by J. M. LeDuc
Maddie put the safety on her gun and put it away as she followed Brent. “If that’s the case, how about you tell me about this.”
Looking vulnerable for the first time, Brent hung his head and sighed deeply. “That’s the reason I left the squad. I made the worst mistake I could have possibly made on that day…”
“How terrible could it possibly have been,” Maddie interrupted. “You single-handedly caught the Butcher and saved the Vice-president’s daughter.”
Looking up, Brent’s eyes had glazed over. The sight of total non-emotion, the nothingness made Maddie take a step back.
“The motto of the Phantom Squad is ‘Emotion will get you killed.’” Opening the front of his shirt, Brent exposed a tattoo that was inked onto the front of his right shoulder. “It’s so tantamount to what we do we actually have it inked into our bodies. On that day, I let emotion make my decisions for me. If the rest of the squad had been with me, I would have gotten them all killed.
“As I was healing from my injuries back at Bethesda, I vowed that I could never let that happen again. That’s when I decided to leave the squad, the only life I knew.” Brent closed his eyes and momentarily shook his head. When he reopened them, he again looked normal. “The memory of that day still haunts me today.”
“It sounds to me as if you acted like a hero,” Maddie said.
“Call me what you want. It was still the wrong move, made for the wrong reasons,” Brent said. Maddie didn’t know what to say and an awkward silence descended on the room. “Come on,” Brent said, changing the mood, “We don’t want to keep our guest waiting.”
CHAPTER 43
Brent led Maddie to the secret rooms. Instead of the two rooms she’d been in earlier, she stepped into an entire complex. She was dumbfounded.
“Whoa, hold on a minute,” she said as she stopped dead in her tracks to stare. “Where did this come from? I know it’s been a rough couple of days, but I’m sure this wasn’t here before.”
“Pretty amazing, huh?” Brent asked. “When we came to the end of the tunnel where the library should have been, there were no stairs like there were for the other entrances. Instead, there was a ramp, a very gradual incline, which led up to what appeared to be a solid stone wall. I figured we could gain access using the same method as before, so I shut off the lights.”
“You did what?”
“I’ll fill you in later on what we discovered about the tunnel system. For now, just go with it. Anyway, when I shut off the lights, the entire wall split and opened to the sides, revealing this,” Brent said, extending his arms to show it all off.
“Amazing,” is all Maddie could say after she’d taken it all in. There was a conference room that actually looked more like a war room, containing a large oval-shaped mahogany table with fifteen matching chairs arranged around it. A world map with latitudinal and longitudinal grids clearly marked, filled one wall. Pins covered various cities all over the world. Above the map, in thick permanent marker, were the words, “World threats to the Endowment.” A very advanced computer system was positioned next to the map and it looked like the one at S.I.A. headquarters. There was also an infrared scanner identical to the one at S.I.A.
“Anything look familiar?”
“I can certainly see Joseph’s contribution to the cause,” she said. “I remember when he requested the computer and scanner. I asked him why we needed another one and he said he wanted them for his home. He was getting older, he’d said, and some days, he’d rather work from home. He insisted that he pay for it with his own money, even though our sources told him it wasn’t necessary. He wouldn’t have it any other way.” She looked around her new surroundings and asked, “What’s beyond that door?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Brent led Maddie through the doorway. Beyond lay living quarters designed like an efficiency apartment with a kitchenette, a bathroom and a large open room complete with a Murphy bed. Lucille was lying in the bed. Maddie’s eyes suddenly filled with tears of relief.
Though weak from the day’s events, Lucille was alert and sitting up in bed, bolstered by pillows. In a slightly closed-lipped smile, she motioned for Maddie to come over to her side.
Timidly, she walked to Lucille. Chloe gave Maddie a big hug and told her how happy she was that she was safe. Maddie hugged her back, gave her a friendly peck on the cheek and repeated the sentiment.
A look of relief and love came into Maddie’s eyes as she looked at Lucille. When she reached the bedside, she rambled, “I am so happy to see you alive. The hospital scene was much too real. I was afraid I may have actually…”
Maddie choked on her words, unable to complete the sentence. “I prayed to God that Brent, Captain Venturi, knew what he was doing and that I—”Lucille touched Maddie’s lips with her finger to silence her. “Shh, you’re rambling.” In a weak but clear voice, she said, “Brent filled me in on everything on the way over from the hospital. He told me that your input and assistance was invaluable and that he…they couldn’t have rescued me without your help.”
“I think the captain was exhibiting self-modesty and overstated my involvement.”
“Either way, I know you risked your own life to save me, more than once, and I’m grateful.”
Lucille took Maddie’s hand in hers and held it lovingly. “I owe you an apology and an explanation for my attitude toward you.”
“You don’t have to, Lucille—”
“Yes, I do,” she interrupted. “Your relationship with my husband made me very jealous. It wasn’t a lack of trust in Joseph. I never doubted his fidelity.”
“And you shouldn’t have. He loved you more than life itself.”
