The cops lowered their guns as a pair of paramedics wheeled a gurney up and lifted Jeannie off of Lorraine’s lap. She could stand, and that’s what the officers expected of her, but Lorraine’s legs were useless, numb from fear and relief, from running and crouching, from having given up to despair and abandoned the notion of ever moving again.
Griffin stood and his hand wrapped gently but firmly around her arm and her waist, pulling her up with him. Lorraine focused all her strength into simply standing up. Once she did, Lorraine knew she’d be okay. By Griffin’s side, clinging to him, drawing his strength, she could walk anywhere, do anything, face anyone.
She’d grown a lot since meeting Griffin, developed strengths and sensitivities she didn’t know she had. Lorraine still needed him, still relied upon him, and she still wanted to. She needed to know that he’d be there, and he always would be. Their family would be together again that night. Lorraine would be looking into the loving eyes of her sensitive stepson, feel the grasping hands of her little daughter. She would sleep in her loving husband’s arms and wake the next day to do it all over again, every day for the rest of her life. Nothing else mattered, and nothing ever would.
Chapter 19
Lorraine looked over the crowd gathered in front of the new PEEC project learning center. It was a much smaller crowd than the library rally of almost four years before, but the memories were still fresh in Lorraine’s mind. She couldn’t help but wonder who might be out there, what bizarre logic would propel them toward some public display. Last time it was Donal, Lorraine silently reviewed as she scanned the crowd, who will it be this time? Some faces seemed familiar, others entirely new. The grim expressions that greeted her at Albert's funeral were plentiful among the otherwise smiling citizenry. Griffin had hired extra security for the dedication, with armed guards at both sides of the podium in front of the learning center entrance.
Ashe, at thirteen, was looking even older and more mature, scanning the crowd with a discerning eye, looking more like his father every day.
This time, Larry and Sally Devonshire were standing with Lorraine and the others at the podium, Kayla with Jeremy in the crowd. Jeremy was also looking shrewdly around the mass of people around him. He’d come against his own better judgment, insisting on holding Kayla and staying in the crowd in case he needed to run her to safety.
Neither Lorraine nor Griffin could argue with his logic or question his commitment.
A familiar sweaty, balding man in a red flannel led a second man carrying a camera, taking pictures of everything and everyone.
Lorraine said, “Dorian Gale, the Denver Post, and your photographer, Stu Jeffers.”
Dorian smiled. “You remembered me.”
“Of course,” Lorraine smiled, “you were there from the beginning.”
“The interview in the library, that’s right. You’ve been keeping busy, I see. Any words for our readers?”
Lorraine gave it a little thought. “Honestly, Dorian, most of what I have to say, I’ll say to the crowd. But, specifically for your readers, I would say that they should all keep subscribing to The Denver Post, and to subscribe to any reputable news agencies they can. Now more than ever we need honest reporting from real news reporters. The Post was instrumental in our campaign to save the public libraries, in fact, without The Post there wouldn’t have been any campaign at all. We have to save the free press the same way we had to save the libraries; urgently. We can't rely on our government to take care of us anymore, we have to take care of ourselves … and each other.”
“Awesome,” Dorian said, lowering his mic. “You’re really good, Mrs. Phoenix. Ever thought about running for public office?”
“No, actually, I haven’t. I’m too busy getting things done.” They all shared a chuckle.
Lorraine spotted Jeremy nearby and crossed the crowd to him, cooing with little Kayla. “How’re you holding up, Jer?”
“Fine, I’m good, I’m … it’s all good.” he mumbled.
“It’ll be okay, Jeremy, really.” Lorraine said trying to persuade him.
“Well, that is what you said the last time.”
“Jeremy … ”
“Okay, you’re right, you’re right, I guess I’m just jumpy. Where’s my husband?”
Lorraine looked around. “I don't know.” He wasn't a hard figure to spot, tall and dark with long, black dreadlocks and a colorful knit cap. He strode toward them, waving with big, flat hands at the ends of long, black arms. “Here he comes.”
