s story readied herself for the second story. Both were about these young women who her husband had forsaken their marriage bed for their images. It was only noted in the second article that the women in that article was involved in online pornography. Both women were murdered and gutted laid out on display. She double checked the names with an online search. Yep, both internet whores. Both dead, but was there a connection? Was she reading too much into this?
Looking more recent, she noted a psychic’s website. She clicked on it again curious. Olivia Ruben. Wow, she looked just like Olivia. No it couldn’t be her best friend would have told her if she was a psychic. Wouldn’t she? McCann was Olivia’s married name, same as the guy who hired her husband, Ben when they spun up the new chip processing building a couple years back. Olivia and her had become fast friends, they had met at the spin up company picnic. She searched her name as she did the other women, finding tons of information on this woman. One article really caught her attention, clicking on it there was a story about a break in and attempted kidnapping of her and her son dated two years ago. What a nightmare she thought to herself, subconsciously making the sign of the cross. An update last month on the comments caught her attention. “Where is in the world is Olivia? We haven’t seen her around town since that night? The neighborhood misses you and the family. The new neighbors suck!” Karen in Elkhorn. Olivia, Cade and Raven had moved from Omaha there is no way she would have kept such a horrible thing from her. Would she? Even though there were things she herself didn’t think she could ever confide in her best friend. No way, Olivia just wrote about psychics, and it was just a coincidence it had to be!
She would have to worry about it all after she got done dropping off her son at school. She tried to think, could this psychic be in their town? Was this her husband’s new obsession, dead hoochers and psychics. Was he trying to contact them to have after death hand time? What in the hell was her husband up too?
She should just come right out and ask Olivia. Friends don’t keep secrets from each other anyways. After all their husbands did work together and their children both in the same accelerated learning class.
What was her husband up too she thought to herself as she shut off the computer and hustled her daughter out to the car for school? ************************************************************************
Olivia hurried her son into the classroom. ‘Crap!’ she thought to herself, ‘almost late again. Damn you Major Wolfe why didn’t you get back to me right away? No use in blaming him,’ she chided herself. ‘I stayed and waited for a call or an email, he didn’t make me.’ She felt someone watching, whipped her, body around so fast she almost slammed right into another kid’s parent.
“I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying the least bit of attention.”
“Not a problem, Livy! I am usually the one running in to any noun you can think of! Person, place, things, dare I admit too even ideas!”
Olivia hugged her friend, and to get a reading on her, “We all have those days! Cade was so thrilled with the ideas Ben was coming up in the last couple months. What a mind on him, you must be proud, after all behind every great man is a better woman!” Andrea released the embrace first; Olivia got a chill this lady was in some kind of danger. Her inner voice said get out of there. “Um, It was nice to see you again, I hate to knock into you and run, but I have a teleconference I promised I would attend, then have to check on Hope she’s due to give birth anytime now!”
“It was lovely to see you again; I am off to see my Mother. She hates when I arrive late. And I think I am already tardy. How I survived in that home, I will never know! We should do lunch again if you have time sometime in the future, alright?”
“Yea, sure,” Olivia said with whatever enthusiasm she could muster. ‘Talk about an odd conversation.’ She was both odd and quirky and that was why the vibes were off. Then there was a weird aura connected to Andrea. Weird as in Olivia who was wonderful at reading personalities and auras couldn’t put her hands on. It usually meant someone in the brink of suicide, dying, or ill. She looked happy and healthy enough. She would deal with it later, if need be. Till then she had to get a hold of Wolfe and get ready for that online interview. *********************************************************************** The hunter had to be cautious; if she noticed the staring she would know everything, and that would take all the fun away. Not wanting to go up to her and say, “ I am thinking I may kill you. How are you today?” Back into the shadows for now, just watch from the shadows.
*******************************************************
Major wolf’s phone beeped. He had mail. He tried to look at the message while jogging with his dog Sage. The dark red dust mop was less then pleased her exercise was being downsized. “A true bitch,” he joked to those who saw them together. Smart, with a sour attitude when riled, but a damn good mother to her pups. It was the owner of one of those pups whom his device was beeping about right now.
There were only a handful of people who knew he existed in the truest sense. Next to his immediate superior, two like him, there were just the seven. All seven amazing minds the world has ever seen, or better yet, not seen.
Opening part of the message, he saw the return address was from Olivia McCann his little crime buster. He smiled to himself as he again took a quicker rush to get home. The jog took another twenty minutes. Once home, Sage rushed to her water dish, he to his laptop to download the full message.
She had grown from a little child to a woman before his watchful eyes. Her parents so young and naive never realized that the free private schooling was a school in the eyes of the laws. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and history were taught. But, so were mediumship, premonition interpretation, past lives, and remote viewing. Their four year old was exceptionally bright, and had talents they couldn’t even begin to understand. Almost thirty years had passed; she graduated the best schools, married and had a child, all the while using her abilities to help better the world.
Major Wolf’s sole duty was to seek out, and identify those with the most powerful of psychic abilities. He was to mold them. Mentor them. Funding for these people was unlimited, as his job was a shade darker then black ops. Those in the loop just referred to it as the program. Information and intelligence gathered made it to the congress and the senate, but no on would ever know the sources. They were all scientists and warriors, just non conventional in either area. Most held normal jobs and lives outside of the program. Though it seemed the higher up on the food chain you were, the less likely you were to exist in the real world as it was with Wolfe.
He uploaded all the notes skimming at first, and then played the recording. This was no dream, all his training shouted from with in. This was too graphic from her, too violent and real. She was no rookie at this, but one of the countries if not the worlds best intuitives. Things were not as they seemed with this, as an intuitive, he could feel it.
It took three hours to get back and email a time for them to meet in person to discuss. He packed up himself, Sage and patiently waited for her reply. Knowing he would catch hell for taking so long to reply to his favorite little firecracker.
