by Jack July
Chapter 8
The Day Before the Fire
Cobber shut down the plane and Fenian prepared to disembark. It unnerved him every single time to see the change. Amy’s demeanor was that of a young black Lab: bright eyed, happy, playful, graceful, eager to please and easy to love. Fenian moved like a cat. Her southern accent disappeared and her voice dropped an octave. Her head didn’t move as much, just her eyes. Her eyes? The sparkle was replaced with a cold intensity. She was ready to hunt.
Romanian officials were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. After the perfunctory, “Welcome to Romania, where are your papers?” A female taxi driver loaded Amy’s stuff in the back of a taxi. She was about 5’5”, dark hair tucked under a cap, no make-up, stout in build, and rather plain looking. As they drove away, the driver looked in the review mirror and asked, “Where to, Ms. Dietz?”
Fenian smiled. “Well, Miss, um, Wolf, you can call me Odetta. And, I was thinking we start at the beginning?” Fenian’s cover was Odetta Dietz, a single woman, physician from Jacksonville Florida who was looking to adopt a child.
“Petty Officer Braxton!” The driver exclaimed. “It is an honor. I watched the battle of Khawak Pass over and over again. You showed the world that women can fight and win. I am so honored to meet you.”
Busted. Now what Fenian thought. “Yes, well ah, thank you.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’ll tell you a little secret. I have only seen that video once, when they were trying to charge me with war crimes, and I barely remember any of it.”
“Yes, yes, that is the point. You relied on your training to fight and win. You teach how to win.”
“You speak really good English.”
“Thank you; I went to college at Penn State. I love America.”
“What did you study?”
“I took engineering and had minor in cooking ah, you call the, culinary arts. I was also a gymnast. I wanted to make the Olympic team, be like Nadia. But, sadly, I was too tall.” Fenian already knew those things; she was checking off boxes.
“You come from a rather famous family.”
“Yes, I see you study, too. My father was Romanian secret police. He is retired now.”
“Wasn’t he on the firing squad that executed the Ceausescus?”
Wolf’s expression went a little dark. “Yes, he shot that ruthless arrogant woman right in the face.” The darkness disappeared, replaced with a grin. “We were all very proud.”
Fenian chuckled under her breath. “Nice.”
“Here’s what we do. We go to my apartment, I cook for you, you can relax after your trip. We, what you say, arm up? Then we go visit the men who last saw the women you are looking for.”
Fenian looked surprised. “Wait, you know who they last visited?”
“Yes, I’ve been working very hard on this.”
“Will they talk?”
Wolf glanced up in the mirror. There was the same intensity Fenian saw in her own eyes while looking in the mirror. “Oh yes, I promise, they will talk.”
“Okay then, nice job. Thank you, Wolf.”
“Oh no, you call me by my name, Sonda.”
“All right, thank you, Sonda.”
Sonda looked in the mirror a few more times. “Are you pregnant?”
“Yes.”
She seemed a little upset by that revelation, “Then, ah, why are you here?”
“It’s my job.”
“Hmm, you let me handle things, okay? We protect the baby, okay?”
“That was the plan.”
Sonda smiled. “Good, good. Amazing, you carry Boguslaw Zielinski’s child.”
Fenian shook her head. “Is there anything you don’t know?”
Sonda smiled while looking in the review. “Yes, there is one thing. What is, you know, Boguslaw? What is he like, you know, in bed?”
Fenian leaned back and shook her head as one of Tatiana’s more vulgar expressions registered in her mind. Oh for fucks sake…
After a delicious meal of leg of veal, vegetable ghivetch and focaccia bread, Sonda’s husband took their young son to the park. Amy excused herself and called Adele.
“Secure line?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Did ya find ‘em yet?”
“I just got here.”
“Then why ya’ callin’ me?”
“This woman knows everything about me.”
“What’s your point?”
“How does she know so much?”
“I would guess the same way you know so much about her. Look, you got to travel the world in anonymity for a few years but that’s over. We all know each other, that’s the way it is. You have to be more careful.”