Jeremy said, “Where you been, Anton?”
“Breathe easy, level,” he said in a heavy Jamaican accent as he approached. “A yasso nice.” Anton arrived with a hot dog in one hand, wrapping the other arm around Jeremy and giving him a kiss.
“Glad you’re having fun,” Jeremy said. “It’s impressive, right? My Lo’ knows how to throw it down!”
“Big tings,” Anton said, “naah mean?”
“No,” Jeremy said, “but I really don’t care.” The two shared a kiss, Lorraine and Griffin shared a hug.
“Guess it’s time,” Griffin said to Lorraine. “You ready?”
Lorraine looked around, took a deep breath and sighed, nodding. “Yeah, let’s do it.” She looked down at Ashe. “You’ll wait here, help look after your kid sister?”
Ashe nodded. “I will, Lorraine.”
“Thanks,” she said, turning to walk toward the podium.
“Lorraine?” Lorraine turned, Ashe taking the few steps required to reach her. “Would it be okay if … if I called you Mom from now on?”
Lorraine’s smile twisted on her face, brows arching, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She was almost afraid to speak, lest she break out in tears. She gathered her strength, brushed a lock of Ashe’s blond hair from his forehead. “That would be wonderful, Ashe.” They shared a smile and she gave him a little kiss on the forehead before turning to join Griffin on their trip to the podium.
The crowd clapped as they took the podium, news crews gathered, cameras and microphones fixed on them.
Lorraine cleared her throat. “Welcome to the grand opening of the pilot location of the Phoenix Enterprises Educational Center project, or PEEC,” she said, pronouncing it peace and inspiring another spattering of applause.
“I’m so proud of my parents,” Lorraine went on, “Laurence and Sally Devonshire, who were responsible for finding the location, brokering the deal and handling the accounting. And I’m so glad to say that they’re both staying on to manage the place, keep it staffed and running smoothly.”
The crowd applauded as Larry and Sally waved to the crowd and shared a pair of proud, beaming smiles.
Someone in the crowd caught Lorraine’s eye, stunning her silent and sending a bolt of fear through her body. His cocksure stride, a mean smile on his scarred face, he was instantly recognizable.
Tony Gardner?
But in the blink of an eye, he’d faded back into the crowd. Lorraine scanned the faces but couldn’t find him, until she wasn’t even sure if he’d been there at all.
“I also have to say a few words about my friend, my former boss, Carmen Mendez Jenkins. She’s given so much to the people of Colorado, particularly here in Denver. She was the rock of the Hadley branch of the public library. She gave me my job there. She loved her husband so much, the late Albert Jenkins, and I know she’s suffering so much from his loss. I wish she could have been here today, but I wish her a speedy recovery, and a quick return to public service. Though her late husband Albert’s career has been cut short, her career will go on to be, I think, one of the greatest examples of democracy in action that Denver, or Colorado, or any state in the nation has ever produced.”
Half the crowd clapped.
Feeling the stares of everyone around her, Lorraine shook it off and pressed a smile. “The Albert Jenkins Branch will demonstrate how effective a society can be when we serve each other, when we care for each other, when we love each other. When we put aside the color of our skin,
the size of our bank accounts, how straight our teeth or our posture are, how thin or how fat; we’re all part of the same family. And a family that spends time together, grows closer; the family that spends less time together inevitably grows apart. Thanks to our public libraries, we as a family have more places to spend together, more time to share. And thanks to these new learning centers, we’ll be able to do more than share our time. We can share our knowledge, our skills and our talents, our sympathy and our empathy. With this learning center, we the people of the United States of America declare for the whole world to see; we care about each other, we look after each other, we educate and raise and protect each other. By our example, I know others will follow, and the world will be a better place for our children … ” Lorraine gazed at her kids, gathered with Jeremy and Anton near the stage. “ … Our friends, our family, all of the members of our entire family. That means you, me, all of us, working together for a better world, a better future. When we work together, we cannot fail and we will not fail!”