**********************************************************************
Olivia booked it home and went straight to the bathroom to try to make herself somewhat presentable for the internet teleconference she agreed to do. She and Heather’s friendship went back almost the full scope of her son’s life. She had only agreed to do this conference as a favor to both Heather and the program which Heather and a couple other friends were coincidently involved with too. Her mind floated back three months to what they jokingly called Mommy-CON, which was any meeting of the four ladies.
Olivia was sitting at the table with three of her closest friends. All of them the same zodiac sign, all dark haired with what could be described as uniquely beautiful eyes, children all born in the same month and same years and most amazing, all members of the program. They all first met on an online message board. Olivia was the last to join at the Mommy’s board when the children were six months old. She was seeking out help with what she thought was an allergic reaction to some solid food --- was eating. It turned out to be teething on the upper portion of his mouth and would continue till all his top set of teeth was in. The advice and friendship she got there had her hooked she posted regularly when not assisting on a case or when --- was napping. She never really bonded with anyone till one day after three years into the board when another woman, Heather, asked if her husband was nuts about seeing someone out of the corner of his eye. Olivia felt compelled to post back she was sure it was his spirit guide. At almost that same time, another woman, Erin, was posting almost the identical thing. The three became fast friends emailing often off the board. As tensions and drama on the board grew, the last of the quartet arrived back on the scene feeling compelled to come back after over two years of being gone. Desiree, Desi to her friends reemerged talking about her stalker. Not giving much detail but the post caught the trio’s attention instantly. Separately email Desi asking if it was because of something she wouldn’t do for this lady. The answer was yes. They didn’t go in depth, not feeling the need to for some reason. Only to find out later on it was a woman who wanted her to locate the money her drug-dealing boyfriend hid before he killed himself. The lady didn’t believe As their friendship off the board grew, some left it all together. Olivia never told anyone but those three on the board who she was. They told her they too had gifts. Feeling and understanding the connection the four mothers decided to meet, with their families in Wisconsin Dells that coming summer.
Two months earlier then expected they all met in Las Vegas
Desiree was first in the group to arrive. She was the top remote viewer in the country discovered by the program while she was in special operations. So impressed with her abilities they plucked her and her fiancée out of Special Forces. With the agreement she could be used whenever needed. Her husband Garrett ducked out and became a successful contractor building multi-million dollar houses living his life as a civilian outside the government. Shortly after their marriage in the tropics, she became pregnant with the first of six children and a stay at home mother unless she gets a summons from the program. She refers to them as her littler of kiddos. The oldest Xander nine, the problem solver Celeste eight, the jock Anna seven, Princess Raya five, the peacemaker in Nate two, and lastly the surprise, little Mia at just one year old. If ever there was a professional mother, Desi was the mold used to make her.
Heather was next arriving in the conference room. Her mind reading and mental manipulation got her into the program in her early teen years. She fell in love with a Chief of police in a town she was working with her mentor Major Nicholas. The Major became the Godfather to each of their children after getting Heather out of a case long enough for her and Todd to elope months after meeting. Nicholas at age eight, Cody is six, William five, Kim three, and Ashley just turning one a week before the surprise meeting of the cyber girlfriends. Her mentor was also Desi’s and though they had never met in person, but knew of each other. Neither made the connections of the names during all the chats online. When the three began talking after the laughing and hugs were over, all expected the next person through the door to be Erin .
Sure enough, glamour entered. Erin, famous former actress and even better known medium was swept in to the program after a car accident as a teenager her talent became well known entered the room. Her childhood was one big film role after another, quietly splitting time after being added to the program a decade earlier. More money then she knew what to do with she went into a major bank to invest her funds wisely, coming out head over heels for the man she met that night. Another whirl wind romance, and marriage. She will be the first to admit it was hard being married to her at first with all the media interviews and talk shows she did in regards to her being not only a huge star on the silver screen but as her notoriety grew as a medium the public swooned. She swore she would never quit acting then the first child Arren was born. Nine years ago while she was carrying him she made her last on screen appearances. Jayne came along four years later completing their perfect family. She missed the idea of making films but used the talk shows as a substitute. Motherhood fit her better then any Oscar ever would.
The girls were all but jumping up and down with joy at the fact they were all members. From the doorway they could see nine others filter into the room across the hall. Why were they being split up into groups? Major Wolfe answered that in standing up and clearing his throat. A swell of pride for Olivia, her guy was heading it all.
“Please have take seat ladies.” He said as he motioned to the chairs around the table. Each sat next to their supervisor. Desi and Heather sat down flanking Major Nicholas on either side. Erin hugging Major Vetter then kissing both cheeks, true Hollywood Erin we know one of the terrorist killed himself, I mean committed suicide last week, you need to make contact and extract everything you can from him. Names, locations, any and everything you can.
Desiree, you need to try to use some of these touchstones and make a connection. Locate where these people are hiding, where they are attacking. Locate them, so Heather can focus in on one or more of them and give us some incriminating evidence and catch them before it is too late. Olivia, you do your best and help out all the ladies in anyway you can. See if you can displace some component vital to the act. We need to make them mess up, we need to catch them. I and the other Major’s will assist you best we can. We will be reporting directly to these men.” Wolfe made a gesture to the men sitting against the wall away from the group. Olivia knew them as the men in black, like the old movie but older and even close to as cool.
They caught the cell; put a stop to mass chaos in nine hours, fifty-seven minutes and twelve seconds. They were thanked with a take home of three and a half million for each woman tax free and in cash. They had the hotels for three days and decided to make a mini trip out of the remainder. They still attended the Wisconsin Dells trip during the regularly scheduled time. The trip there was more meaningful the, relationships deeper knowing they could talk openly about the secrets they each worked on for the program.
Olivia couldn’t believe years had pasts since Vegas it seemed only yesterday. They sat at Burlington Express and at their Gyro’s from Nick’s, and Chinese from Joe’s. “I still cannot believe some of the best food in town is located inside a gas station.” Erin said as she picked at her Chinese food.
“Actually getting technical, about it it’s in the same building, but not in the gas station itself,” replied Heather. She dodged a bit of food Erin tossed at her.