Lucille, smiling, went on. “I know. It’s just that you were such a big part of his life, and he loved and cared for you so much that just the mention of your name was enough to make me angry. I can’t explain it, Maddie, but I just didn’t want to accept you as part of his life. You were…are, so pretty and smart, and so full of life that I became very envious of the time you spent with Joseph.” She dropped her head in shame. “I think you get the picture,” she said.
Maddie nodded her acknowledgement and squeezed Lucille’s hand lovingly.
“Then, after he died—was killed. I do know the truth about his death—I was so ashamed that I just couldn’t bring myself to see or talk to you.” She had tears in her eyes as she looked at Maddie. “I hope you can forgive me and that we can start all over.”
Maddie bent forward and kissed Lucille’s forehead. “I have nothing to forgive you for. You’re the only family I have, so let’s forget the past and start fresh.”
“I’d like that. Joseph always said you were family and you’re the only family I have left also.”
Maddie looked at Brent, then Chloe. “Not you’re only family, Lucille.”
“All right, you two,” Susan said. “It’s time to break it up. Mrs. Conklin needs to rest. She’s been through quite an ordeal in the last few hours.”
“What ordeal?” Maddie asked. “And I’m sorry but you are—?”
“Susan, Susan Collins,” Brent said. “Sorry, there just didn’t seem to be a good time for introductions. Susan was Lucille’s nurse practitioner in the hospital, and she agreed to come along and continue to be in charge of her care and recovery. Susan, may I introduce you to Maddie Smith, Lucille’s assassin.”
“Not funny, Captain,” Maddie said. She reached out to shake Susan’s hand. “It’s a pleasure. Welcome aboard. I want to thank you for watching over Lucille.”
Susan shook Maddie’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for your kind words of welcome. It has been my privilege to watch over Mrs. Conklin. Speaking of which, I really do need to give Lucille her medications. And she needs rest. So if you’ll all excuse us, I’m going to turn down the lights so she can sleep.”
“Thank you for your concern, my dear, but I really do need
to talk to these people.”
“We all need to get rest, Lucille,” Brent said. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Is that an order, Captain?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yes, it’s an order.” He motioned to Susan to give Lucille her meds.
“Tomorrow then, Captain,” Lucille said as she lay back down.
“Tomorrow it is,” he replied. “Goodnight, Lucille.”
They all said goodnight and left the room.
CHAPTER 44
In an adjacent sitting area, the three began to talk. “How did everything go at the hospital?” Brent asked.
“Smoothly,” Maddie answered. She then went on to tell Chloe and Brent what transpired from the time she left her condo until she arrived at the library.
“Now,” she said, “tell me what you found. Tell me about the tunnel system.”
“Amazing,” Chloe said. “It’s a miracle of modern-day architecture. The majority of the system was dug well over one hundred years ago and built below sea level. I really can’t wait to study it in more detail.”
“You said the ‘majority.’ What parts did you find to be newer?”
“All the doors open and shut through an electric stimulus. I would project that they were added about thirty years ago.”
“Then they would have been wired by Brent’s grandfather, isn’t that right?”
“I believe so. The ramp to the library and the two rooms we didn’t know existed are also new, even newer than the doors.”
“How do you know?”
“The wiring is more modern and the ramp and wall were built with more modern materials.”
“Why do you think the prior ambassadors felt it necessary to build the tunnels in the first place?”
“I’m really not sure,” Brent said. “From what I’ve seen so far, it seems that for as long as the Endowment has been in existence, there have been those who have tried to steal it. I think that, once the formula was deciphered and brought to this area, they needed a way to hide it. The Endowment stays hidden as long as the tunnels do.”
“Good and evil?”
“I’m sorry, Maddie, what did you say?”
“Good and evil? As long as there has been good, there has been evil. It makes sense that as long as there has been an Endowment, there has also been someone trying to take it and use it for personal gain.”
“Is someone getting philosophical, or is it spiritual?” Brent asked.
Those words made Maddie uncomfortable and she began to fidget. Chloe noticed her demeanor change. She put her hand on top of Maddie’s to help calm her.
“Tell us what’s been going on,” Chloe said.
Maddie looked at her as if she didn’t know what Chloe meant.
Chloe explained, “The woman Brent first described to me is not the same one I was introduced to, so something must have changed recently.”
Maddie closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Lord, she prayed, please put the right words on my lips. She opened her eyes and looked at both of them for a long minute before she spoke. “For years, ever since Joseph and I first met, he spoke to me about his faith and his love and acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Savior. He told me that God loves me and wanted nothing but the best for me, and that meant eternal life through the blood of Christ. It always made me very uncomfortable when he spoke of those things, so I would tell him I wasn’t interested or I would find a way to change the subject.
“In actuality, I was interested, but I’d done a lot of things I wasn’t proud of. I rationalized that if I couldn’t forgive me, how could I expect God to forgive me? I certainly didn’t love myself, so I didn’t expect anyone else to love me, especially God.”
“Did Joseph know about your past?” Chloe said.
Maddie nodded. “He’s the one who rescued me from it.”
“And he still loved you, right?”
“Yes, but that didn’t seem to help. I thought he just said that because he felt sorry for me.”
“What changed?” Brent asked.
“You,” Maddie replied.
“Come again?”