Fenian nodded to herself. “All right.”
“One more thing. You need to start flying commercial.”
“Nooo,” she moaned in a more disappointed than defiant tone. “I like my jet.”
“Honey, everyone knows who that jet belongs to.”
“I can land a couple airports over and take a helicopter.”
“I tell you what, why don’t we just have a god damn press conference everywhere you land. Walk down the steps, wave, sign some autographs? What the fuck, did you learn anything while you were going to school here?”
“Fine.” Then she thought Well, I can always fly first class.
“And you sit in coach.”
Dang it! “Yes ma’am.”
“Go get ‘em. Love ya.”
“Love you, too.” She deadpanned.
Sonda tapped on the bedroom door. “Are you ready?”
“Almost.”
She slid the .380 into the soft holster at the small of her back, tucked the throwing knife in the pocket at the nape of her neck and clipped the combat folding knife in her waistband. Inventorying her purse, she checked off her wallet, tissue, prenatal vitamins, an envelope with photos of the two missing women, two frag grenades, three extra magazines and a collapsible folding baton. She nodded and thought That should do it.
“Sonda, are you ready?”
Fenian turned the corner into the kitchen and saw an arsenal laid out on the table. Two automatic rifles, a shotgun, three handguns, a dozen assorted grenades and a pocket knife that was actually a straight razor. Fenian’s eyes went a wide. “Uh huh, you think you have enough fire power?”
“You can never have enough firepower. I learn that from you. Now, let’s go find your women.”
Twenty-Eight Days After the Fire.
The night before Granny’s funeral, Amy, Carol and Carla Jo stayed up most of the night, looking through her old pictures. They put together a pictorial time line to be displayed next to her casket. There were a lot of laughs and tears. Amy soon learned she was not the only one who went to Granny’s for coffee and counsel.
The funeral was held at Granny’s church, the First Presbyterian in Sibley. She had no family other than the Braxtons. Leon, Carol, Amy, Bogus, Joseph and Kelly stood in the receiving line, occasionally relieved by Jack and Carla Jo. Hours went by and people kept coming. Amy leaned over to her Daddy and whispered, “I didn’t know she knew this many people.”
“Yep, she volunteered a lot.”
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Who are all these older men?”
Leon stifled a laugh. “Granny was old, but she wasn’t dead, if ah, you know what I mean.”
It took a second for Amy to understand what he meant. “Oh, OH! I did not need to know that!” Amy blurted out.
Leon started to laugh and couldn’t stop. Soon Amy joined in and they both had to excuse themselves.
Granny was buried next to her husband Larry at the church cemetery. A couple hundred people stood graveside singing Granny’s favorite song, Amazing Grace. It could be heard echoing through the hollers from a half-mile away. Then it was over.
The family sat on Amy’s porch the rest of the afternoon, laughing and telling stories of the woman they all loved and of a life well lived. Amy stared down the r
oad toward Granny’s house, looked over at her daddy and asked, “What did Granny want done with her house?”
Leon shook his head. “That’s not her house, it’s mine.”
“But I thought—” Joseph started, but Leon interrupted him.
“Nah, here’s the thing. When Larry and your Granddaddy was killed in the mine, she couldn’t keep up with their farm. Then your grandmother died. I paid off your Aunts for my Momma and Daddy’s house, and your momma and I moved in. My old house was empty, and I knew Deloris was struggling. The woman never drew a paycheck in her life.”
Amy piped up, “Granny wasn’t afraid to work.”
“True, but she never held a job. Larry took care of her. After she moved in, she started working in the garden with your mom, and taking care of you kids. I never asked her for money and she never offered.”
Amy gave her Daddy a little grin. “So all these years, you took care of her.”
He shook his head. “No, not really. I mean, that’s what I thought, until I was standing by that grave today. Then something occurred to me. More often than not, she was the one taking care of us.”
