Placing a box of the uncut rocks near the front door, he watched Echo cradling Barney’s head in her arms, her head against the fur around his face as if to whisper quietly to him. Barney relaxed, much calmer now. It didn’t take much to make Echo happy as long as it involved Barney. Glancing at the skeletons on the floor, he wondered when they would get the details on those two gems. Maybe he should pack them up too. They certainly couldn’t leave them here. Glancing over to the couple, he prepared to ask Jose what he thought. He watched Jose pick up Abby and carry her toward the bedrooms. Grabbing a few more boxes, he made the decision to stuff the skeletons in, grimacing as he placed the boxes at the door with the rest of their stuff.
Scotty knocked on Abby’s bedroom door. Jose motioned him in grimly, patting a spot on the bed for him to sit. Abby reached out and searched for Scotty’s hand.
“It was Tomas and Kelly; and some other guy. I guess it must have been Kelly’s brother, Armoni. He’s a real prize. I stopped him from getting into the garage, though. I thought they killed Barney; the fucking bastards.” Her lips moved with no sound, her anguish robbing her of her voice. She swallowed hard, breathing deep. “He tried to protect me. Echo saved us.” Abby held her face in her hands, hiccupping as her tears leaked through her fingers to stain her comforter. They waited while she recovered her composure. Looking up at her brother and her new love, she whispered, “They stuck me with a needle. Then I saw Echo kill Kelly. It was awful. Her antlers split open and the little things inside flew to Kelly and just ate her face off. I heard the others screaming and then I blanked out.”
Jose met Scotty’s eyes. Turning back to Abby, he explained what they saw upon returning home. Abby’s face drained of color. Looking to Scotty for confirmation, he nodded his head.
“Skeletons? Only two? But there are three of them. One of the guys must have gotten away. Who was it? We need to do something. Jose, he’ll be back.” Her voice rose, verging on hysteria.
Jose put his arms around her. “Abby, we’re going to be gone within two hours. The arrangements have been made. I’ll pack for you. If you feel up to it, I need you to go through the house and collect any keepsakes you want to take. We’ll never come back here. It won’t be safe; ever. This is a permanent goodbye to Lily Pond Road.” Hearing the doorbell ring, he peeked out the window spotting the armored truck.
“That was fast. I have to handle this. Let’s get a move on, now. Our car will be here any minute. We should be gone as soon as we get loaded. There’s much more that we need to talk about. We’ll have to do that in the car. Abby, you okay? Scotty?” Nodding their heads, Jose left to answer the door.
“Abby, is this what you want?” Scotty asked as soon as they were alone. At the questioning look on her face, Scotty said, “You know what I mean. Jose?” Abby took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Scotty, you know I love you more than life. You’ve always been my baby boy. But I’ve learned that there needs to be more to be a whole person. That day will come for you too. I pray you’ll have an easy time. I’ll help do whatever it takes, under our unusual circumstances, to make that happen for you. But regarding Jose? I need to see what this is about. The three of us care deeply about one another and that will never change. Jose will always be your best buddy. It’s just that my feelings for him are different now.” She smiled gently. “And I’m happy. Or at least I will be if we get the heck out of here. I need some happiness to have the strength to get through this. Do you understand kiddo?”
Scotty thought he did understand but he wasn’t happy himself. Maybe that would change over time. Right now, he knew he better support Abby and Jose and hold up his end. There would be more time to think this through after they were in Florida.
###
Abby shook out her hair, pulling it back to secure with an old fashioned scrunchy that belonged to her mother. She stiffened her spine and got out of bed to help with the hasty packing. Returning to the living room, she noticed the skeletons were gone. She wondered what the boys did with them. Looking out the window, she saw Jose standing with two uniformed men. They signed something and gave it to Jose. After they drove off she saw that their limo had been parked unnoticed, behind the armored car. She better hurry now. Someone was sure to notice the unusual vehicles and come poking around. Stuffing her ruined jumper under her arms, she dumped it, along with the memories of today’s events, like a curdled carton of milk, into the trash.
