Finally, Collin made his choice. Dropping his jacket to the ground as well, he stepped forward to throw a legitimate punch, but seeing his advancing momentum sent the girl into action. In a spinning movement, she dodged under his swing, causing the miss while she caught his arm from behind, twisting it and knocking him to the ground.
Landing two blows with her forearm against his head and neck, she kicked his leg out from under him where he squatted awkwardly, and he found himself face down on the dirt.
Pacing around him in a slow circle, Tori clenched and unclenched her fists, waiting for him to try and stand.
Shaking his head to clear it, Collin drew a knee up underneath him, raising his belly and exposing his soft underside. With a quick step forward, she kicked him in the gut, soccer style, knocking the wind out of him and sending him reeling over onto his back.
Rolling quickly, he wanted to get back on his feet, but the girl had no intention of allowing that to happen. Kicking him behind the knee, she elbowed him in the back of his neck for the second time, only this time as he stretched out, and didn’t bother to try and get up. Flopping from his belly to his back, he stared up at her. He breathed hard, but Tori appeared an eerie calm.
Standing over him, the girl worked her hands into fists, fighting the urge to plunge her knee into his chest and begin the second phase of her assault. Her long black hair around her, his blood stood out in sharp contrast with her white shirt, the group holding their breath in unison at the sight of it.
Collin licked his lips nervously, aware he either had to concede or continue to take a beating, as Michael had been true to his word and not done anything to help him out. Opening his palms towards the sky, he stammered, “Ok, I get your point.” Spitting dry grass from his mouth, he continued, “Can I get up now?”
Tori stared at him for a moment, then spun around and snatched her jacket off the ground. Making her way to the door, she recapped the confrontation in her mind, scoring her moves according to her old system, still amazed at how easy it could be to take down those who had never been trained.
Cody helped his friend to his feet, and they followed the girl into the house. Making her way to the kitchen, she washed her hands in the sink, still placid on the outside. Inside, she could feel the mild rush from the adrenaline she had learned to control. Moving aside so that he could cleanse his wounds, she looked around at the others, who stared at her.
With a small huff, she stated loudly, “We have to figure out what we’re going to do. You’re right; it’s too late to duck and cover. People are already onto the story, and it’ll be big news, I’m sure. People don’t come back after being dead for twenty years every day.” She waited for their input, but they remained tight-lipped, and she began to think aloud.
“Maybe we should decide which parts of the story we want to put out, and flood the media with it.” Looking over at her victim as he dried his face, she demanded, “What did you tell Mark? We need to get him over here, right now.”
Brian pulled out his cell to call their manager, hoping the man would comply.
A sickening thought occurred to her, and Tori realized she would have to make a phone call of her own. Excusing herself, she made her way upstairs. Pulling her pack out of the closet, she located the go-phone she had carried when she rode with the Scorpions. Stored in its memory she would find James Godfry’s phone number, and she needed it to contact him.
Plugging in the device, she waited for it to gain a charge, enough to turn it on and pull up the record. Then she used the house phone to make the call. Hearing his voice on the other end, Tori pictured the short fat man she had first grappled with from her hospital bed.
“Jim?” she kept her voice calm, “Hey, Jim; it's Tori. Listen, I need to find out what you guys did about the little girl who was buried under my name.”
“Why do you need that?” his words seemed clipped and short.
“Brian and I have run into a situation. I want you to know that the story is going public if you haven’t already heard.”
“What do you mean ‘going public’? You do realize that your records are classified!” his sputter shifted to angry.
“Jesus, you think I did this on purpose?” Trying to calm him, she explained, “I know that it’s classified, but the band talked me into taking the empty spot, and it never occurred to me anyone would make a big deal about my being ‘dead’ until it happened. The show will be airing tonight if you want to watch and see what took place.
“I’m trying to figure out how to head this off. I’m really scared, Jim.” He was the one person she knew would understand why, and she hung her head slightly, disappointed at her actions and the risk they faced.
“Yeah, well, you should be,” he admonished, “Have you thought about completing your job?” His tone a touch frosty, Tori only breathed into the mouthpiece, unwilling to give him a knee-jerk response.
Inhaling for a deep sigh, she peered out of the bedroom window. The sun setting beautifully on the early December day, the sky held the promise of snow before Christmas. “I can’t do that yet,” she answered him calmly. “I need to try and work this out, see what comes of it.”
“I understand,” he replied in a calmer voice, “I’ll get the records for you and let you know.” He already had what she wanted, but chose to let her stew before he released the information to her.
“We’re at the group house in New Jersey,” she informed him quietly. “The sooner, the better.” She gave him both the address and phone number and thanked him before she hung up the phone, hoping to hear from him later that night.
Heading back downstairs, Tori rejoined the others, who were chattering noisily until she entered the room. Glancing around at the silence, she inquired, “When can we expect Mark to get here?”
“He’s on his way, sis,” Brian assured her. “Don’t worry, we’ll set things straight if we can.”