“So, is the rumor I hear true that you are going back to teaching Heather?”
“Heck yea! Online too, I love the internet. I get to sit at home and teach what they are penning as abnormal studies. Yes, the program is all over this, but something for me to do. And I am going to ask each of you to come and talk. Well, not come per say, but teleconference and give some brief info on what your talents are. You can go as deep as you would like, remember you only have about twenty minutes. Please, just remember to keep the program out of it.”
It was Olivia’s turn for the interview. She sat down and punched in the code Heather gave her, logging her in to whatever system she was going into. God help me, she thought as she connected. There were brief introductions then the questions began.
Heather: So can you explain to my class, how did and when did you realize you had gifts?
Olivia: I was very young when a friend of the family noted my abilities and became a mentor to me. My parents were clueless as to what to do with me, but wanted me to grow up normal. He took me under his wing, guided me and showed me how to harness my gifts.
Heather: How did you become a notable name in the field?
Olivia: I was a teenager actually. I discovered that I could locate items at a distance if I concentrated on said item. I was watching a news cast about the Dutch museum heist. I could see who did it, and where the artifacts were being held. I knew they were going to be sold, and I had to tell someone. Who on earth would believe a sixteen year old in America
Heather: Is that when you decided to begin writing?
Olivia: Yep, I thought if I could write and people would pay for the books, I could help financially jumpstart my future. I never thought that I would have written as many books as I have. It helped clear my head, and people found them interesting. Who knew that I could infuse my own thoughts, theories, and feelings into a fictional character and people enjoy?
Heather: In this newest book, you explain your views on the paranormal. It’s a bit out of the regular thought process. Do they differ from your main character in your nonfiction books?
Olivia: This is the first informative book I have written. It was hard to write in all honesty. Having the ability to have the safety net of nonfiction was more fun. But I felt it was time to get it all out in the open as to my true beliefs. Psychic phenomena, paranormal phenomena can, in my opinion are chalked up to a truly amusing mergence of both science and religion. I will try to dumb it down best I can, thinking so deeply into physics and dimensions gives me a headache. And Lord knows you don’t want it on a final as a question. At least I wouldn’t.
Energy is infinite, that’s a fact. Take water, tap, ocean, even a river water, down the molecular level there is energy. Magnetic activity created by electrons bumping around creating electro-magnetic fields. Humans are over seventy percent water. Thus, meaning we are and emit energy. Scientific fact shows that as living creatures, we have unique magnetic fields. What do we call those fields? Do we call them, energy field, vibes given off, aura, or even the soul? What ever you want to call it, it is a proven fact. We have that energy around us, it is created by every thought, movement voluntary or not with in us. Thus, causing our fields to fluctuate, making it easier to read or harder depending on the circumstance.
It is also fact that there are people who are over sensitive to magnetic fields. So if some of those that can sense fields realize and interpret the information, but notice no other phenomena, they are just highly sensitive and learn to avoid the confrontations. Enter those who can pick up the fields that are given off by another person. They are your sensitive’s, psychics, intuitives; they pick up on the same things others do, but do not shy away from the messages. Why are they shunned, looked upon as wrong, scammers, and the likes?
Enter religion, with the higher power, the creator. Somewhere in the Judea- Christian beliefs few were not shunned for hearing the voice of God and embracing the gifts he bestows on his creations. But it is horrible and the devil is at work if you hear him otherwise. Now days, they just label you nuts and medicate you into a stupor. Not trying to get robes in a bundle here, but let’s be honest, there was life before the bible. Cultures all over the world dating back thousands of years talk about some form of communication with those who have passed or another life, and even near death experiences. It had to some from somewhere. Here is that amusing part I talked about before. It is again as stated before scientific fact that energy is infinite. We as creations be from a higher power or of dumb luck are in energy in its most simple form. Where the energy goes after life has extinguished is the true mystery. It cannot, by science just disappear. Let’s again call that energy the soul for arguments sake. Religion says you pass on to another dimension, heaven, another life. Fine, science theorizes energy dissipates. Where to? To the outer regions of the universe we call them ‘the heavens,’ right. Why?
Heather: Remote viewing, same thing?
Olivia: Yes, it’s just connecting with energy. Same bodes true with distance healing, telepathy and such.
Heather: Do you think paranormal gift is inherited generation to generation?
Olivia: In my case, no. Neither of my parents embraced abilities they may have had. Neither knew their parents, so hard to say. I don’t discuss my child’s abilities or lack of publicly so it is hard to say.
Heather: Do you believe the government has groups of psychics in their arsenal?
Olivia: Why not? They have in the past admitted to a remote viewing program. Do I believe it is some covert hidden group, nah, I think they would be just as boring as you or I? Who is to say when you hear the media say “Government think-tanks,” they are not talking about a group of psychics? Neither you are I are in the upper echelons of the government, so we are left to sit and speculate. But, it sure is fun to do huh?
Heather: One last question for you Olivia before we let you go, any new books coming out? It’s been a little over two years.
Olivia: Yes, actually the publisher is happy to hear that I had begun writing and the next book is due out next month! I will also start a children’s book collection slated for late this fall.
Heather: Thank you for your time Olivia, I am sure the class will all be buying your new book. Goodbye!
Olivia: Goodbye all!
She disconnected her access and knew that Heather would be calling to talk about the interview. She didn’t have to wait too long.
The phone rang and she explained the situation to Heather and asked for any input she could sense. The answer was no, but she was going to keep putting her feelers out as she called them for Olivia. The two friends disconnected after a while of chit chat about life and everything.
**********************************************************************
The visit to her mothers was always a chore for Andrea. At least Bailey was now in school and didn’t have to deal with the insanity that is her mother. Always sickly, weak and spiteful. What in her life was so damn bad? She sold her only child’s innocence for cheap child care.
