Blind Copy (The Technicians Series Book 5)

by Olivia Gaines

  “I got a message on my phone from a dude named Archie Angel. He sent me to this address. Told me to come here and wait,” the boy said.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Ricky,” he said. “Ricky Timmons. And you? What do you want me to call you Daddy or some crap?”

  “Hell no,” Merge said, “call me Mr. Merge. That’s all you need to know for now.”

  The kid was running from something and the Archangel sent him here. Joel knew the look. A foster kid about to age out of the system, but the older you got the more the families saw you as a threat or an instrument of sadistic pleasure on the part of the host parent.

  He’d escaped that life via the help of the Neary family and the guidance of Gabe, but as he told the man at the beginning of the conversation the day prior, the bill always came due. His had come due and now he had a teen kid to help. Ideas shot through his head like bolts of lightening and he’d been paying attention. He’d seen more than he let on peering through the window at the Great Wolf Lodge.

  Merge knew what he needed to do next. He picked up his service phone and made a call to the operator. If the Archangel were going to send lost souls his way, he had to prepare in a way that no one would see coming, but it had to be legit. He didn’t want scraps of artificial documents created by Gabe, this idea he’d played with for some years. If he was going to do it, it needed to be done right. Merge placed the call.

  “Operator,” a nasally voice came over the line.

  “Mr. Merge seeking a connection request to Mr. Exit,” Raphael said.

  “Please hold for the connect,” the lady said, as he waited listening to the ringing. The line clicked and a voice came over the phone.

  “This is the Exit,” he said.

  “Merge on the line,” Joel replied.

  “How may I assist you?” Mr. Exit said quickly. He had the same feeling as Mr. Mann and didn’t like other Technicians calling him.

  “Coffee, conversation. Advice between friends,” Raphael said.

  “We aren’t friends,” Exit told him.

  “I could use one and a face to face chat, no weapons, no games,” he said, using the idea of the neckties and business plan as a front. Joel knew that the terminator of the construction crew wasn’t one to take chances, especially not with another Technician.

  “I assume the Archangel spoke with you about a buy in?”

  “No, don’t know nothing about that, but the Archangel planted a teen in my damned house. Don’t know how long he’s staying or if this is going to be a regular thing; you can’t ever tell with the Archangel,” Merge said. “I have an idea I’ve been playing around with and don’t really know how to make it come about legitimately. The paperwork needs to flow through my county, so the powers that be are aware of what I’m building on my land, versus paperwork suddenly showing up in a database. I’m asking for help.”

  “Not sure what you need from me,” Exit said, feeling confused about the call.

  “I have a farm, in Monroe County Arkansas, sits on 40 acres,” Merge said. “I think it will make more sense if you saw it, versus me trying to explain over the phone what I want to do.”

  “And you don’t want the Archangel’s help?”

  “No, Dude, I called you. Can you come, see, guide me a bit?” Merge said, “usually, Wrong Way would stop through, but she’s out, so I don’t have her anymore. I guess that leaves you.”

  The irony wasn’t wasted on Mr. Exit. The same conversation he’d had a few days earlier with the Mann had come full circle. Wrong Way was the connecting piece that was missing in the crew. He sure as hell didn’t appreciate being called, but he set the wheel to turning, and this is what was next.

  “Where did you say you are?”

  “Monroe, Arkansas,” Merge replied, “hey, I know you just got married. Bring the wife and kids, I have room, horses, a swimming hole and loads of chicks and ducks.”

  Wrong Way was the connector he spoke about and she was the thread which held them together. She was out of play and a point of contact for Mr. Merge. He needed help and he was going to try to be there for the man. Mr. Exit checked his calendar. He had nothing scheduled and the powers that be hadn’t called and wouldn’t call. It wasn’t really a honeymoon, but it would be nice to show the kids a bit of the south. Today was Saturday. He could head back out on Tuesday, get into Arkansas on Wednesday, and come back through a theme park in Atlanta.

  “I can be there on Wednesday,” Mr. Exit said. “Anything I need to bring?”

  “I need a solid business and a financial plan, that big brain of yours and a few more ideas once you hear what I have in store,” he said softly in the line.

  “Be there by Wednesday, send the coordinates,” Exit said.

  “Thanks, and please bring my neck tie and stuff for the buy in,” Merge said, ending the call. The kid had come back and took a seat at the table. His eyes were wide and Merge could hear his stomach grumbling. “Relax kid, you’re safe. I have an idea but a friend is coming out on Wednesday to help me figure it out. If you haven’t bolted by then, you can help with the planning to get this grand idea of mine off the ground.”

  “Me? You don’t even know me,” the kid said feeling wary of the stranger.

  “Don’t need to,” Merge said, “the Archangel sent you to me and placed you in my care. A charge to keep I have. The bill always comes due and I have to put some coins in the karma jar. I might as well start with you.”

