Free Fall

by Fern Michaels

  “So many times I wanted to rush to Yoko, to gather her close and explain who her father really is and that she should forget about her mission. I’m not sure what she’s going to do when we bring it all out into the open. That little lady is so honorable. How will she react when she realizes all the sisters will know?”

  Myra continued to knead Charles’s shoulders. “I think Yoko can handle anything you present to her. The girls will handle it, too. This is what we do, Charles. We right the wrongs where possible. Now, if you’re telling me you don’t think the Sisterhood is capable of taking on Michael Lyons, that’s a different story. None of us lives under a bush, my dear. We know what goes on in the world.”

  “Myra, the papers report a pornography ring, the authorities round up a group of perverted souls, and then the story disappears until the next one surfaces. Lyons isn’t just involved in a few porno films. He’s into everything. Slavery, pedophilia, sick sex clubs that defy description, the buying and selling of human beings to satisfy his and his cronies’ sick sexual desires. The Internet is the perfect tool for someone like him. And the man has been nominated, again, for an Academy Award. Why hasn’t someone stumbled onto his sick perversion? Every instinct I possess tells me that people have voiced dissatisfaction and he had them taken care of. I have no doubt the man is capable of murder. I want to kill him with my bare hands.”

  “The Sisterhood stops short of murder, Charles. Weather permitting, we’ll make a decision in the morning when the girls get here. Now, I want you to take a nice warm shower while I build up the fire. We’re going to sit on the sofa and drink some really wonderful wine. The whole bottle, Charles. Then we’re going to go to sleep.”

  Charles stood up, his eyes grateful as he patted Myra’s shoulders before he headed for the shower.

  Myra made her way over to the fireplace where she threw in two huge birch logs. A shower of sparks shot upward before they cascaded downward. She was opening the bottle of wine when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She whirled around, the color draining from her face.

  “Hi, Mom. Don’t work that screw so hard, do it gently and the cork will pop right out.”

  “Darling girl, is it really you?” Myra sat down on the sofa. She loved it when her daughter visited. “Is something wrong? You never…talk to me this late at night. It’s Charles, isn’t it? You’re worried about him. I am, too, dear.”

  “Mom, Michael Lyons is a man. Do I need to say more?”

  “I guess you mean a bunch of women can take him down. Did I say that right? I think that’s the way Kathryn would phrase it.”

  “You got it, Mom. You guys are gonna take this guy down big-time and make him rue the day he was born. Don’t worry about Yoko. She knows most of it and suspects the rest. She can handle it. What she couldn’t handle was not knowing she had a real family. Now that she knows a little more about her mother, she’ll handle anything you throw at her.”

  Myra’s mood lightened. “Hearing you say that makes me feel better.”

  “Mom, you’re going to have to toughen up. Charles needs you right now to be strong. The girls will know what to do and they’ll all handle it. Here comes Charles. ’ Night, Mom. Kiss Charles good night for me.”

  “I’ll do that. Good night, darling girl.” Myra sighed and leaned back on the sofa. These were the moments she lived for, the moments when her spirit daughter visited her.

  “Now, this is what I call a nice evening. It’s actually cozy in here now. Ah, this is a fine bottle of wine. Did I hear you talking to someone or was it the telly?”

  Myra laughed. “I was talking to this confounded cork. Sometimes talking to myself makes me relax.”

  “You can’t fool me, Myra. You were talking to our daughter Barbara, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, Charles, I was. She said Lyons is a man and we’re women. She also reiterated what I said earlier about Yoko. Our darling girl says Yoko can handle anything you toss at her. Now, let’s drink this wonderful wine and if we don’t fall asleep perhaps we can do some other things.”

  “Myra, I do love your back-ended invitations,” Charles said, clinking his glass against hers.

  Myra giggled.

  Kathryn Lucas pulled her eighteen-wheeler into a truck stop. Murphy reared up and looked out the window. “It’s still snowing, boy. I think we’re going to have some guests for the ride out to Pinewood. Don’t bark now, I have to make some phone calls.”

  One by one, Kathryn called the sisters. Annie was the only one who didn’t answer. Kathryn’s message was the same to all of them. “If you can make it, meet me at the Shell truck stop, and I’ll get us to Pinewood.” She gave directions to where she was parked. The sisters promised to battle the elements. With that promise, Kathryn climbed out of the truck to get a late breakfast, or an early lunch, whatever Zack Wilson was serving at the moment. “Come on, Murphy, this is Zack’s station and you know how he loves you. I bet he has Tillie with him.” Tillie was a female shepherd Zack used to patrol the truck stop. Murphy woofed and hopped out of the truck.

  Zack Wilson held open the door for Kathryn and Murphy. “Tillie knew you were here the minute you hit the lot, Sis. What the hell are you doing out there in this weather, Sis? Where you headed? They closed the interstate but I guess you know that.”

  “I’m riding empty, Zack, and I’m headed out to McLean. I think I can make it but I need to wait for some people who are going to the same place. I’m starved, you got anything good?”