As young as she could remember, Andrea was a sex toy to her uncle and passed around to his sick friends all the while in the “care” of her aunt. Was it because her aunt was more interested in the alcohol and drugs then the obviousness her husband was molesting her charge? One of Andrea’s earliest memories was looking out the apartment window at her aunt and uncles wishing some how her mother or her new husband would come get her. They came two days later, she would spend the next four days in and out of the hospital with what they said was the beginning of appendicitis. She was suffering from being sodomized and raped by her uncle in the middle of the night when her aunt was asleep. Thinking back on it now, she wondered if she was asleep, or if she knew and didn’t care. Her faith in humanity wanted to believe she never realized. With age she realized that her aunt likely knew.
The alcohol and marijuana laden breathe heavy with anticipation about suffocating her as his huge body moving over her three year old body. The burning and searing pain as her skin tore again, it wasn’t the first time and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. She felt she was going to die. She would lie limp, pretending to sleep and pray he would finish quickly. She knew even with the pain that if she yelled he would place his massive hands over her nose and mouth till she shut up or passed out. She knew whatever he was doing was wrong and hurt so bad. He called her beautiful and special as he thrust his hard dry extremity into her little body, she felt dirty and disgusting and about to die. After he would finish the first time he would wait a bit seeing her bleeding body and get excited once again. Letting her battered body rest, he pulled out magazines with children like her, naked, broken. He forced her to watch him while he masturbated, his semen mixing with the blood dripping from her bottom. Lost somewhere between her and his sick fantasies he would complete what he called his sick game with her and whisper into her ear, “You tell anyone, and I will kill you and everyone you tell. You are only naughty if you tell. What we are doing is a beautiful thing.” Then he would kiss her and throw her clothes at her and tell her to go straight to bed. He would just put the magazines away in his special place above the fridge. Then off to have sex with his wife.
The indifferent feeling for her mother grew and as she rang the door bell. Wonderful childhood memories brought back to her thanks to her mother’s blind eye. But it was not blind. Some of the things she remembers her mother saying to her child when she was caught with her step uncle at age four. Her mother yanked her out of the bed with her step brother and swept her into the bathroom. She pulled her underpants back down. Andrea was sure her mother was going to hurt her too. She yanked them off and looked into them, “Well as long as there is no white stuff in them, you should be fine.” Andrea was about twenty-two she realized her mother had sold her out to her uncle and his friends which included her former step uncle. Her strained relationship with her mother got worse with the realization. By the time she married Zane and was pregnant, she realized that any child could never be left in her families care, ever. Even at thirty, the nightmare that went on till she was nine haunted her dreams. Leaving scars you could see, and those carried heavy in her heart.
Mother was acting sickly as usual. How could she pretend to be all weak and feeble when fifteen years earlier she made a hobby out of beating the hell out of her daughter? Just get this over with, visit, and tell her how wonderful your life is. Listen to how horrid hers is and get out, back to the normal world.
That is just what Andrea did, told her how wonderful Bailey was doing, about her dance classes, soccer, and her scholastic achievements. Zane was keeping busy with the job, and after just over a year is Cade McCann’s right hand man.
She kept the secret once again about the foul things her husband had been doing online. Didn’t tell her mother that some of the whores he was wasting his time and attention on online were dead, another one was missing. All incidents coinciding with times that Zane had been out at meetings in those areas for Cade’s invention. She compared dates with times they took “family vacations.” Cade encouraged him to bring the family. She remembered at each place having trouble tracking down her husband.
The visit lasted about fifteen minutes. Most of which about how her mothers body ached, how poor she slept and how her sister was screwing her over when she wouldn’t give her money. Same issues, different visit again today with dear old mother. Using the excuse that she had to bake for the school bake sale, she gave her mother a hug and got out of the house she grew up in. She couldn’t leave fast enough for home as fast as she could.
“Ben, are you home?”
“Who else would it be? Can you come into the kitchen, Andy! I could sure use a hand if you have one to spare. I need some help with these bags. I want to get back to the lab and do some finalization on the presentation before the company comes to look them over today.”
“Yea, can you give me a minute? I want to see the news. There was a rumor that there was going to be a big announcement on the locals about the new restaurants’ coming in the shopping complex.”
Turn it on down here and listen while we get his crap put away, please.” He called up the stairs to her.
She stomped down to the kitchen, once again seemingly at his beckoned call. There were a lot of bags. He went overboard in shopping again. She began to take out and put items into their place.
“Seeing as the entire mall moved out there, I hope it isn’t the last hang out from there. That’s not news.” She snipped.
“No, I heard maybe more then one. Likely a chain Applebee’s or Culvers, I really want a Wild Wings. This town really lacks a bit in a place like that.”
“I wouldn’t mind some kind of buffet, like Old Country, or like that soup and salad place we ate at in Kansas
Andrea was not the only one who wanted to see the local news. The hunter about jumped for joy, the search for the little slut was on.
“...Donna Frank’s friends and family are pleading for her safe return. She was last seen eight days ago while on her way to a bird watching expedition with her fiancé, Randy and a group of friends. She was last seen on camera getting into her SUV outside the TA in Grand Island
‘Damn it all, they said nothing about her being a slut. They have yet to link her to the other two. It’s not like many women are beaten, shocked, and disemboweled, then staged to be found in the Midwest . When would they find her in the feedlot? How much longer till vindication?’ The wait would be over within hours.
******************************************************************
The response said, ‘It’s about damn time you get back to me! Get your feelers out I am sure this is real. Get up here if you are able and help me find this girl! ~O’ To the point, that’s Olivia.
Though his bank account gave him ample funds to live any where and fly anywhere in the world, driving was Wolfe’s forte. He had enough of flying in his younger days in search of the worlds best and brightest. Having only seven charges total he had modest homes all over the country to be near them when needed. Each fit him and his portable pet perfectly. He even had access to safe houses in other countries all over the world. Lucky for both himself and those he mentored, none had needed it. Not to say some had not come close. Wesley, a particularly gifted medium had about caused an international incident about ten years back. As they were getting to the clean up phase after his break down, he mysteriously died. No other medium has been able to contact him. The team was in mourning.
