Fort Lupton

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  “Did you set the place on fire?” Dionne asked.

  “Probably.” Yvonne looked embarrassed.

  “We’d better hurry then,” Dionne said with a firm nod.

  Dionne picked up the receiver and held it out to Yvonne. Dionne gave Yvonne a fierce look, and Yvonne nodded. Yvonne dialed one and then the only phone number she knew.

  The phone rang once.

  It rang twice.

  “O’Malley,” a man’s voice said.

  The automatic sprinklers came on.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Tuesday evening — 8:25 p.m.

  Denver, Colorado

  Tanesha was so agitated and angry that she jumped out of her father’s truck as it rolled to a stop in front of Sandy’s salon. She stalked toward the salon. Seeing what looked like a party inside, Tanesha stopped a few feet from the salon.

  “That looks fun,” Ne Ne said as she walked up behind Tanesha.

  Scowling at Ne Ne, Tanesha walked to the door. She punched in the entry code and opened the door.

  “Tanesha!” Heather yelled from across the room.

  “You’re having a party?” Tanesha asked. Her voice reeked with irritation.

  “It just happened,” Sandy said. She hugged Tanesha. “Honey forced Charlie out of Seth’s house. They came here because it’s safe. Heather, Tink, and Ivy were going to Seth’s for dinner.”

  “We ended up here,” Maresol said. She held out her arms and hugged Tanesha. Under her breath, she said, “I see the wicked witch is here.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Tanesha said.

  Maresol gave Ne Ne a dark look and moved away.

  “I see some people remember me,” Ne Ne said in a light voice.

  Tanesha glanced at her grandmother.

  “I did what I could,” Ne Ne said.

  “You . . .” Tanesha started.

  She stopped talking when she saw Jill and her sister Candy outside the salon. She gestured toward the door and Rodney let them in. While everyone welcomed Jill and Candy, Rodney took Tanesha’s elbow and moved her to a quiet corner of the salon.

  “What?” Tanesha asked.

  “I just want you to know that I understand how you feel,” Rodney said.

  “But?” Tanesha asked. “Just spit it out.”

  “No buts,” Rodney said. “I understand.”

  “What do you understand?” Tanesha crossed her arms in front of her.

  “I understand that I went to prison.” Rodney nodded. “I made my own choices. I took my own chances. I lived the hand that I was dealt. It wasn’t fair or right or just or anything like that, but I was a grown man. Your mother was in the same boat. But you . . .”

  “What about me?” Tanesha asked.

  “You had to live with the consequences of what happened to us and our choices,” Rodney said.

  Tanesha scowled and looked away from him.

  “I get it, Miss T, I do,” Rodney said. “It’s all fine and well for me to say that you shouldn’t be hard on Ne Ne, but I wasn’t there.”

  Tanesha shifted to look at him.

  “I get it,” he said. “And she’s . . .”

  “A fairy,” Tanesha said. “I hate them.”

  “You and Fin are close,” Rodney said in a mild tone.

  “Fin doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is,” Tanesha said. “He knows he’s got it good; he’d tell anyone that.”

  “And everything’s about him,” Rodney said.

  “He’s a man, isn’t he?” Tanesha nodded.

  “You don’t trust what she’s going to say,” Rodney said.

  “All I can say is that she’s here and my mother’s in danger,” Tanesha said. “Again. Mom was fine a little while ago. Fairy shows up, and Mom’s in trouble. That can’t be a coincidence.”

  Tanesha watched Sandy answer her cell phone. Sandy gestured to turn the music down.

  “What is it?” Rodney asked.

  “It’s Mom,” Tanesha said.

  “Tanesha!” Sandy said.

  Sandy waved Tanesha over to her. Everyone watched as Tanesha moved in her direction.

  “Seth says that your mom called him,” Sandy said. “I guess she knows his number from before her head injury.”

  Tanesha nodded.

  “She’s trapped in the office with the guys who . . .” Sandy nodded. “They are saying they will trade your mom and Dionne, you know Jeraine’s mom . . .”

  “I know who Dionne is!” Tanesha said.

  Sandy hugged her. Under her breath, Sandy said, “It’s going to be okay.”

  “What do they want?” Tanesha asked.