That comment elicited a few more tears and quivering chins. Then Jack spoke up. “Hey, Cuz, you reckon she’s given Jesus advice yet?”
Everyone on the porch laughed. Carol sighed, “You know it.”
Chapter 9
Thirty Days After the Fire
Amy carefully climbed up in the deer stand about 5:00 A.M. and sat until 8:00 A.M. She didn’t see any deer. She watched the squirrels chase each other while ever mindful of the stalking Bobcat just feet away. She watched an owl silently make a morning snack of a scurrying mouse. It was a quiet, perfect morning, but it was the calm before the storm.
After returning home and securing her rifle, she slipped out of her dad’s cammo jacket (hers didn’t fit any more), brushed her hair and pulled on a hoodie. Kelly worked four days on, four days off, three days on, three days off, and today was the first of her four days off. Amy called Cobber and told him to be on standby; they would probably fly somewhere for a day or two. Maybe do some shopping, go to a spa and walk a beach or two. She checked the weather it seemed Palm Beach was still warm; Kelly would like that.
Bogus was in the office doing paperwork and making calls. She told him of her plans and kissed him. He made her stop and come back, pulled her onto his lap and got a longer, better kiss. As she walked away, he called out, “Take Luther.”
Amy sighed and rolled her eyes, “Yes, dear.” She strolled out the front door, skipped down the steps, climbed into her truck and drove away, with Luther not far behind in the Tahoe.
Joseph and Kelly lived on the other side of Lewistown in a little 1100 square foot, two bedroom ranch. It had been a bachelor pad until Kelly moved in. She painted, refinished cabinets, hung some pictures, bought some decent furniture and turned it into a home. The house sat on ten acres, which is why Joseph bought it. Behind the house he had built a 25,000 square foot racecar shop. Braxton Trucking was making big money and Joseph used his company sponsorship as a write-off for his racing operation. After winning the local track championship, he took the next step ordering two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rolling chassis. He was well on his way to accomplishing a goal he set when he was a teenager. Some felt Joseph had been neglecting things, important things, personal things, holding up the standard of what it meant to be a Braxton man. Gentle suggestions were made, but he ignored them. On this morning, his psychotically damaged assassin sister would train him up. She, too, would learn a few things.
Amy pulled into Joseph’s driveway and was met by the flashing yellow lights of a rollback truck. Kelly’s one-week-old red M5 BMW was being pulled onto the rollback to be taken away. Amy parked alongside and could see the front fender was pushed in and the hood buckled. Amy shook her head. Uh oh, what happened here? She walked to the front door and knocked. Kelly opened the door. She stood slightly hunched, wrapped tightly in a robe, hair mussed, eyes bloodshot and red like she had been crying. This was a Kelly Amy could not recall ever seeing. “What’s wrong?”
Kelly thought for a second. “Ask your idiot brother.”
“Where is he?”
“Where do you think?”
“Tell me. Tell me what happened.”
Kelly shook her head. “I ain’t talkin’ right now.” Kelly took a step back and shut the door.
Amy walked around back and opened the door to the shop office. The room was littered with beer cans and a half jar of shine was left opened on the desk. Joseph was asleep on the couch, covered up with a jacket. “Hey, get up.”
Joseph stirred, then she kicked the armrest he was using for a pillow, causing his head to bounce up and down. He exclaimed, “What!”
“What did you do to Kelly?”
“Jesus Amy, I didn’t do shit to her.”
“You did somethin’. And you need to stop swearing at me.”
“Okay, okay, just give me a second.” He rubbed his temples, got up and opened the drawer on his desk. He pulled out a box of Goody’s Headache Powders and sprinkled two packets on his tongue, picked up a warm beer and washed it down.
Amy crossed her arms. “I’m waiting.”
“All right. The boys and I spent all day yesterday getting the car ready to go to Pickens. When we were finished, I bought ‘em some beer. We ran out. I went to get more but they had my truck blocked in so I took Kelly’s car.”