Sage was at his side while he drove, he knew it was safer in the backseat in a pet carrier, but she tended to puke from anxiety back there. If there was such a person whom enjoyed cleaning puke out of a full coated Havanese, Wolfe hoped to never meet them. But, he knew as well as anyone this world was full of weirdo’s. They were driving from their home in South Dakota , the one closest to where Olivia was in Nebraska
Olivia was his most successful and favorite of his section of the group. Not because of her success publicly and that the prying eyes never saw, but because her talents were across the board. She could do damn near anything they asked. She was one of only three people in the life of the secret program to be able to manipulate objects in to moving without physical assistance. He introduced her to her husband when they discovered her talent. Cade in his own rights was a great mind. The program was thrilled when they hit it off, married and had their child. The potential shown by their offspring at a young age already had the higher-ups all but salivating. Too bad he was too busy to be the child’s private tutor. Maybe as the Godfather, he should make more time. Buy a house even closer to the McCann family.
The trip took longer with Sage wanting to stretch out every rest stop it seemed. Sage knew this was a pending family reunion with her off spring. Could she sense she was about to become a grandmother? He knew there were members of the program that could read animals. Even with all he knew of the human minds abilities, that one realty gave him goose bumps.
He pulled up at the farm house just as his main phone died. He knew it had nothing to do with the signal. It was just toast. A trip to the cell store was in his future. He laughed to himself about the cleaver pun. Technology could be such a bitch. Not his idea of progress, sitting at customer-no-service instead of assisting in a perspective case.
His foot hit the driveway and he felt the familiar pull that told him he must follow. The urge to drive was so strong he almost didn’t want to take the time to toss Sage into the fenced front yard. She would find her way to the house. Olivia would understand he was on to something. Damned it he knew what it was. Keys in the ignition, he drove. Fifteen minutes later he felt as if his mind hit a brick wall.
Looking around there was a gigantic feedlot, knowing this was the one that boasted over fifty thousand head of cattle. Nebraska
Getting out reluctantly his eyes were drawn to the far end of the lot. He hopped the fence, cursing wearing his nice new hiking boots. The great intuitive, didn’t realize he would be ankle deep in cow shit when he hurriedly dressed this morning.
Letting go of the disgust, centering on his training, his senses pulling him again to where his eyes fixed moments earlier.
The smell was just a step below unbearable. What happened to letting your cattle out to graze and roam? Feedlots were a greedy way to get a lesser graded result of food.
His mental rant cut short when he saw the dark mass of flies. Death was a smell that he quickly separated from the others. May be it was a dead cow.
Peering into the shade he saw a bare leg. Looking deeper into the shaded area, he realized this was Olivia’s young woman. He quickly grabbed his working phone and debated on whom to call first. Olivia deserved to know she was not crazy, but his boss would have his head if he was not notified immediately.
“Sir, the notice from Olivia has panned out. I ended up being pulled to the body. I don’t like this one bit. I will secure the area and put the usual cover story to the feed lot workers. Please send someone out to assist the locals in the processing of the scene. I have briefly looked it over and it is a nasty one.
She was splayed out on the ground, displayed for the maximum shock value. Her abdominal cavity contents outside of the body. And have been chewed on by critters. There are several stabs to her face. It appears the eyes are gone, but again that could have been critters there doesn’t appear to be cuts there. A long cut across the throat. Several signs of torture, including what looks like taser marks. This is not the kill site either, no blood pools. I just moved some hair from her face and there also appears to be a word carved into her forehead. SLUT. Lovely, it appears this was a rage kill. I will upload these pictures to your office as soon as I get off the phone with you. Also, she has been out for a couple days, between decomp, flies larva, and critter nibbles…”
The deep voice spoke finally, “I need to know, can you get anything off the body from your formal training. I do have profilers and forensic people on staff too.”
“Yes I am sure this is the girl Olivia saw in her dream. The energy matches. What the touchstone to her is, that I cannot tell you. I was pulled to the location as I put my foot down in Olivia’s driveway.
This girl knew near the end that she had lead her attacker right to herself. We need to identify her, then dump her phones and dissect all things technological with her. I saw her blowing a kiss and shutting down the computer when I moved her hair. There is not a lot of residual energy left here. I think she was stalked via the net.”
“We will scour for more victims with the information you have given me.”
“Sir, they will be scattered. Check if there is a connection between them when you sift them out. You will only need to go back six to nine months. I feel this killer is somewhat fresh, but one sick puppy. Start in the Midwest , and expand out from there, but I don’t think you will have to. I see the number six. More as it comes about. Good evening sir.” He hung up and called Olivia.
The highs of validating a dream came crashing down when Olivia realized how very close to home it really was. That is not how it is supposed to be, this was her town! The emotional toll sent her to the confines of her room. Cade referred to events suck as she was going through as psychic brain drain. Of course he was working on the other side of the property likely well in to the evening and had no idea what was going on. Wolfe was taking over what he could, she felt she was useless. The missing girl from the news how could she not have made the connection?
All she wanted to do was sleep; she feared if she didn’t the images would continue. She also feared if she did sleep, there would be more information, and just didn’t feel ready for it. The flood of information that came to her all the time in twilight when she was ready was massive. A fractured psyche would be like a tsunami. Sometimes she could tune it out, but she knew today was not one of those days. She was just desperate to shut down, but that could make her susceptible to “other worldly communications.” She just kept mumbling to herself, “this is not another Katy,” over and over. The girl was dead before she even saw it happen from Wolfe’s assessment of the body.
It still didn’t make her feel much better; this dead person was a stones throw away from the bedroom window she was looking out. What a funk, she had to find a way to separate herself from the case, so as to continue to assist. Wolfe would pull her in a heartbeat if she got too distant.
She wanted to call her husband so badly. Tell him to come home and take care of her. It wasn’t realistic, glancing at the clock she knew they were in the midst of the last team meeting before the buyers arrived. Selling those chips meant the world to Cade, something he did without the help of her, or the program. She wanted him to succeed in this venture, but felt jealous that it was taking him from her when she needed him the most.