  “They have told the FBI that they will trade them for me.” Sandy gave a quick nod and swallowed hard. “The FBI called ages ago.”

  Tanesha scowled at Sandy’s bobbing head and the phone.

  “Your mom says they don’t plan on trading them,” Sandy said. “They plan on using and killing them.”

  Tanesha felt a wave of rage rise up from her belly.

  “Oh, and your mom set the building on fire,” Sandy said.

  Tanesha felt rage rush through her. Tink must have said something funny, because Charlie, Ivy, Jill, and her sister burst out laughing. Tanesha glanced over at them. When she glanced back at Sandy, she realized that time had stopped. She looked for her father. He was standing with his ear close to Maresol’s mouth and his arm over her shoulder.

  “It’s unnerving, isn’t it?” a voice asked.

  Tanesha turned around. She saw Ne Ne standing near the stairwell to the basement.

  “Whatever is going on here, I’m not doing a damned thing without my girls,” Tanesha said. “Not a damned thing.”

  “Of course,” Ne Ne said.

  “Put everything back then,” Tanesha said.

  “I didn’t do this,” Ne Ne said.

  “If you didn’t, who did?” Tanesha asked.

  “You did,” Ne Ne said. “That doesn’t mean that I won’t use it for my purposes. I am a fairy, after all.”

  “And what might that be?” Tanesha asked.

  “Would you show me around the basement?”

  “What do you want from the basement?” Tanesha asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Ne Ne said. “Mostly, I figured while you quieted everything, you could give me a tour.”

  “A tour?” Tanesha asked.

  “This space is quite infamous, you know,” Ne Ne said.

  Ne Ne started down the basement stairs. Tanesha had to move fast to keep up. Tanesha clicked on the light at the bottom of the stairs. Ne Ne moved to stand in the middle of the room.

  “Do you mind?” Ne Ne took out a camera and took a dozen or more digital photos of the basement. “It’s for our library.”

  She walked from one burnt rafter to the next, only to kneel at a spot on the floor.

  “Where did it die?” Ne Ne asked.

  “What?” Tanesha asked.

  “The serpent,” Ne Ne said.

  Tanesha walked toward the wall where Saint Jude had lain. She pointed to the floor. Ne Ne shook her head.

  “Not there,” Ne Ne said.

  “The serpent kind of exploded,” Tanesha pointed to a spot near the front of the basement, “ . . .there.”

  Ne Ne went to the spot. She took a photograph and carefully put her camera away. Then, without ceremony, she opened her hands so they faced the spot where the serpent was destroyed. Tanesha saw a kind of dark fog come off the wood. Ne Ne held out a vial and the fog drifted in.

  “Now we can save them,” Ne Ne said.

  “Who?” Tanesha asked.

  “Those caught in the Sea of Amber,” Ne Ne smiled. “Of course.”

  Tanesha’s mouth dropped open.

  “You don’t give a crap about my mom.” Tanesha’s voice held her disbelief. “She’s in terrible danger, like she was the entire time you lived here. And once again, you’ll do nothing.”

  “Oh?” Ne Ne’s voice was mild. “You didn’t mind it before.”

  “I
was a child!” Tanesha said.

  “Maybe you should remember that,” Ne Ne said.

  “What?”

  “It’s you that holds the whole mess against yourself,” Ne Ne said. “You blame yourself for what happened to your mother. You blame yourself for not doing more.”

  “I…”

  “You were a child,” Ne Ne said. “And the rest of us, we did as much as we could. Was it perfect? No. But your parents are here, alive, in love, and happy. Do you have any idea how unusual that is?”

  “I…”

  “They have extraordinary love for each other, that’s true. But even that kind of love is not enough in most cases,” Ne Ne said. “If you want to know what I did, I made it so that could happen.”

  “But . . .” Tanesha started. “Who’s going to save her tonight?”

  “The same person who saved her last time,” Ne Ne said.

  “No one saved her last time,” Tanesha said.

  “That’s not entirely true,” Ne Ne said.

  “Fine,” Tanesha said. “Who saved her last time?”

  “Why, you, of course,” Ne Ne said.

  “Wh . . .?” Tanesha started.