“I started feeling different about myself after we met. You looked at me differently than men usually look at me.”
“Maddie, our first meeting was rather tense, so I’m not sure what you mean.”
Maddie squeezed Chloe’s hand for added support. “Let me try to explain. As a child, I was always told I was useless. My mother and father both drank. My mom was too drunk to care, and my father was abusive, verbally, emotionally and physically.
“Every day was bad, but I dreaded weekends. My father would drink twice as much and come home with a big chip on his shoulder. He’d slam the door shut and start yelling and screaming. He’d make my mom and me get out of bed just so he could tell us what losers we were, and then he’d drag my mother back into the bedroom and force himself on her. To top it all off, he’d make us get up on Sunday mornings and go to church. He was such a hypocrite. So I grew up believing that everyone else in the church was a hypocrite, too. I hated even the thought of church.
“When I became a teenager and started developing into a young woman, people, especially men, started noticing me. At first, I was naïve enough to think they really cared about me. Soon I found out they only cared about what they could do to me. I became a very bitter young girl.
“After my mom died, my father took out his aggression on me. It started with him just pushing me around when he was drunk and slapping me. Of course, he always apologized the next morning, swearing he’d never do it again, but I knew better. It came to a boiling point one night when he tried to rape me. I somehow got away and I ran. I went to live with my aunt and I’ve never looked back.
“College was one party after another and nobody was better at it than I was. I became very promiscuous during those years. After I graduated, I decided it was time to grow up and use my brains instead of my body. I went to grad school for my master’s in chemistry and I thought my life would be different. I thought people would treat me with respect. That’s a laugh. I couldn’t keep a job for more than a month. Every boss hired me not for my mind but because of how I looked. They just wanted to get into my pants. When I said no, they quickly found a reason to fire me.”
Maddie was visibly shaking at this point and needed to gather her composure.
“You don’t have to continue,” Chloe said, “We’re friends, no matter what.”
“I know, that’s why I have to continue,” she said. She took a sip from a water bottle she kept in her purse. “This is where it went from bad to worse.
“At that point, I was an angry, bitter, non-trusting, jobless young woman. I figured that if the only thing men wanted from me was my body, why not make them pay for it. I moved to Atlanta and started working as a high-priced call girl. I was full of self-hatred and I had absolutely no self-respect left.
“Two of my ‘regulars’ were, how shall I say it, men of the cloth. The only cloth I saw them care about was the cloth my panties were made of. But on their respective Sabbaths, they preached and chastised others for things not half as bad as the things they were doing. Again, I saw hypocrisy in the church. So, when someone, even someone as wonderful as Joseph, would speak to me of Jesus, the only images I had were those two men and Sunday mornings growing up.
“That’s when I met Joseph.”
“He was one of your…‘guys’?”
“No, Chloe,” Maddie said with a slight laugh. “He wasn’t a client. He was my savior, well, earthly speaking. As our relationship grew, I started letting my guard down when I was with him, but I still didn’t buy all the Jesus stuff. Joseph was the only one I had faith in.”
She took a deep breath then looked directly at Brent.
“That brings me back to you. When we first met, you looked so familiar. There was somethin
g in your eyes, but I couldn’t place it. It was as if Joseph was still alive. Come to find out, what I saw in your eyes was sincerity and respect. You saw me as a person, not a very nice one at the time, but still, a person and not a body with a mouth attached.
“As we spoke, I noticed the cross hanging around your neck and I realized it was the same one Joseph wore. It made me think that maybe there were people in this world who had real faith and weren’t hypocrites. After my fateful morning at Ferric’s, I went home and broke down, not from the physical pain but from the spiritual pain. My relationship with Joseph was the only thing in my life that provided any substance, and that was gone. I felt empty.
“As I sat in my bedroom crying and feeling sorry for myself, I heard Joseph speak to me. I heard him tell me that the only way I was going to be whole, to feel comfort, was to give my life to Christ and that all I had to do was ask him into my life and accept him as my personal Savior.
“I knelt down next to my bed and prayed. I can’t tell you exactly what happened to me while I knelt there, but I swear, at one point I was hovering over the floor. When I finished praying and got up off my knees, I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. All the guilt and shame I’d been carrying around for so many years was gone. I now know that my life is not worthless, and that it belongs to Jesus. My outlook on life and my way of living changed that instant I prayed for Christ’s forgiveness. I’m not stupid and I know I’ll continue to make mistakes, but I also know that God will forgive me for them as long as I keep trying and as long as I keep Jesus as my first priority.”
Maddie looked up from the table, half expecting to see judgmental looks. Instead, she found joy and love in their eyes.
“Welcome to a better life and eternal life,” Brent said. “The hovering that you thought you felt was the Holy Spirit entering your body and enveloping your soul. It was your moment of cleansing and forgiveness. If the Son of God, Jesus Christ, does not find fault in you, who are we to do differently? Our sins are no less great than yours, and we, too,” Brent reached forward and clasped both Chloe’s and Maddie’s hands, “have been washed clean by the blood of Christ.”Chloe then said a prayer thanking God for their new sister. She thanked God for bringing them safely this far and asked God to guide them through the rest of their mission.