Chapter 15
Armoni paced back and forth, muttering to himself in the dirty, greasy kitchen with the basement door opened to what they used to call the fun house. No time for more of that. That uppity bitch and her fuckin’ little nightmare gremlin put an end to that.
He couldn’t escape the image of Kelly’s face covered with the funky shit that popped out of the little nightmare’s horns. He should of stomped the little shit when he had the chance. Kelly’s dissolving face and her fuckin’ screams will haunt him for a long time.
But, he had a scheme. As he busily reworked it in his mind, he decided it could be sensational. He reviewed the events at Tomas’s old house. When all the action got hinky, he decided to check out fast, cutting through the garage. And on his way out, he quickly grabbed one of the big gold lumps stacked all over the garage. Holy shit; no wonder that bitch didn’t want us in there. Where the hell did they get all that gold? Just a pure stroke of good luck, he mustered the good sense to grab a piece. It must be worth a fortune.
But his scheme needed refining if he didn’t want to get caught. Yeah, he wanted to get back to that garage, you bet your ass. He wasn’t going to let them get away with what they did to him without getting his share of the gold.
It would be dark soon. He planned to go back for the gold as soon as he thought everyone slept soundly in their beds. If he couldn’t get in the front or back door, he planned to break in through the garage door. He relentlessly paced, thinking about his plans for that uppity bitch the next time he got her alone.
He pulled up to the house on Lily Pond Road in the pathetic Volkswagen, rolling down the window to let in fresh air, the sound of crickets masking the cooling tick of the old vehicle. He needed the car close by so he could load the gold quickly. A beat up old truck sat innocently in the driveway, the house shrouded in dark silence. They must be asleep.
Flexing his arms, popping his knuckles, he figured the time was perfect. Crouching and crawling to the garage door, he pulled on the lock. It moved. Curiously, it wasn’t locked. Praising his good fortune, he raised the door part way and slid under. Hardly able to contain his glee, he took a flashlight out of his pocket. Shining it upward he illuminated a very empty garage.
“What the fuck?” He ran to the connecting door to the house, ripping it open. Evidence of a hasty departure lay strewn on the floors, forlorn empty boxes still awaiting their share of possessions. Running through the hollow echoing house, he confirmed that it was deserted. Damn; too late. They slipped out of his hands. Well, at least he still owned one piece. That would last him a long time. He just needed to make a new plan. This wasn’t the end of anything. And as soon as he figured it out, he might just start with that pissant gay-boy lawyer in Newtown he caught them with the other day. He got psyched just thinking about having a little sit-down with the juicy Tiffany.
He didn’t care how long it took to track them down. That bitch and her freaky pet haven’t seen the end of him.
Chapter 16
The dark skinned, unusually attractive man placed his foot softly on the plush apricot carpet that molded the carved mahogany stairs, stopping to admire his hand tooled Italian leather loafers. He would have to remember to pick up another pair in cordovan the next time he flew to Italy. He made a note to have his assistant call ahead to order them.
Leaving the carpeted treads, he mounted another set of stairs, bare and unembellished, that led to the attic, tucked far away from the rest of the mansion. Standing in front of the attic door, he tried to juggle the tray in his hand while he searched for
the key that would unlock the plain nondescript oak door. Locating the key in his silk lined pocket, he carefully inserted it in the keyhole. He listened for sounds, hoping she would be sleeping. It was so much more difficult when she was awake. He found her wailing tiresome.
He adjusted the smile on his face, deepening the dimples in his seamless cheeks. Not too many people could boast a grin as famous as his. He could say anything he wanted and still be believable as long as he flashed his famous dimples. His brilliant white teeth (all caps, but worth every penny) contrasted handsomely with his dusky completion. Turning the lock, he entered the silent room.