  “Wasn’t it you who negotiated to purchase her from that horrible man?” Ne Ne asked. “Didn’t you do the year-in and year-out work of making her keeper trust you so that when the chance was available, he called you? Wasn’t it your husband who actually bought your mother’s freedom? Why did he do that?”

  “But . . .?”

  “We should get back,” Ne Ne said. “Your friend Jill is half Titan. They get a little hostile when they’re in a time lock. And Hedone . . . Well, let’s just say I’m glad it wasn’t me who locked her down. Shall we?”

  With that, Ne Ne went up the stairs, leaving Tanesha to stare at her back. In a moment, the music and noise returned upstairs. Tanesha saw Heather at the top of the stairs.

  “Fairy crap?” Heather asked.

  Tanesha nodded.

  “Thought so,” Heather said. “Should I come down?”

  “I’ll come up,” Tanesha said.

  There was a cheer for someone else joining the party, and Heather turned to look.

  “Jeraine’s here with Jabari,” Heather said.

  Tanesha stomped up the stairs.

  Chapter Three hundred and thirty

  The serpent returns

  Tuesday evening — 8:45 p.m.

  Phoenix, Arizona

  “Dionne,” Yvonne whispered.

  Dionne turned her head to look at Yvonne from her position near the door. The overhead sprinklers continued to shower them with freezing water. Dionne was somewhat shielded from the onslaught by the ornate doorframe molding. Yvonne was sitting under a folding chair from the supply closet. They had arranged folding chairs over Agent Angie. Those horrible men had come in right after Yvonne hung up the phone. They told them to get ready because a helicopter was on its way.

  “She’s waking up.” Yvonne pointed to Agent Angie.

  Dionne belly-crawled to the spot behind the table where Agent Angie lay. She shooed Yvonne away and took Agent Angie’s hand.

  “What happened?” Agent Angie asked.

  “You were shot,” Dionne said. “Just under your vest.”

  “Through the girl.” Agent Angie nodded. “And she’s . . .?”

  “Dead,” Dionne said.

  “How bad am I?” Agent Angie asked.

  “Depends,” Dionne said.

  “On?” Agent Angie asked.

  “When you get to the hospital,” Dionne said. “And what these so-and-so’s do.”

  Agent Angie didn’t say anything. Dionne leaned into Yvonne.

  “Aren’t you supposed to call again?” Dionne asked.

  “In one more minute,” Yvonne said.

  “Who . . .calling?” Agent Angie asked.

  “Seth O’Malley,” Yvonne said.

  “Why?” Agent Angie’s voice was more air than sound.

  “It’s the only number we know,” Dionne said. “Now shush, you need to save your strength.”

  They heard a noise in the hallway, and Dionne peered around the corner.

  “They’re coming,” Dionne said. She looked at Yvonne. “You’d better call.”

  Yvonne picked up the phone and dialed Seth again. The phone clicked and clicked again.

  “Yvie?” Rodney’s voice came on the line.

  “Rodney?” Yvonne felt a surge of power just hearing his voice.

  “Ne Ne is here, honey,” Rodney said. “She came to help save you.”

  “Ne Ne . . .” Yvonne said under her breath. “But what can she do?”

  “She’s helping Miss T,” Rodney said. “Seth gave the police the information you told him.”

  “About the helicopter?” Yvonne asked.

  “Exactly,” Rodney said.

  “Can I talk to her?” Tanesha asked.

  “Here’s Miss T,” Rodney said. “I love you.”

  His words made her glow all over, but he was gone before she could reply.

  “Mom,” Tanesha said. “Listen to me very closely.”

  “Yes, Tannie,” Yvonne said.

  “They are not going by helicopter,” Tanesha said.

  “What?” Yvonne said.

  “They told you that to trick the police.”

  “Tannie says no helicopter,” Yvonne said.

  “Figures,” Dionne said.

  “Agent Angie has a taser,” Tanesha said.

  “I have her gun, Tannie,” Yvonne said.

  “Let them find the gun,” Tanesha said.

  “Hide the taser,” Yvonne said. She nodded to Dionne and pointed to Agent Angie.

  “Do you have a taser?” Dionne asked.

  “I’m lying on it,” Agent Angie said.