Wolfe was a constant mother-hen to her as he had since she was a child. Well, he was really more like a drill sergeant. She would have to pull herself together soon; Rey would have to be picked up from school. She didn’t want him to see her like this ever.
Wolfe entered her sanctuary tossing clothing on the bed next to her. “Get up Ducky, freshen’ you face up. Let’s go get Rey. Then it’s off to the cell store and see if I can get this piece of shit fixed.” He picked up the phone, quickly slammed it down on her bedside.
“Can’t imagine why it’s not working for you, Wolfe, you treat it so well.”
“That’s the spirit, Ducky. You are getting your feistiness back, good we will need it. You can assist as much or as little as you want with this, but I am not leaving till it’s solved.”
She knew better then to continue the conversation with him. She motioned for him to get out, but stayed in the clothes she changed into after the conference this morning.
Time to pull herself together and be “Super Mother,” despite any case she always vowed to take the needed time for Rey.
She checked on the trio of dogs, Sage was watching over her baby preparing for her own litter. Hope who was still adjusting to having to be shaved down for the pending birth was spending almost all her time in the whelping box. Smokey was doing the famous Havanese run-like-hell, chasing a ball way too large for his little mouth. Pausing only as Olivia entered the kitchen. He padded over with his floppy paws and looked up with his big eyes and whimpered.
“They say that with the Hav’s you cannot go wrong with either gender, ya know. Girls will love ya, but boys will be in love with ya.” Wolfe said as he knelt and patted the concerned Smokey on the head before heading Olivia out the door.
She left a note in the box out front for Cade if he happened to arrive home before they were back. The box was their system to avoid Cade interrupting her when she was channeling, or in the middle of a reading. Note in the box, stay away for the appointed time.
“Off to get Rey then to get Wolfe’s cell fixed. We will talk when I get home. Media is all over the case, don’t worry about it. Just keep TV off, there was a break through. It was real, all of it. Love ~O
Rey was ecstatic that his “Uncle Wolfe” was visiting.
Going anywhere with Wolfe always proved a chore. Something always came up. Off to the store the trio went.
Wolfe was determined to walk out with the phone fixed or a new one free of charge. He was extremely frugal with the governments buck as he was with his own. After all, he paid taxes, so he felt he paid in and should not waste what could have been his own tax dollar.
Olivia just prayed to herself he wouldn’t make a scene. Hastings was only so big, and his drama would make it around the city at breakneck speed.
Pitting the breaks on, Wolfe stopped the car on what could only be described as the parking slope. Mindfully applying the parking brake hoping the vehicle wouldn’t get door dinged. The way this day was going already made him feel it was inevitable.
They exited the car and were off to the store. Holding the door for Rey and Olivia Wolfe paused to look around before entering. He was scanning for someone whose face he could not conjure. He could have done this errand alone, but not having Cade working so hard today of all days on his pet project he wasn’t about to leave Olivia alone. Plus the threat assessment had not been fully done to see if it was the victim or the killer that was the connection to her. He couldn’t leave her home alone with her visions; it was torture he knew first hand. Cade had no idea the company that he was working so hard to sell the chips to in fact a branch off of the program. They should have rescheduled the meeting giving him some bogus excuse after Wolfe filed that this was an active case and involved Cade’s wife. Sometimes the greed of his bosses pissed him off. They were so hot to get those chips. Wolfe could more than guess why; sometimes being psychic was a real bitch. He chose to put the thoughts out of his head and chalk it up to the “betterment” of society.
Inside to join the mother and son duo he went. They were already talking to the greeter lady who it seemed was hopped up on at least eight double shots of espresso.
Waiting annoyed Wolfe, there was fresh meat to analyze, and his star student was distraught. So many things already today occurred putting him in just a foul mood. His mind wandered during these idle times to what some would call astutely macabre. After about ten minutes of Wolfe pacing, Olivia either reprimanding Rey or spacing out they were finally assisted.
“Sir it seems you are still under warrantee, but just barely. Good thing you brought it to us today!”
Another thing that didn’t go over well with Wolfe was chipper smarmy comments. Grinding his teeth he replied, “Well good thing it took one of the most important days to die! What the hell is wrong with it?”
“Well if you refer to the booklet it states that you should never charge your phone with the power on. It’s really bed for the battery, causing the charge to drain more quickly.”
“That’s the best you got? I never charge it with the power on, next excuse?” Wolfe’s reply was curt and all Olivia could think was here we go again I can’t take him anywhere.
The hapless associate seemed oblivious to the quickly maddening customer, or just didn’t care. “Well, it could just be the battery itself.”
“No, it’s not the stupid battery; I have two backups and neither one of them work either. What are the odds that all three decided to die at the exact same time, really?”
“Sir, it may just be the technology has superseded your…”
“Maybe you may think due to the fact I am almost fifty that I am tech stupid. But according to any of the national and international I.Q. tests I am on the low side a one seventy-nine. Do you know what that means you minimum wage, hi I work for commission moron? It means I helped spin up these things, and constantly work to make them better. This one is a piece of shit!” Olivia elbowed the now raging Wolfe.
“Sir, I didn’t mean to imply your age or intellect was inferior to me or the technology…”
Wolfe leaned across the table almost nose to nose with the now frightened associate.
“Fix this so I can recover my missing info and get me a working phone ASAP or I will make a scene.”
“Fix this so I can recover my missing info and get me a working phone ASAP or I will make a scene.”
They left the store in less than ten minutes. Magically the information recovered and transferred to Wolfe’s new phone. Olivia just prayed that the small scene as Wolfe called it wouldn’t come to haunt her after he left and went home. She glanced at dash clock; it was time to figure out supper.
“Cade will be out until later this evening. What do you boys want for dinner, as if I need to ask?” When in doubt for dinner the guys wanted to go to the only buffet in town, Valentino’s. Olivia had realized she had hardly eaten that day and though not overly hungry, knew she had to keep her strength up.