She rocked slowly, a handmade stuffed doll in her fragile right arm; her left arm, flaccid and unmoving, tethered to the arm of the hard wooden chair she sat in. Looking toward him, he noticed the vacant look in her damaged eyes had not improved. He set the tray down on the small oak dresser he allowed her to have (no sense making her too comfortable). He saw that her thick blond hair could use the service of a hair dresser. Drool pooled on her lovely chin and crusted there. It appeared as if she lost more weight. He could not have that. It would be commented on. He must have everything appear as normal as possible when she left the attic. Taking out his cell phone he pressed a button. Within a few minutes, two men entered the room. They both carried the kind of bulk that screamed, “Don’t even think about it.” One was carrying apparatus that could only be described as a feeding tube. The screaming and begging started as soon as she recognized the tube. The men picked her up and tied her to the bed. She was trying to bite the hands that held her down, to no avail. Shaking his head in disgust, he left the room. He will allow her one week to snap out of it, even as he knew it looked unlikely. He hoped his backup plan was going to show some results. He had invested almost a year in the project. Time was running out.
He decided to make a call, unwilling to wait any longer. The campaign was starting to suffer without her appearance. He changed into his boat shoes and walked out the French doors to the terrace. His panoramic view of Sarasota Bay was the best that money could buy, showcasing the boats tethered to his dock, the smaller unrecognizable 38 foot Bertram being made ready for his trip across the bay where he would dock at Marina Jacks. It was only a short three block walk from there to the Mosque.
He hurried down the formal garden path bordered with his wife’s favorite yellow tea roses and made his way to the slip, quickly boarding along with his two bodyguards. Casting off, he gave them both instructions to stay with the yacht.
Going below he donned his disguise, emerging as an elderly gentleman of vague Middle Eastern distinction. Nodding to his bodyguards, he hardly noticed the small school of dolphins amusing themselves in the wake of the yacht as it skimmed across the breathtaking bay in the shadow of Ringling Bridge. The occasional wave sent cold spray back into his now lined and aged face. He glanced down at his hands, recognizing how damp his palms were. He rubbed them lightly on his baggy cotton pants. A shiver past through him; making his stomach spasm with fear. Stoically, he shook it off. His only thoughts swirled around the bottomless power and iron fists of the important men he would soon meet with.
Chapter 17
The drive to Norristown took about an hour with no traffic other than the occasional late night gin mill patron. It felt like they were on the lam, stealing away like guilty thieves in the night; leaving the house, chocked full of so many vibrant memories, not easy. A feeling of deserting her mother washed over Abby as the limo sped along the highway. Scotty moodily kept to himself in the corner of the car, a dog carrier for the purpose of hiding Echo at his feet.
Echo and Barney sat next to each other, noses pressed to the smoked glass of the limo. The limo driver, if need be, communicated with them through an intercom, their compartments segregated by an opaque partition creating complete privacy. And for the first time in days, they felt safe.
Five pieces of gold, individually wrapped in old wrinkled paper bags, sat on the seat with them. They decided not to let the gold out of their sight until Jose melted it down to be converted into cash. They planned to spend a week in Norristown while he completed the task. Half of the cash would be deposited in an account and a safety deposit box in Norristown’s largest local bank, The Doyle Farmer’s Trust. The rest would remain safely with them.
Arriving at the hotel, they relied on their driver to check them in while they took the gold, Barney, his dog food and Echo, in her dog carrier, up to the penthouse. There they found two well-appointed bedrooms, a deluxe gourmet kitchen and a living room and dining room furnished in antiques. With a glance at Abby and Jose, Scotty took the smaller bedroom. Although it could hardly be called small, allowing plenty of room for Barney and Echo in the big bed with him.
After putting the Do Not Disturb sign out, Jose sat them all, including Echo, at the mahogany dining room table. They all felt a bit sheepish and intimidated with their surroundings, having never laid eyes on such luxury and excess. All rich jewel tone fabrics, wainscoting and marble. Just the enormous hand painted ceilings were enough to make them feel intimidated. Their whole house would fit into the mirrored entry hall and bourbon, crushed velvet living room alone. Wishing circumstances were different, they realized celebrating their good fortune must wait. They must deal with the fact that two people died; quite a little dampener on things.