Eyeing the man she had beaten, she felt no sense of victory. They were in trouble, and fighting amongst themselves wasn’t going to help. “What about your security guy, what’s his name… Pete?”
“Oh, he called my cell while you were upstairs,” Cody assured her. “He was sure pissed we left his ass at the studio, too. Said from now on, he’ll decide when it’s important enough to need his personal attention.”
“Asshole,” Michael intervened, “I think we need to consider looking for someone else. Someone who takes the role more seriously.”
“What?” Collin laughed, “You want your old job back after all?”
“No,” their former bodyguard replied flatly, “I want someone who’s going to be responsible and diligent. A professional.”
“He’s diligent enough; he likes toys and gadgets, that’s all. I think we’re fine,” Cody defended the man they had abandoned. “Besides, you’re here, and I’m sure that makes him feel a little threatened. Ease up on him, and he’ll do better.”
Tori swung her gaze around the room, avoiding saying anything else. She had been working to boost her confidence in her decision to join the band, and nothing that had happened that day had helped her in that regard. The last thing she wanted was to make any more choices until they had discovered how bad the damage really had been.
Whatever Happens
Setting about making dinner, the group sent the housekeeper off to her quarters. Normally, they would allow her to prepare the meal, but having something to occupy their minds would prove useful.
Seeing his wife deep in thought, Michael inquired in German, “So, what did you find out?”
Quietly, she replied in kind, “I got ahold of Jim. He’s going to track down what became of the other girl’s body. The one they buried in my place.”
Crinkling his nose as he listened to them, Cody asked in an irritated tone, “Why do you two do that? You always break off into some other language. Don’t you think that’s rude, when all of us wanna know what’s going on?”
Tori cut her eyes over at her husband before she met th
e gaze of her accuser. She could tell he felt the stress of the situation, and felt a bit guilty that they had shut the group out by the alternate tongue. She repeated what she had learned in English, causing Cody’s eyes to grow wide.
“Just like that, you called the FBI. Like it was no big deal.” His mouth hung open slightly, obviously shocked at what she had been up to.
“Sorry. It’s been a part of my life for so long, I really didn’t give it much thought.” Giving him a small grin, she recalled that there were still parts to her story she had not shared with them, and hoped she would never have to.
Sitting down to the meal, the group ate in relative silence. The food only half eaten, Mark Holt walked into the room, looking haggard. “Ok, what the hell is going on?” he wasted no time in getting to the point.
Not knowing what had been said to him, Tori could not fault the man for using what Collin had shared out of context. Giving him a nod, she indicated the empty seat at the table. Cleaning her fingers on her napkin, she started things off calmly, “What exactly has been put out, you know, into the public forum?”
He stared at her, ill at ease as he had been informed this had been a story that should never have been shared. Shifting into his chair, he spoke quietly, “Well, I told the crew for the show that you had been discovered, after having been believed to be dead for about twenty years.”
Swallowing noticeably, he went on, “And, I told them you had been raised by men, so you weren’t really what you might call a ‘girly-girl.’” He gave her a weak grin, deciding to do some repair work on their relationship.
“Look, Tori; I realize you’re a really smart girl. I’ve been thinking about what you did with the guitars, and it was a pretty neat trick. I guess I must have come across as a real asshole, and needed a quick lesson on manners. And, I didn’t really understand anything about you, but I think I’m beginning to.”
He stared at her, pausing for her to respond. She only blinked at him, so he continued, “Anyways, I really want things to go well for you and the rest of the guys. Whatever happens, I never meant to bring any harm to any of you.”
Shifting her gaze to her plate, Tori folded her hands, giving herself a moment to think. After a full minute of reflection, she asked in a quiet voice, “Anyone else put anything more than that out there? Or is that the gist of what we have to worry about?” She lifted her chin to peer around the group, but no one spoke up.
“Alright then, I think we can handle this,” she said as she slapped the table and grinned broadly.
Stunned, Brian demanded point blank, “So how’re you gonna fix it? I mean, they know you were missing for twenty years, so I don’t see how you’re gonna hide that. The people you’re afraid of will know what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes glistening, Tori shrugged, “Maybe they will,” she admitted carefully, “Maybe they won’t. I guess you could say, it’s all a matter of perspective. I need to get the facts from the Feds, what they found out about the other girl. Then, I need to take control of the situation, and stop the flow of information. Everyone here understands nothing else leaves this room. Correct?”
The group cast glances at one another, wondering who among them would spill the beans. In the end, they agreed that no one else would share information about Tori, her past, or any other details about her life that they were not given explicit direction to share.
Her smile bright, Michael could see his wife had a plan, and laughed out loud, “Ok, baby girl, this I have to hear,” leaning on elbows eagerly.
She shook her head slowly at her mate, aware that she had begun to like that he called her by her old nick-name. “I’m going back on the show. He wants to tell the world my story, and I’m going to give him the chance. We need to watch it tonight, see what they air. We’ll call them tomorrow and offer them an exclusive interview, but it’ll be on my terms.”
“You think that’ll work?” Collin asked doubtfully.