  - The End -

  Keep Reading to Find Out More

  1. Meet the Author

  2. More about Olivia Gaines

  3. About the Book

  4. A Note on the Technicians

  6. Book Club Questions

  6. Recipe Index for Willow’s Cooking

  Meet Olivia Gaines

  AS A MULTIPLE AWARD-winning, USA Today best-selling author, Olivia loves a good laugh coupled with some steam, mixed in with a man and woman finding their way past the words of “I love you.” An author of contemporary romances, she writes heartwarming stories of blossoming relationships about couples not only falling in love but building a life after the hot sex scene.

  When Olivia is not writing, she enjoys quilting, playing Scrabble online against other word lovers and spending time with her family. She is an avid world traveler who writes many of the locations into her stories. Most of the time she can be found sitting quietly with pen and paper plotting more adventures in love. Olivia lives in Hephzibah, Georgia with her husband, son, grandson and snotty evil cat, Katness Evermean.

  Learn more about her books, upcoming releases and join her bibliophile nation at www.ogaines.com

  Subscribe to her email list at http://eepurl.com/OulYf

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olivia.gaines.31

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviagaines

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaines.olivia/

  A Note on the Technicians

  I HOPE YOU ENJOYED this installment of The Technicians. The series is a serial, much like the Zelda Diaries and the Blakemore Files, meaning the story is a continuation of an ever-evolving world. There are no cliff hangers, since one story ends where another story begins.

  Readers love the series since they can earn badges and train to become a technician as well. Oh, you didn’t know that? Head to my website, follow the yellow finger and join the site. It’s free. I don’t send you a buttload of spammy emails pressuring you to buy anything either.

  Once you join, you earn your first badge. The next badge is earned by passing Exam 1, based on a bit of Blind Luck. (See what I did there?) The third badge is based on your knowledge of Wrong Way in Blind Fate. And the next badge, will be based on Mr. Exit, you know, what you read here.

  There is a great deal of information on the organization which employs the Technicians in this story. Mr. Exit has begun to unravel the tight coils surrounding The Company as well as the enigma that is the Archangel.

  Mr. Mann, in this story also references s
everal other Technicians which make him uncomfortable, but note, that this is just one construction crew. The Southeast Construction Crew is a ten-member team which should lead you to believe that there are others, equally specialized, and equally dangerous.

  Up next, you will meet and spend time on the farm with Mr. Merge, who will be in your “read-ie” little palms in about six months. Until next time, stay out of trouble.

  Book Club Questions:

  The old folks used to say of bright children, “that child has been here before.” Have you ever met a child who was wiser than their young years?

  Raphael was in a tug of war emotionally and mentally over a life with Willow and the girls. Did you understand his hesitation?

  Willow’s break down came later in the story versus earlier. Where would your breaking point have been if you were in her shoes?

  Karli wanted a family and a normal life. In Mr. Exit, she saw everything she wanted in a father and set out to make it come to fruition. Do you think Karli played on his sympathies to get her way?

  Dusty Rose started out as a meek young woman who grew stronger each chapter. Were you able to relate to Dusty’s journey?

  There was a great deal of information in this installment about The Company, the Southeast Construction Crew and the meaning of family. What were you surprised to learn?

  SHARE YOUR ANSWERS and feedback in the form of a review. Let readers enjoy your insightful answers to the questions.

  Recipes

  Apple Sweet Potato Hash

  6 ingredients

  Meat

  4 slices Bacon, thick-cut

  Produce

  1 Granny smith apple

  1 Sweet potato, medium

  1 tsp Thyme

  Refrigerated

  2 Eggs

  Dairy

  1 tbsp Butter

  INSTRUCTIONS

  Slice the sweet potato and apple into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks.

  Place the bacon in a skillet. Turn the burner on to medium. Fry the bacon so it's just beginning to crisp on the bottom, then flip and cook an additional minute or so. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

  Place the sweet potato, apple, and a pinch of salt into the skillet and saute until soft, about 15 minutes. In the meantime, chop the bacon. When the sweet potato and apples are nearly done, return the bacon to the skillet and sprinkle in the thyme. Taste and add salt as needed.

  To cook the eggs, push the hash around to create two wells. If the skillet has dried out, you can add a bit of butter to each well to help the eggs fry and prevent sticking. Crack an egg into each well and cook to your preference.

  Serve immediately & enjoy!

  Croque-Monsieur

  INGREDIENTS

  8 slices ½”-thick country-style bread

  6 oz. ham, preferably Paris ham (about 8 slices)

  3 oz. Gruyère, grated (about 1½ cups)

  1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

  Béchamel

  ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

  ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  1½ cups whole milk

  2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

  ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ¼ ground nutmeg

  Kosher salt

  assembly

  RECIPE PREPARATION

  béchamel

  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add flour & cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thick and somewhat elastic, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg; season with salt.

  DO AHEAD: Béchamel can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; press plastic wrap directly onto surface and chill.

  Assembly

  Preheat oven to 425°. Spread bread slices with béchamel, dividing evenly and extending all the way to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet; top with ham and half of cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread, béchamel side up, then top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Bake until cheese is brown and bubbling, 10–15 minutes.