Amy interrupted, “You were driving her new car drunk?”
“It’s just to the Speedy Mart on the other side of the hill.”
“Uh huh.”
“When I got to the top of the hill, a damn deer ran out and smacked into the side of her car. I went in and told her. She started to cry, then she got mad, then she started yellin at me. She told me there weren’t no deer, I got drunk and wrecked her car.”
“Well, yeah, she was pissed.”
“She called me a liar!”
“She was mad!”
“Yeah, well, I fixed her ass. I got on my four-wheeler, found the deer, took my machete, and chopped off its head. I brought it back, took it in the house, slammed it on the kitchen table and said, ‘There it is, bitch!’”
Amy’s eye went wide and her mouth fell open. She took a step back and said in disbelief, “You did what?”
With an arrogant tone, Joseph said, “I made my point.”
“You called her what? A bitch?”
“Yeah, a bitch.”
Joseph sat in the desk chair with a look of defiance. Amy’s head was slowly bobbing when he saw something strange: he saw her face change, her eyes, her body language and then her voice, a low growl. Joseph had never seen Fenian before.
“Stand your ass up.”
“What?”
“I said stand up.”
He looked down, shook his head, and slowly stood. He didn’t notice her fist balling up at her side. The first blow started from the ball of her right foot, her whole body twisted as she sent a hard shot to his lower left rib cage. The air rushed out of his lungs as he bent down. Her foot came up and caught him in the midsection and a rabbit punch to the back of the head sent him crashing to the floor. He began to retch, then vomited. Luther heard the commotion and stormed in. Amy turned, pointed to the door and barked, “This is family, get out!”
Luther held up both hands and backed out of the door. She turned back to look at her brother on his hands and knees. She commenced giving a powerful lecture with a stern, clipped tone, “Now you listen to me, Joseph Murphy Braxton. I don’t know what devil got into you, but we’re getting it out right now. You don’t ever talk to a woman like that, ever, especially one you claim to love. I am done with you bringing shame to this family.”
Joseph coughed a few times and grunted, “I think I’m hurt.”
“Hurt? No, no, when her daddy gets ahold of you, you’ll know hurt. Do you know what they call a woman that lives with a man who won’t marry her? DO YOU!? They call her a whore. Kelly is considere
d a whore. I blame you. You are bringing shame on her and your, no, both, both families. It stops today. It’s time to grow up. You put a ring on her finger or move her out of your house. Do you understand me?
He coughed a few more times and grunted, “Yeah.”
“Now you clean yourself up, get in that house and apologize. Got me?”
Joseph nodded.
Amy stormed out, got in her truck and drove home.
Amy didn’t go in the house right away; she walked the fire roads behind the house for a couple of hours trying to calm down. When she went inside she found Bogus sitting on the couch with his feet up watching a soccer match, sipping some 1938 Mortlach scotch and smoking a pipe.
She sighed and shook her head. “When the cat’s away…”
He gave her the impish smile and asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to take a short holiday with your friend.”
She plopped down beside him on the couch. “My brother decided to act like a jerk.” She told him the whole story. Some of which (the part about the deer head) made him laugh out loud.
“I guess that’s one way to prove your innocence.”
“He knows better.”
“Maybe, but he is still relatively young, new at the relationship thing.”
“Yeah, well I’m not putting up with it.”
“How is any of it your affair?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, he’s a grown man and she, a grown woman. I think they are capable of making their own decisions.”
“Not when it comes to our family name.”
“Really? You know few in my family approved of you and even fewer in your family approved of me, yet here we are. You may have overstepped your bounds.”
Amy started to say something when the phone rang. She reached over to the end table and answered.
“Amy? It’s Kelly. I’m at the hospital. What in the hell did you do to him!?”
“Oh my God. Hospital?”
“Yeah! Hospital! He’s going into surgery, he’s bleeding internally.”
Kelly was yelling and Bogus could hear every word. Amy looked in shock. “Oh no, I ah, I’ll be right there.”