“Well, is anyone going to tell me what happened to the skeletons that sat in our living room just as few hours ago?” The audible tension in Abby’s voice reminded the others of the problem.
“We have them,” Scotty said.
“What do you mean, we have them?” Abby’s face looked shocked. Jose reached over and took her hands, trying to reassure her, wanting her to stay calm as they tried to work this out.
“Abby, we couldn’t leave them behind. When they were discovered, and they would be, the authorities would have to come find us. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t do anything wrong or that they planned to harm you. They deserved to die. I’ve heard rumors about Armoni and Kelly for a long time; serious, disturbing rumors. Tomas fell under their spell, attracted to whatever fueled their psychotic behavior. There was nothing we could do to change that. If your mother and Hiro hadn’t been hit by that truck, maybe we wouldn’t have been a target for them. But sooner or later they would have met a similar fate. It was only a matter of time.”
“Please, I don’t want to know any more about them.” She held up her hands attempting to ward off the noxious information. “Echo, do you understand what you did?” Golden auras flashed in their minds.
“Oh yes, Sister Abby, I exterminated the bad humans. It was most necessary. They were a scourge with a hate toward all other life on this planet, especially fellow humans. They were no longer in balance. They hurt you.” The aura dimmed; the room filling with silence. Then the auras whispered in gray tones. “They were predators. They tried to kill My Barney. He was dying. They did not deserve to live. That is the law and always will be.” Echo said nothing further, even though they tried to get her to explain what she meant by the law. Maybe she simply meant the U.S. laws.
“Now, as you all realize, one of the guys got away.” Jose’s face looked harsh and determined. “I don’t know what that’s going to mean for us, but we better keep on our toes. I don’t know who survived, Tomas or Armoni, but he’ll be gunning for us. The good thing is, he probably won’t be able to find us. What will he do without any money anyway? When it comes right down to it, they were just local scumbags,” Jose said. “Why don’t you take Barney to the kitchen, Echo and get him some chow? Fill his bowl with water … thank you.” Jose wanted to raise a new subject.
“We know Mama Diaz and the girls didn’t move in with Tomas. I suspect the only reason he suggested they move out was so we would be more vulnerable. I think they may have been after Scotty’s gold coin. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But that still leaves the problem of Mama Diaz’s whereabouts. I’d like to suggest we put Peter on the case and have him hire a detective
to find them. If they’re willing, I’d like to bring them to Sarasota with us. We can’t have them in the house with us, obviously, (waving his tail) but we can get them a house on the same street. I would feel much better if I knew they were with us, okay?”
“But how would we explain our sudden wealth?” Abby asked.
“What about the truth?” Scotty proposed. They all looked at one another in surprise.
“Well, I guess we could. But without knowing how they would react, I’m not sure. Can we think that one over for a while? I don’t think I’m ready for more people to know our secret or about Echo. It makes me very uncomfortable. And how would we hide our eyes from them? Won’t they question the constant sunglasses?” Abby’s face reflected all of her doubts.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that, but I guess it wouldn’t be a problem if we tell them the truth.” Rubbing his eyes, Jose felt the stress overwhelm him. He felt tired; so much happened in such a short period of time. Standing up, he pulled Abby to her feet, tipped her head back and looked into her eyes. She smiled.
“Let’s go to bed, babe. We can figure this out tomorrow.” Saying good night to Scotty, they headed arm in arm to their bedroom. Their bedroom, Jose thought, beholding Abby’s smile again. Can things get any better than this?
Chapter 18
Omar stood out on the terrace, watching his lanky teenage daughter with her diving instructor, as he drilled her in their Olympic sized in-ground pool. Always a bright, sweet, cooperative child, she bore no resemblance to her uncooperative mother. The fact that his heroin-addled wife did not give birth to her went unnoticed by all but his most trusted men. His loss of patience with his wife was hardly surprising as Jane slowly became more difficult to control. He hoped obtaining the child for her after the death of their own infant would satisfy her and therefore, she would become more malleable. No such luck.
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