  DO AHEAD: Sandwiches can be made (but not baked) 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

  Recipe by Rita Sodi And Jody Williams

  Blind Turn:

  Hey, I must tell you, Raphael kept me awake one night as he dictated his entire story to me for Blind Copy. I’m ready to write Blind Turn and introduce you to Mr. Merge. I will let you know ahead of time, his story will more than likely be the most thought provoking Technician I have written thus far.

  It will be available Winter 2021.

  Your next Mail Order Bride- Maple Sundaes and Cider Donuts

  THIS IS BOOK 10 IN the series. Leta and Evan spoke first before the characters in the scheduled next entry, so they were moved up. Trust me, when I force a story you can feel it, but if it flows esoterically, the reader can feel the love in me penning the words.

  I included the first chapter of this one for you. Turn the page and read on...

  Chapter One - Gemütlichkeit

  NERVOUSNESS TOOK OVER shaking hands as Leta Feldman punched the office address into the app for car service to Hartsfield Airport. Today, if all went well, she would say "I DO" at three o'clock on the dot to one Evan Eaton of Meredith, New Hampshire. Over and over she second-guessed herself until the day arrived. There would be no looking back from this point forward. The apartment was cleared, the goods packaged and shipped to New Hampshire, which left only her to get on the plane.

  The lease was over on the Lexus she loved to drive about the Atlanta freeways, but the crowd, hustle, and bustle of it all left a dry coating on her tongue. Talking about living life and doing it were separate animals in two opposing cages. Life was a call to action and she'd been called. Seated in the rear of the vehicle, she Leta's eyes ran over the screen of the phone, double-checking the flights to ensure she could board on time, but more importantly arrive on time. To save a few bucks on the airfare, the flight into Portland, Maine got in the air on a nonstop journey from Hartsfield to Maine, arriving in less than three hours. Leta reserved a rental car from the airport to drive over to Meredith and say the I Dos.

  Tight hands fisted and clenched, then unclenched, as the car came to a stop. Most of everything she owned was neatly packed, rolled and sorted in three very large suitcases plus one carry-on bag. At some point, she gathered in her zooming thoughts, she would want to get a small dog as a companion. Right now, Evan Eaton would have to suffice. She knew he was a busy man, serving as the Town Clerk of Meredith and a part-time photographer. The images he'd taken of the home they would share, the land and lake were breathtakingly astonishing. A man with an eye for that much detail and composition should make a find husband and companion.

  "Excuse me," Leta said, pushing past the crowd waiting at the curbside. "I need to check these bags, please."

  "Of course. Right this way. Need to see your ticket," the sky captain said, almost snapping his fingers at her. "Tickets out. Have your tickets ready."

  He was a rude man in her estimation. She was the one catching the plane, not him, and it was clearly over an hour before her flight. Leta tipped her driver plus the sky captain as the doors to her new life opened, ushering out the cold air of the building, mixing with the heat she'd be bringing inside. Smiling as he high heels clicked on the tiled floor of the busy hub, Leta made a beeline for security, checking in with little to no effort, skirting her way around slower passengers walking in the middle of the thoroughfare. Hopping onto the downward escalators to the subway cars, excited bodies flooded off the trains to make connections as anxious bodies piled on the train to make destinations.

  "This is it," Leta said excitedly as the doors closed. The calming voice came across the intercom announcing the terminals as the train slowed, dumping off more bodies, before collecting additional people and rolling on as if it were not a moving statement on the plight of mankind.

 
"D Terminal and the D Gates," the calm voice said. Leta, in the throng of bodies, inched her way off the train, to journey up the escalator to the departure gate. Moving at a clip, she arrived, just as the boarding began. More aggressive people stood, waiting, giving others the side-eye in an effort to get on board and be seated.

  "We're all going the same place on the same vehicle which means we all get there at the same time," Leta said in a husky, low voice.

  A little old lady with stark white hair gave a half-hearted smile as if she wanted to take a running sucker punch at Leta's mouth. No one was going to ruin this day for her. It was the day she was getting married. Evan waited for her in Meredith, New Hampshire, and tonight before they made love, he would hand feed her a maple sundae, seated on top of a cider donut, as he gazed deep into her eyes and confessed his love.

  An entire year of long love letters, only one phone call with photos outside of the one from the Mail-Order Bride agency. The first-class seat, while spacious, seemed cramped by the judging eyes of people passing down the aisle, looking down their noses at a Black woman in the front rows. Everything was going to be first class from now on in her life. No more back seats, sidecars, or honorable mentions.

  "I'm going to be Evan's wife," she said, smiling, allowing the tension to ease as the doors of the plane were closed, and the attendants prepared the cabin for departure. The week had been spent in such fervor preparing to take the life-changing journey from the four seasons of the south; well technically two- hot and not as hot- to a part of the country that would be buried under snow six months of the year. Droopy eyes gave up the fight as eyes closed, dreaming of her wedding night to a man she fell in love with through his letters.