The audience cheered, Griffin wrapping his arm around Lorraine and pulling her close. Jeremy, Anton, Ashe, and Kayla looked up from the crowd, smiles beaming.
Griffin whispered into her ear, “My God, I love you so much.”
Lorraine turned, gently smiling as her lips neared Griffin’s, a long and beautiful kiss lingering between them. It was a promise, an oath renewed, a pledge before the entire world. The Phoenix family stood proud, together, bound together in love, no matter what or who would come against them next.
THE END
PART 3
Chapter 1
Lorraine Phoenix crept slowly down that dark hall, the gun in her hands, aimed at the ceiling but ready to lower and fire. Her heart was steady, blood pulsing through her veins. She’d lost track of both Griffin and Ashe, but she sensed that they were close.
And they weren't alone.
Thank God Kayla’s not here, Lorraine thought, imaging her little red-haired toddler, a miniature picture of her mother. Gotta get back to her! But first …
A green light flashed at the end of the hall, neon cutting through the darkness. Okay, take it easy, Lorraine told herself, you can do this.
But, images of terrible days from her past kept flashing in her memory: The good people of Denver, Colorado, scrambling for safety while Lorraine and her beloved, Griffin Phoenix, were bombarded with gunfire that very nearly took her life. She could still sense her organs shutting down, heart beating out its last few pulses as the sirens got louder, a clamor of activity around her.
No, don’t get distracted, Lorraine told herself, and don’t be afraid!
Lorraine stepped down the hall. She could hear activity close by, footsteps and cackling. But, not being able to see anybody gave her a chill, a feeling of isolation that brought her back to the library, before she and Griffin even met.
Lorraine had come a long way from there, and now she was once again keeping her head down, gun in her hands, dodging bloodthirsty assassins and trying to find her family before all three were eliminated.
Should have stuck together, Lorraine silently admonished herself, never should have let Ashe run off on his own.
It was too late for regrets, too late to second-guess herself. The sounds got louder as Lorraine approached the end of the hall, glancing behind her to see that she wasn’t being followed.
So far, so good. But, my luck won’t hold out forever.
Only a few yards from the end of the hall, where it turned in a sharp ninety-degree angle, The footsteps got louder, Lorraine’s fingers craning around the gun, slippery in her palm.
The screams of the terrified crowd in Central Park just a year before crept up on Lorraine from behind. She could still see poor Jeannie’s face as she bled out, the cold glare of Ki Fong as he readied the kill shot that would put Lorraine and poor Jeannie Gallagher both out of his misery.
Take it easy, Lorraine told herself, Ki’s dead, Dennis Douglass, Jeannie, they’re not a threat to anybody anymore.
But Lorraine knew she wasn’t facing any of those three former Phoenix Enterprises executives. Her adversary this time was a whole other animal, and survival this time seemed all the more unlikely.
Lorraine reached the end of the hall, squinting to see the figures running down that stretch. She could almost make out their most vulnerable points, pointing her gun, one eye closed.
“Sorry, sweetheart!”
Lorraine turned with a snap, facing the hall she’d just crossed. She was no longer alone. He didn’t give her time to shoot either, two quick shots finding the center of her ribcage.
It was all over.
Ashe jumped out of the hallway from the second stretch, pointing his own gun and firing several times. The man who’d shot Lorraine, barely twenty years old, took three shots in the gut, the red lights on his plastic disk flashing.
“That’s what you get for messing with the Phoenix family,” Ashe said, the fellow turning to shuffle off toward the laser tag range exit. Ashe turned to Lorraine as Griffin approached from the outer hall. Very seriously, Ashe asked, “Are you okay?”
Lorraine looked down at the plastic disk strapped to her chest, red light flashing. “Actually, I think I’m dead.”