  “They’re going to go down the stairs with you,” Tanesha said. “It’s protected from the police. When you reach the fifth floor, something will happen and you’ll be able to use the taser.”

  “And get away?” Yvonne asked.

  “Go through the door,” Tanesha said. “Ne Ne and Dad will be waiting for you on the other side of the fifth floor door.”

  “Really?” Yvonne asked. “That’s nice.”

  “Mom!” Tanesha said. “Focus up.”

  “Yes, Tannie,” Yvonne said.

  “They are going to want some . . . uh . . .”

  “Sugar?” Yvonne asked.

  “Right, sugar, before they go,” Tanesha said. “You remember how to stall?”

  “We can do that,” Yvonne said. “Dionne’s good at it.”

  “What?” Dionne asked in a whisper.

  “Making men wait for sex,” Yvonne said. “We have to tease them into waiting. You up for that?”

  “And it will save us?”

  “Tannie thinks so,” Yvonne said.

  “I’ll do it.” Dionne nodded. “But, how does Tannie know all this stuff?”

  “How do you know about all of this?” Yvonne asked.

  “Turns out knowing everything and being bossy is my fairy power,” Tanesha said with a snort. “Jeraine is not surprised.”

  Yvonne laughed.

  “Mom,” Tanesha said. “Listen.”

  “Yes, Tannie,” Yvonne said.

  “You can have anything you want,” Tannie said. “You just have to want it badly enough. Ne Ne can’t get Dad there without your help. Can you help?”

  “Rodney’s waiting for me on the fifth floor, just behind the stairs door,” Yvonne said.

  “Exactly,” Tannie said. “You’ll remember?”

  “Trick them into delaying sex, but get them all flustered and impatient,” Yvonne said. “Let them find the gun, but not the taser.”

  Dionne held up Agent Angie’s taser.

  “What’s next?” Tanesha asked.

  “Go with them down the stairs,” Yvonne said. “Taser them on the fifth-floor landing of the stairs. Go through and find Rodney and Ne Ne. Did I miss anything?”

  “You have to wa
nt Dad to be on the fifth floor,” Tanesha said.

  “That’s a given,” Yvonne said. “Anything else?”

  “Don’t think a negative thought,” Tanesha said. “Your fairy power is high now. You could blow up the whole building or whatever. Hold your power in like you used to do with your keeper.”

  “Got it,” Yvonne said.

  “And Mom?”

  “Yes, Tannie?”

  “Good luck,” Tanesha said.

  “They’re coming,” Yvonne said. “Love you, Tannie.”

  Yvonne hung up the phone. She looked at Dionne.

  “Ready?” Yvonne asked.

  Dionne nodded. She hid the taser in her bra. Yvonne adjusted Dionne’s voluminous breasts around the object until it was invisible.

  “I see you ladies are ready for us.” A man’s voice came from the front of the room.

  Yvonne put on a bright smile. Dionne mimicked her expression and they stood up.

  “Just for you, sugar pea,” Yvonne said.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Tuesday night — 8:58 p.m.

  Denver, Colorado

  “She was down here?” Sandy asked Tanesha as they walked down the basement stairs.

  “When time stopped,” Tanesha said.

  “And you made that happen?” Jill asked as she walked down the steps behind them.

  “That’s what she said,” Tanesha said.

  “Do we believe her?” Sandy asked. “I mean, Maresol hates her.”

  “That’s because she didn’t save Mom,” Tanesha said.

  “Good reason, I think,” Sandy said.

  “What did she want down here?” Jill asked.

  “She wanted to know where the serpent was killed.”

  “Saint Jude?” Jill asked.

  “No, I thought that too,” Tanesha said. “She wanted to know where the creature inside Saint Jude exploded.”

  Tanesha pointed to the rafters.

  “She held her hands out like this,” Tanesha said. “And . . .”

  The same strange mist came off the beams.

  “Oh, creepy,” Heather said.

  “I washed that!” Sandy said. “Myself! Jill even decontaminated it and . . .”

  “Quick,” Tanesha said. “Do you have a clean container?”

  Jill ran to the recycling bin in the corner and found an empty plastic juice bottle. Sandy took it from her and washed it in the sink in the basement’s hidden room.