The Seer Renee

by C. R. Daems

  I saw him elected pope, and Father Black became my warden. I was taken to Rome with them and held prisoner in a small suite of rooms. Alone. Without the man that I loved. None of that surprised me. It was exactly what Granny had warned me would happen if anyone understood my powers. I bit back a gasp of horror and fought for calm.

  "From what I can see, the cardinal only wants information about future events, which he uses for his own purposes. I can't tell what purposes since I can only see your actions. But past experience with you shows me exactly how evil those purposes can be. And of course, I don't know whether you live up to your word about leaving me alone afterward," I lied.

  "I'm not perfect, but I'm a man of God."

  "Yes, Father Benedict, as is your Cardinal Eligius." I said, pausing for a few seconds, and was rewarded when his face lost some of its color. Then he smiled.

  "You're very talented, Mambo Renee. And dangerous. I'd wager you know where I work and my real name."

  "Yes. You are a man of God who believe God empowers individuals to act in his name."

  "Of course. We're in a constant struggle with the devil for our souls."

  "I'm a woman in the service of God, but I don't believe He asks anything of me. I believe He, maybe through His Loa, keeps a scorecard of some kind of my actions and that when I die I will be judged on how well I scored."

  "And how would helping us affect your score?" Black asked, frowning.

  "Interesting question. I would be doing your bidding based on your interpretation of what God wants. What did you call the men who approached Mambo Eshe? Zealots. Men who thought God gave them permission to use any method to achieve their interpretation of God's will. Men who thought they had God given right to kill."

  He stared into my eyes. "I would hope you would see your contribution not as evil but rather as helping a worthy cause and beneficial to you, while the alternatives... I assure you, the alternatives for you are evil indeed."

  "Yes. The alternatives are evil, and you would try to make me believe I would be to blame for them. You would kill the man I love, and I would be to blame. No! You will be to blame and will have to answer for your actions."

  "So you would let Jim, Ron, Grace...die for your ideals?" Black said as he rose.

  "No. I'm refusing to help you. You can kill Jim, Ron, Grace, everyone I know or who I have ever talked to and make my life Hell on earth. But you cannot make me responsible for your actions. Leave me and mine alone, and I will leave it to God to decide your faith." I sat, feeling a sense of peace. Regardless of the consequences, I knew I had made the right decision. I don't know why the Loa had given me the gift, but it was not to play God or to help others play God. It was probably only my overly active imagination but I felt the runes on my arm moving as if alive—reminding me of my commitment to God. I was a priestess of Vodou, not God or a Loa. Just a servant of God dedicated to helping when and where I could. "I will make you a deal—not a proposal nor open for negotiation."

  "And what is that, Mambo Renee?" he asked, eyes narrowed, but his voice sounded amused.

  "I will not bother you as long as you don't bother me, and that includes Sheila." When I looked towards her she stood open-mouthed.

  Black snorted. "Bother us? There is nothing you could possibly do that would bother us. Tell people some wild theories about a conspiracy to make a cardinal the pope? And be dismissed as a lunatic Voodoo priestess.” He smirked at me. “And in the meantime you will lose everyone and everything that you love. I will see to it.”

  I cocked my head and smiled. “You saw those films from the fight in my shop. But it did not occur to you that there might also be cameras in my home and still active?” I nodded toward the camera that had never been removed and was recording every movement and every word. “Perhaps you should have had those friends at NSA and the CIA do further checking.”

  He paused and seemed to be thinking over what he might have admitted to since entering the room. “So you have a film of this conversation. Do you think offering you millions of dollars to work for us is a crime?”

  “Perhaps not.” I paused. “But I suspect there are other bishops and cardinals who would be very interested in hearing your plans and in knowing exactly what you are willing to do to achieve your ends. Perhaps as willing as you to go to great lengths to stop you.”

  The color slowly drained from his face.

  My voice hardened and I stood up. “They don’t have to believe in my powers. All they have to know is that you do and what you have done to gain control of them. And I'm quite certain they would be interested in your friend’s plans to be pope. I will see that every cardinal in the Catholic Church receives a copy of that film and every bit of evidence we have unless you leave me and mine alone. And that includes Sheila.”

  "Why her?" His face twisted with distaste. "She's done her share of evil things."

  "Perhaps. But she's going to retire and spend the rest of her days helping people when and where she can."

  "Sheila," Black said, nodding towards me.

  "Sorry, I've retired. Actually, I've been retired for a few days."

  "I can find you," Black said, his eyes blazing with anger.

  "You won't have to look far. I think I'm going to join Mambo Renee's congregation. I've never thought much about religion, but I kind of like her view.

  “How do I know that you have even recorded what I’ve said?”

  I shrugged. “I suppose you don’t. But I have. The choice is yours.”

  Black stood for a long while staring at me with an occasional glance towards Sheila. “And I have your word that the tape will go no further?”