Lorraine, Griffin, and Ashe went to Tom’s Restaurant, made famous in the sitcom Seinfeld. It was crowded with tourists, and the coffee shop atmosphere wasn't what the elegant and wealthy Griffin was used to or preferred. Ashe got a kick out of it and that was good enough for both Griffin and Lorraine. Reruns of the show was one of Ashe’s favorites, and it had been a positive influence on his burgeoning career as a writer and director.
She asked Ashe, “How’s the casting for your play coming along?”
He shrugged. “I can’t find anybody to play the mom. I wish you’d reconsider.”
“Ashe, I’m swamped with things as it is, you know that.”
“It’s not a big part,” Ashe said, “and I swear you’ll be safe. You won’t get hurt.”
Lorraine had to smile. “Of course not, I’m not worried about that.”
Griffin looked deep into Lorraine’s eyes, leaning back on his chair, a knowing half-smile on his face. With his dusty blond hair and blue eyes, his stare was mesmerizing. “Then what are you worried about?”
“Oh please, Grif, we’ve been all through that. I’ve opened up every PEEC project learning center personally, in front of lots of crowds.”
“I’m not saying anything about that,” Griffin said, and Lorraine knew what he meant. But, it wasn’t something either of them wanted to discuss in front of Ashe. So Griffin went on, “Is it … because you’re worried about how it’ll reflect on your new position on the school board?”
“Um, well, yes,” Lorraine said, “I guess a little bit, yeah. I’m part of the New York State Education Department, that’s … a position of respect.”
Griffin raised his glass, filled with fizzling Coke and ice. “Here’s to the Office of Teaching Initiatives.”
Ashe’s head slumped on his shoulders. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“It’s not that,” Lorraine said, “not at all! I love you, Ashe, and I’m so proud of you and what you’re doing. I’ve been in your corner all this time, you know that.”
“That’s true, Son.”
Ashe nodded. “I know. Sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Lorraine said. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Ashe. I know you’ll find the right actor for that part.” She wanted to say more, to discuss the whole play in detail, but she already had and she hadn’t been able to dissuade Ashe from it. And she had to admit that it had developed quite well, that was something Lorraine wanted to focus on.
“I have to say, though, the songs are really good. Rachel did an amazing job.”
Ashe nodded. “Yeah, she’s really cool.”
“She really is,” Lorraine said, sharing a knowing half-smile with Griffin. “Are you guys … exclusive?”
“Mom!”
>
“Just asking,” Lorraine said. “I don’t want any details … ” Ashe sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “Some people strongly recommend against dating somebody you're working with, especially in a creative endeavor like this one.”
“We’re not … ” Ashe sighed again. “I guess we are kinda dating. But, I don’t call her my girlfriend or anything.”
“Okay,” Lorraine said. “You don’t really need to commit to any one girl at this time in your life.”
“Mom!”
“Sorry, I was just saying … ”
The waitress brought their sandwiches and salads; club sandwiches for the men, a Cobb salad for the lady.
Griffin salted his french fries, crispy and golden brown. “Your shooting’s getting better,” he said to Lorraine. “You feel more … comfortable?”
Lorraine knew what he was really asking, and it was certainly a reasonable question. Lorraine took a sip of her tangy pink lemonade and started poking at her salad. “It’s not something I want to keep reliving, but … I guess it’s helping a bit, yeah. It makes something that was so … so awful, so horrid, and sort of reduces it, makes it more harmless, even playful.”
“Exactly,” Griffin said. “Take it on your terms, that’s the only way to get your arms around these things.”
“Like my play,” Ashe said with a self-satisfied smile.
“Exactly,” Griffin said.
That night, Griffin and Lorraine had cleaned up and crawled into bed, Lorraine resting on Griffin’s muscular chest, his strong arm beneath her, the other draped over her naked back, moonlight streaming in through the bedroom window. She took a deep breath, his cologne flowing into her nostrils, a scent both familiar and exotic.
“Hey, Lorraine, earlier today, we were talking about Ashe’s new friend — ”
“Rachel.”
“Right. Um, I’m thinking it might be better if we didn’t encourage that too strongly.”
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