by S. R. Booth
Mary laughed.
“She was just fine when I was working two office jobs trying to make ends meet. It’s not like I changed in any way when I collected garbage, but her image of me sure did.” He jabbed his fork into his salad.
“There are some days when there’s nothing more I would rather do than tell her that her lowly son-in-law is in line to take over a huge company.” A sheepish smile replaced his pensive expression, and he looked at Mary with a shrug. “Can’t help it. I’m still human.”
“I know the feeling.” Mary took a sip of her water. “You might be surprised at how many people come into this building and treat me terribly just because I’m the receptionist. Believe me, there have been so many times I’ve wanted to tell everyone that I’m a Protector, that I’m important, chosen to help keep the world safe for people just like them.”
“People really do judge others by what they do, rather than who they are,” Billy said thoughtfully before adding, “Well, I respected you long before I knew you were a Protector.”
“Yeah, that’s because you were just a lowly trash man,” Mary quipped and had them both laughing
“What’s Sarah doing today? I’m sure you would much rather be having lunch with her,” she teased.
“She and Linda had a fermenting class this morning. We have jars lined up on the counter, jars in the fridge, jars in the cupboard.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “She has been doing a lot of experimenting trying to get everything just right for this class.”
He looked up at Mary. “Do you do any of that stuff?”
“Fermenting? Sure. Sarah gave me some milk kefir grains a while back, and they’ve been growing strong ever since. I’ve already had to separate the grains twice, and I was able to pass the extra grains on to some friends who wanted to be able to make their own kefir.”
Billy winced. “I don’t really like to think about stuff growing in my milk.” He pictured the gelatinous, cauliflower shaped kefir grains. “Anyway, they were invited to provide a class to a group of women who are interested in learning how to make their own stuff.”
“Linda’s really expanding.”
“She is,” he confirmed. “It’s amazing to see how she was able to not only overcome the murder of her husband, but to turn it into a purpose. She’s more committed than ever to helping people learn how to provide for themselves. Now, with Scinegue’s backing, she’s able to expand in directions that interest her.”
Billy refilled Mary’s water glass from the pitcher on the table before topping off his own. “Changing the subject a little, talking about Farmer Dan’s death just reminded me that right before everything went down with Mr. Bryant, I was in the atrium one day and overheard you talking with some people.”
He gave her a searching look. “I’m guessing now that they were other Protectors?”
Mary looked surprised but nodded briefly in confirmation.
“Well, I heard someone ask if you told me everything about what was happening. You said you hadn’t.”
Mary remained silent.
“May I ask now what else was going on?”
Mary twisted the cloth napkin in her lap a few times before coming to a decision. “Billy, you know about the pledge for the Tops, right?” She looked up to see him nod. “Well, the Protectors have a pledge of their own. It’s not that I don’t trust you, because I do. I really, really do, but until you take your pledge and become a Top, it’s not something I can reveal to you.”
Billy was surprised by Mary’s reluctance to talk about whatever she’d been hiding. But after working for Scinegue for a while, he’d come to realize the company had more than its share of secrets. Most, he had learned, were for the better.
“Okay, I suppose I can wait. At the time I didn’t know you very well. When I heard you say that you hadn’t told me everything that was really going on, I wasn’t sure which side you were on.”
“I’m glad you trusted me, Billy.”
They ate in silence for a moment before Billy looked up with a teasing light in his eye. “By the way, what’s this I hear about you and Ritchie?”
Mary’s porcelain complexion flamed, compounding her embarrassment. “What exactly are you referring to?” she asked, her professional voice firmly in place.
Billy smirked at her, not fooled for a minute by her cool tone. “Rumor has it you’ve been spending more than a little bit of time together.”
“Well, he is very nice, and we seem to share several common interests, and...”
Billy smiled as he interrupted her. “You don’t have to sell me on him. He’s the best brother-in-law I could ever hope to have. I’m just giving you a hard time.”
Mary looked down at her plate, still clearly flustered.
“Mr. Roth!” Tom tore through the door, dark hair flopping over his forehead, eyes wide behind thick glasses, and beads of sweat popping out on his upper lip. “There’s been an accident!” he panted.
Billy and Mary stood to face him. “What is it Tom?” Billy asked calmly, even as his feeling of unrest from earlier turned to stomach churning fear.
“Your wife! An accident! You need to get to Central Hospital right away!”
Billy felt like the blood drained from his entire body as the words left him cold and empty. His terrified eyes met Mary’s and held for just a second before he ran from the room.
Mary raised a hand to cover her mouth in shock then walked briskly back to the front desk and dialed a number on a small blue cell phone she slipped out of her desk drawer.
“We need to meet. Alert the others. Same place,” she glanced at her watch, “thirty minutes.”
Lush green plants surrounded the small group of people, offering them some shelter from prying eyes, while the modest roar of the distant fountain in the center of the atrium helped guard their words.
“Who knew it would be today?” Mary asked without expression as she studied each member of the group.
A tall, young man with reading glasses perched on his head looked up apologetically. “We had our suspicions.” He met Mary’s cool stare, then quickly ducked his head to study the path beneath him.
“What about the next confrontation? Have plans been made?” Silence was her only answer. “Has it not been planned yet, or do you really not know when it will occur?” Mary tried to control her rising frustration.
Silence. The small group appeared chastened; heads bent, no eyes meeting. Mary Sinclair may have been an extremely attractive woman, but she was a firm commander. And commander she was. No one else had the authority she had in their group, and few others even had aspirations to try to attain it.
“I need these questions answered ASAP. You know what to do.” Heads nodded. The group scattered with a few glances around to make sure they weren’t observed.
Mary stood where she was with her hands on her hips and slowly turned to survey the two-way mirrored walls lining the atrium. She replayed her earlier conversation with Billy, and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. They met in a secluded area, but if he’d stumbled upon them last year and had even overheard some of their conversation, others could as well.
Although it would be more time consuming they would have to meet in a more secure location, she decided with a final look around the large atrium.
No chances could be taken with the information that she and the other Protectors shared.
Join Billy and Sarah as their journey continues and meet the Protectors in The Pledge.