  "Yes, my oath as a Vodou priestess," I said, nodding. He nodded and left through the back door.

  "What do you think, Mambo Renee?" Sheila asked. I waved her over to me. She smiled as she sat and put her hands on the table. I put mine over hers and watched in relief as the next several months scrolled by.

  "We will check this as often as you like, but you are good for several months," I said to a smiling Sheila.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Conclusion

  "Come on in," Ron said when he saw it was Jim and me. "How are you feeling, Renee?"

  "Great. My GYN doctor says everything looks normal, and I should expect our daughter in twelve to thirteen weeks. My live-in doctor agrees with her, but my husband acts like my water is going to break any minute." I laughed and patted Jim's cheek. He worried too much.

  "Grace's doctor says she's doing well and is due in six to seven weeks," Ron beamed a huge smile. Just then Grace came walking out of the bedroom.

  "Hi, Renee, Jim. Getting ready takes longer to do these days. I'll be glad when our little boy shows his face. Between the weight of the baby, extra water, and milk I'm lugging around, I'm exhausted by midday," Grace said, dropping onto the couch. "There are drinks on the kitchen counter, help yourself. Ron, get me something with lots of sugar. I need a sugar boost."

  "I'm beginning to feel the same. Angela has been a savior. I'm hoping by the time the baby is born, she can run the shop, until I get back to full time...well, part time," I said, looking at Jim who was frowning. "I'm hoping Angela is going to be a full time employee. She seems to enjoy working in the shop, and she's doing well. Now that Jim and I are married and I'm living here full time, I've converted the back room into a place where I can do my fortunetelling in the daytime and be home at night. Besides, I get a lot more walk in business from the tourists. The extra money allows me to pay Angela a small salary. She doesn't need much. She got over a quarter million from Mister Black and had savings of over a half million. So a small salary pays for the basics and her income from her investments pays for the extras without having to use the principal."

  "She’s a very sharp lady and kind hearted once you get to know her. I think she'd work in the shop for nothing just to help Renee," Jim said, handing me a glass of apple juice. "I've gotten to know her from Renee's services and the Vodou class she started for A
ngela and Sheila, which has grown over the last six months."

  "Sheila's taking up Vodou?" Grace asked, surprised. "Even Angela surprises me a little."

  "Angela loves it, particularly the singing and dancing. Sheila's more reserved. She's interested in the philosophy," I said. I loved the classes as it gave me a way of expressing my feelings about Vodou and how it honored God. And it provided a way of bringing new people into the religion who might not otherwise be interested.

  "I've had a lot of time to get to know Sheila," Jim said, smiling. "She is always at Renee's services although she doesn't participate like Angela. She likes Mambo Renee's brand of religion. Sheila told me that night with Mister Black was a revelation. She said she could feel the presence of something...in the room when Renee confronted him."

  "I'm impressed, Renee. I don't know if I'd let Ron get that close to those two women. They're real cougars," Grace said and laughed, giving Ron a kiss. "Speaking of Mister Black, do you realize this is a one year anniversary—to the day—since your confrontation with him. Our leads all seem to evaporate after that night. The NSA turned up nothing. So when you dropped the charges against Sheila, the case sort of died. The district manager was pleased because I wrapped up the case against the local group. He was never aware of Mister Black. I'm still not sure how you got him and his group to leave you alone."

  I smiled. Father Benedict was a zealot—evil from my perspective, but doing God’s work from his. The only thing he could do after he understood I wouldn't help him, no matter who he killed, was to kill out of anger and revenge. But he knew that most others in the Catholic Church would never have condoned his actions if they found out, and I made it clear I would make sure they knew. The evidence I had might not get him convicted of a crime but it would destroy him and Cardinal Eligius in the eyes of the church. It was enough to keep the people I loved safe.

  Cardinal Eligius had not been elected pope at the Papal conclave that occurred several months ago. And I had kept my word and not given Grace any information that would help her in continuing the investigation. Chasing him was not worth the lives of good people like Jim, Ron, Grace, Angela, and even Sheila, who was now retired and learning to help others.

  "Here's to good friends and the crazy man who married me," I said raising my glass in a toast. And to the Loa who gave me courage in my time of need.

  The End.

  Thank you

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  Books by C . R. Daems & J. R. Tomlin

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  HISTORICAL FICTION

  The Stewart Chronicles

  — A King Ensnared (Book I)

  — A King Uncaged (Book II)

  The Black Douglas Series:

  — Kingdom's Cost (Book I)

  — Countenance of War (Book II)

  — Not for Glory (Book III)

  Freedom's Sword

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  The Riss Series:

  — The Riss Gamble (Book I)

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  — The Riss Accession (Book IV)

  — The Riss Challenge (Book V)

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  Women of Power

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  The Kazak Series:

  — The Kazak Guardians: Lynn's Rules (Book I)

  — The Kazak Guardians: The Unthinkable (Book II)

  The Laughing Hounds

  The Seer Renee