Tori turned her palm to the ceiling, “Why wouldn’t it? You said it yourself; people eat this shit up. I tell them the parts I want them to know, and hopefully it won’t be enough for anyone dangerous to connect the dots. The Feds have the truth locked down, and they aren’t going to share anything about it, because it’s all classified, like I said.” She made a popping sound with her tongue, thinking about the Feds actually doing something useful for a change.
“That means the public will pretty much have to take me at my word,” she continued, “All I have to do is convince them. Then, we go on about our business, go on the tour, or whatever we want to do. The danger is greater than it would have been, but in the end it was bound to happen. Someone would have eventually snooped out that particular part from Danny’s past; I’m almost sure of it.”
She paused to reflect on her plan for a moment. “I do have one request though, and I guess it’s kind of a big one.”
Collin answered eagerly, “Name it.”
“I need two weeks off. The first two weeks of February. I have something personal I need to take care of.” Her voice had dropped very low, and she eyed her husband, causing him to shift in his seat; he knew what she was talking about. Seeing their nods of agreement, Tori felt relieved that at least that portion of the future had been settled.
Continuing to discuss the particulars of the day’s events, everyone agreed to allow the girl to take the lead on cleaning up the mess, and further swore to take her story to their grave. Giggling, she said softly, “I hope that won’t be necessary, you know, anytime soon.” Inhaling deeply, she released a heavy sigh, “Well, this has been exciting. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m ready for bed.”
Michael followed her up the stairs, enjoying the view as they climbed, and watching her dark hair sway above her round rear end. Reaching their sanctuary, he shut the door behind them before allowing a loud gasp of air to spew from his tight lips. “You really think you can pull that off?”
Turning to lay her arms around his neck, she shook her dark curls, “I don’t know, we’ll see. I’ll give it my best. You know I’ve gotten to be a pretty good actress at times.”
He grinned, having seen how she could work people, especially men, when she wanted to. Placing his hands on her waist, he massaged her curves through the thin material of her tee. “And what about February; are you planning to go and have your treatment?”
Almost intuitively, she nodded, “I know this isn’t the life you wanted to give our child. But I want to be ready if and when we decide to try. Besides, the doctor said if I were to become pregnant before the procedure had been completed, there might be a chance I would lose the baby and risk further injury to myself. I don’t want that, either way.”
Running his hands up and down her back, he had to agree, “That’s good thinking, love. In case we were to have any accidents, which we both know can and does happen, at least we would be prepared.” Leaning forward, he kissed his bride gently, “Have I told you lately that I love you?” he pushed his nose into her hair, nuzzling her ear.
Tori smiled, never doubting his devotion, “I love you, too.” She drew him closer, “And I hope we have a long and happy, and perhaps much less exciting life together, in the years to come.”
Michael chuckled at her sentiments, unable to disagree.
Stretching out on the bed, the couple snuggled while they watched the late night program, focusing on the details that were revealed, which weren’t many. After seeing it, Tori beamed, aware that taking care of the near disaster might turn out easier than she had thought possible.
Like Old Times
Michael made sure to be up with his wife the following morning when she hit the gym. He had made a vow to himself while she was away taking care of the Scorpions that he would improve his physical condition, and he wanted to make up for what she had lost in order to regain her reproductive abilities. He loved the fact that she wanted to have his child, and believed she should feel free to do so without giving up part of her safety.
It seemed
like old times to Tori, the two of them working side by side. His presence pushed her to work hard, even if she had backed off to almost half her training time, still being in excellent health. Raising her toes to the bar for her final rounds, she thought about his being there, pleased that he wanted to spend time with her and hoping it would continue as it inspired her deeply.
Back in their room, the couple indulged in a quick morning romp before their shower. After they were satisfied, they made themselves presentable and went down to breakfast. They had slept in until 9:00 am, but they were still the first ones up in the house, and Stella seemed pleased to make them a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. Taking chairs on opposite sides of the same corner, the pair conversed quietly in German while they waited.
“So, I was thinking about the house,” Michael spoke in a soothing tone. “After the tour, we should be able to spend some time back home and finish more of the repairs to it.”
Tori felt a stab of guilt that they had left their small town and friends in such a rush. “You think they miss us?” her voice sounded small, having picked up on his calling the tiny town home.
Smiling, he confessed, “I’ve been keeping in touch with Trish. She’s looking after our place, and collecting the rent from our tenant. I also arranged for her and Larry to retrieve your truck from the airport, and he’s going to borrow it for a bit. The two of them seem quite cozy, by the way.”
“Really?” she smiled, “I wondered when Trish would get her second chance after how things turned out with the boys’ father. How are they taking it?”
Staring into space for a moment, he adjusted his grip on his cup and puckered his lips, “They miss us,” he admitted. “But we’ll be able to visit our young friends soon enough. We can’t live two lives. This is where we are, and that’s how it is. Besides, you know Steven is going to want to hear all about your adventures with the band, as taken as he is with music.” His words brought a smile to her face, as she pictured the younger of the two, ten years old, and as feisty as ever.
A New Life Series - Finisher Set Page 35