Cade had met her at the door with a hug when they arrived home stuffed and happier then when they had left.
“I made Ben a partner as we had talked about. He accepted, of course. His first assignment is to go finalize with the buyers in Omaha. I insisted he bring Andrea and Bailey to celebrate for the following weekend. Do the zoo and such. I am off the hook and am here for you one hundred percent.” Cade said.
“No, this is your baby you need to go and follow through one hundred percent. I will be fine. After all, I have dealt with worse, and Wolfe refuses to leave so he will baby sit me. Don’t worry. You will only be gone for two days.”
“You sure”
“Positive, what could happen. I am guessing the murder is random, though ritualistic in nature.”
The night went uneventful afterward. The house fell quiet and for a few hours the house slept peacefully. Olivia woke with a start. Cade didn’t stir, she was grateful for that. She pulled on her robe, crept to Rey’s room checked on him and was startled by a voice behind her.
“He is safe here with you now, it won’t happen again. He is even safer with me here, you know that right?”
“Old habits, I guess,” and she shrugged, turning to her old friend the memories of two years ago came rushing back to her.
He broke in while she was relaxing in the bath after she had put her young son to sleep. Planning on taking the young boy, he would have got away if not for their amazing little Havanese dog. Havanese, due to their size are not known to be great watchdogs, though the barks on them are quite large and loud when they feel the need to actually bark. Extremely loyal dogs and one of the most humanly compassionate of the canine dogs. They bought him for his compact size perfect for children, and the fact their shedding virtually nonexistent.
Smokey, their sole dog at the time, since they had recently adopted stood guard at the boy’s bedroom doorway as if he knew that this night would come. Being of dark color he blended easily into the shadows. As the man crept into the room, the dog began bellowing and barking; alerting Olivia that there was something wrong, as he hardly ever barked. Olivia‘s blood went cold. All the obscene phone calls, letters to her office, and home connected, that moment with Smokey’s bark. Someone was in her home, despite the security system, and in or nearing her sleeping son. Due to the layout of the home, she could not have been discovered yet. She grabbed the phone and dialed the police then went to her child.
There were no weapons to speak of in the bathroom, so she improvised. Hair spray and the lighter for the candle could work. She tucked them in her robe pocket along with her hair brush. She took the back entrance down to the floor where her son was sleeping.
She caught the silhouette of the intruder trying to get past the ten pound ball of fur. To that day she had never seen nor never again hoped to see such a loving little animal look for fierce with his heckles up and bellowing out a warning to the stranger trying to enter his “little masters” room. Snapping and jumping into the air he wouldn’t relent. Then almost as if he sensed she was there, instantly quieted, Smokey backed into the room close to the still sleeping boy still harboring a low growl.
Confused by the dog from the it’s discover in the house, and the sudden change in its attitude he was too deeply contemplating what had just happened to see, nor hear her come from behind him smashing his head with her paddle brush cracking her favorite brush, cracking it nearly in two. It was almost comical the way he fell to the floor. Then aiming the candle lighter and hair spray at him, held him at bay till the police arrived. Through the whole ordeal her son didn’t wake till the police arrived and had taken the man away. A crazed fan had become obsessed with her, calling, harassing, successfully tracking her down. He made the connection between her using her maiden name not her married one while in the public eye. Her anonymity was gone, along with her sense of safety.
Wolfe looked at her and read her mind.
“No, it’s not over with you and this case yet.” He said sadly. “Go to bed, we both need our energy. I will keep you and your family safe. You are the closest thing to a family I have ever had, I won’t lose that.” She hugged him and went back t bed for a blissfully dreamless night.
************************************************************************
The clock hit 9am, Bailey was off to school, Ben was sleeping in and she was at the Doctors office again for her bi-weekly meetings.
“Please have a seat Andrea.” She took a seat across from the doctor, tucking her legs beneath her.
The doctor began the buzz of questions and soul searching for her as she did every day twice a week for the last six months or so.
“How was the visit with your mother?”
“I feel bad for her current situations, but I realize they are called to course by her decisions. I can’t change her, what she is becoming, was anything.”
“That’s very good, and I am sure it was a difficult realization. Do you still harbor feelings of rage due to her past actions?
“Honestly, I think I will always will. We may make a lot of progress here twice weekly meetings moving through past trauma. But, fact of the matter is she has no right to act as if she was the best mother in the world, and did me some favor by keeping me when she knew to a point what was going on and did nothing. As a mother, I will never understand the selfishness of her past actions.
“I ask this every time but, in this moment, can you say you love your mother?”
“When I talk to her on the phone and sometimes in person I want to protect her from the world that she is in. Other times I feel nothing, and nothing would make me happier then to disown her. Let her fend with the wolves.”
“Both emotions are consistent with one another.”
“Really, how can that be so?” Andrea leaned in intrigued.
“You wish to show her how to protect and nurture. On the other side you still struggle with the questions of would you have dealt with what you did if she had given you up for adoption; or ever had you at all. Andrea nodded solemnly weighing the words the doctor said. “Pick a memory and tell me about it, just like last time.”
“It was either Christmas or the eve of it, for the longest time the mother’s side of the family came to celebrate. I was thirteen; my older cousin and I were in my room looking at the new perfumes we had gotten in our stockings. She tossed me my old aerosol bottle of Wind Song, me with my hands full just watched it arc in to the crease between the side of my bed and the mattress. It was quite the shot! We for some reason thought it was so funny, we just were in stitches laughing so loud.”
“Sounds like a great memory.” The doctor noted a darkening of her patient’s demeanor as she said it.
“Up to that point yes. The parties were always at our home, I was safe there. He never tried anything, not at my home. Till that night I always pretended the uncle was not there. He had to have realized that. He heard us from the main part of the house and left the party unnoticed. He kept in without us seeing or hearing him as our backs were to the open door. He drew attention to his presence only after he shut and locked the door with just us three in the room, alone. “What’s all the giggling about you girls? Happy I am here? It’s been so long since I have had time with either of you two.” I went from elation and joy to being royally pissed off. This was MY home.
“Get out of here or you will be sorry!”
“What are you going to do about it? Four years since our last dance, you are practically fresh meat again sweetie.” Lydia was huddling in the corner of the bed trying to hide herself best she could.
“You step one foot closer, I will scream. Then you will have to explain why you are in here with the door closed and locked,” I had warned.
“Please, you won’t tell a soul! You liked what I did, I saw you squirm.”
He stepped forward, in a quick motion his hands shot out, one around my mouth the other around my neck; knocking my head into Lydia’s knees, and pinning my body to the bed. Arms flailing as my head hit, one hand wrapped around the bottle of Wind Song that had been tossed carelessly minutes before. I took it and sprayed it directly into that bastard’s eye.
He screamed releasing me and was clawing at his eyes. I told him he would be sorry! He struggled to unlock the door and I knew I was going to get my ass in trouble. I didn’t right at that point care. I had won for once against him. He would never again touch me after that. I had no foresight to see that at that point, but I digress. He was still howling as he grabbed blindly for the door. I still remember that moment; hold it dear to my heart.
“That little bitch sprayed me in the eyes with perfume for no reason. She is nuts, unhinged, a menace!”
I did it for survival not thinking of the why or how I was going to explain my actions to the other adults.
Lydia begged me as my stepfather summoned me to the living room not to tell the secret. I nodded to her and left out to the living room.
Every conceivable adult was out there and staring at me. Before I could even speak my mother approached me, I thought to hug me. She paused when she saw the welts that were forming from where he had grabbed me. I opened my arms to her just as she back handed me, knocking me to my knees. The uncle laughed.
“How dare you, why would you do such a thing? You are grounded for the remainder of Christmas break.” My stepfather was just buzzing questions at me. Worse than the grounding was the fact he insisted I apologize to that bastard!
“Did you tell the secret as you called it that night?”
“No, I only asked them to ask the uncle why he came in and locked the door.”
“Did you mother or stepfather ask him why?”
“No, my mother told me to shut up and go back to me room, by myself and sit in the dark to think about the dark thoughts I had had against my uncle.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“I knew at that moment she knew something was off and was not going to confront it with all the other people around, or the fact he had the audacity to come after me in my own home?”
“Any, all, take your pick.”
I remember how bad my jaw hurt. I remember for the days afterward wondering if the subject would be brought up again because of the hand shaped bruise on my neck.”
“Did your parents bring it up again?”
“No.” Andrea began to sob.
“We will touch on this again another day, but let’s fast forward to the present. How are things with Zane right now? I bet he’s been busy since the chips went out for sale was it, yesterday?”
Andrea smiled with a hint of pride, “Yes, as a matter of fact they did. Cade is sending him, well us out to Omaha to sign the final papers for him. He made him partner last night after the guys met with the company executives.”
“So, Cade is sending your whole family, instead of going himself?”
“Yes, his wife is having some kind of weird breakdown or something right now. She’s that famous author. Did you know she is also the psychic, Olivia Page.”
“Really, I have read some of her books under the name McCann, quite entertaining and at the same time reasonably realistic. I didn’t realize she went by a different name and was herself a supposed psychic.”
“You don’t believe in psychics?”
“My belief is neither here for there for, after all I have treated many people over the last couple decades. It depends on the person, really.”
Yea, I just put two and two together yesterday with her being Olivia Page, and Olivia McCann the mother, wife, and famous author. Funny isn’t it, how you can know someone for a long time and not really see them, huh?”
“That seems like a pointed question, let’s touch on it later. You never did answer how you and Zane are doing, you answered how Zane’s career was doing, not him and you.”
Andrea readjusted her feet, “At times I feel like it never happened, like it is all okay. Other times I feel the betrayal has fractured me to the point of no return; it’s all I can think about. I was progressing so well then I see he was back on those sites again, and now, he is not even hiding it. How could he have figured out the childproof password?”
“All of the same women as before, no new ones?” The doctor asked.
“All the same, weird thing is that is how I made the connection to Olivia; he pulled up her book and readings site. Maybe he is fixating on her now. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the gut, my best friend, his bosses wife.”
“You want to know something completely bizarre? Most of those hoochers that he looked at are dead now. He was also looking up articles in their local papers and online tribute pages.”
Looking up the doctor replied, “Well when they live a life like that they are just wayward souls that have been sexually abused as a child or sometime in their lives, you know. Statistically, they are drug users to either lower their inhibitions or to ease the pain of what they are doing to themselves. Suicide is common with them too. That could have been you if you had made different decisions in your life you realize that don’t you Andrea?”
“They were not suicides, they were all murdered.” She mumbled almost unnoticed, then strongly came back with, “No, they are not like me; I took the moral high road. I broke the circle! I married what I thought was a man who held the same high beliefs I did.”
“He may still hold those beliefs” The doctor interjected.
“No I still can’t believe that, he lied to me! He talked about how awful all those things were. How sad you had to be to go that route. Always saying there had to be something lacking in the relationship to go to someone, something else for that kind of thing. He lulled me into the false sense of security, all the while indulging in those, those very things!”
“What he did was not illegal.”
“It should be. I know it isn’t, I’m not thick. Taking the morals and trust for him I held so high and talked them up. He was just laughing at me. Here I think I have the perfect man. I had the perfect liar.”
The bell dinged. “Hour’s up, but remember ‘You are only as inferior to those you let allow to make you feel that way.’ Or it is something close to that; I never get that quote right, but I think you get the drift.” The little quip seemed to cheer Andrea up.
“Till next week, Doc, thank you” With that another hour over and she was out the door. It was as she was scheduling her next appointment did she realize that the good doctor never answered her question on psychics. Oh well, it wasn’t like she was paying her to answer personal question, but to solve her own issues. Still, it would have been nice to know her take on it. Maybe next week. She had to get home and pack, it was going to be a trip to remember in Omaha.
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