  The big, burly man who looked like Grizzly Adams laughed. “Everything my wife cooks is good, you know that. Today we have stuffed pork chops, beef stew and fried chicken. I made some bread at four this morning and nine cherry pies. It’s gonna be a light day so eat hearty, Sis. Don’t worry about Murphy. Tillie is showing him some new toys the other truckers brought in for her. She’s got about a dozen new ones since you were here last. So, what’ll it be?”

  “Some of everything. And some pie to go. Maybe two pies to go. You need to feed Murphy for me.”

  Zack walked behind the counter where he started to dish up Kathryn’s food. “Mandy will feed him. She lives to feed people and animals. She has fourteen cats out back that she says belong to us so she feeds them. You step on this property and we own you. Foodwise, that is.”

  Kathryn laughed.

  Kathryn ate until she was stuffed. “You have the best food on the East Coast, Zack. I wish I could eat that pie but I can’t. I will have some more of that fine coffee if you don’t mind.”

  Kathryn looked over at the television sitting on a far corner of the counter. “Academy Awards time. Who do you think will win?”

  “Not a clue, Sis. Mandy’s the movie buff. Probably that guy Lyons she lusts over. She has all his DVDs. Personally, I can’t stand to watch him prancing around. I sure as hell can’t figure out what you women see in him.”

  “He’s got good PR people. Don’t like him myself. Seems too good to be real.”

  “I said the same thing to Mandy but she said he dropped a bundle to the pope. To the pope no less. Makes you kind of wonder what he was sucking up for. You know, that confession thing.”

  Kathryn shrugged, her eyes glued to the screen. He was a good-looking man. Nice smile. She liked Tom Cruise’s smile better with that little crooked tooth of his. Cruise was real. The guy on the screen was as phony as a three-dollar bill.

  Zach poured coffee for a couple of truckers before he returned to where Kathryn was sitting. “Mandy says the guy is a cross between Clark Gable and Errol Flynn. Course you’d probably liken him to Damon and Pitt. I think he’s a wuss.”

  Kathryn burst out laughing. Calling someone a wuss was the worst thing Zack would ever say about anyone.

  Forty minutes later the door opened and Alexis and Yoko entered the diner. They immediately sat down at the counter and Alexis asked for coffee. Even Yoko, who was a tea drinker, asked for coffee.

  “I picked up Alexis in the shop van. Will it be all right to leave it here?” Grady sto
od uncertainly at his mistress’s side as he sniffed out his playmate. Murphy came on the run, barked, whirled around to turn back to Tillie, Grady on his heels.

  “Sure, but you’ll have to park it back by the Dumpster. We’ll pick it up tomorrow. Oh, look, here’s Nikki.”

  Kathryn looked over at Zack. She grinned. “My bridge club members. Is it okay if they leave their cars in the back by the Dumpster?”

  “No problem, Sis. He poured coffee for Nikki, who was rubbing her hands together.

  “The government shut down,” said Nikki. “That’s twice in less than ten days. Supposed to get ten inches of snow by tonight. Are you sure you can make it in the truck, Kathryn?”

  “Oh, yeah. Anyone hear from Isabelle?”

  The door opened. Isabelle entered, stomping her feet. She looked like an Eskimo. She gratefully accepted the cup of coffee Zack held out to her.

  Kathryn placed some bills on the counter while Zack packaged up the two cherry pies she’d ordered to go.

  Nikki leaned closer to Kathryn and whispered, “This guy has seen us all together. Is that going to be a problem?”

  Kathryn turned on her stool and whispered in return. “They could stick lighted matchsticks under Zack’s toenails and he wouldn’t admit to anything except to discuss the weather. We’re safe. Trust me.”

  Kathryn whistled for Murphy, who herded Grady toward them. Each of them had a paper sack in his teeth.

  “Soup bones for the trip,” Zack said.

  “Thanks, Zack. See ya,” Kathryn said as she shrugged into her hooded parka.

  The drive to McLean under normal weather conditions took at most an hour. Today they’d been on the road three hours and they were still ten miles from the turnoff that would lead them to Pinewood.

  It was late afternoon when both dogs in the crowded cab barked to indicate they knew they were at the farm. The women heaved a collective sigh of relief.

  Kathryn’s rig rolled up to the electronic gates where she pressed in the code that allowed the huge monster gates to open wide. She gave the air horn a loud yank. The sound ricocheted around the farm. The women leaped down as they did their best to straighten out their cramped limbs. The dogs raced through the snow barking and howling at the glorious white stuff that was so much fun to romp in.

  “Hurry, hurry,” Myra called from the doorway. “I have hot chocolate with loads of marshmallows for all of you.”

  “And I have the pies to go with it,” Kathryn said, holding up the bag of pies. She whistled for the dogs, who ran past her into the warm kitchen where they shook the snow off their heavy coats. They immediately raced into the den to lie down by the fire.

  “I’m so glad you all made it safe and sound.” Myra smiled at them, her relief apparent as she hugged them one at a time.

  “Charles is where he usually is when we’re ready to start a mission. He expects us in the war room in one hour, just enough time to drink our hot chocolate and eat this wonderful cherry pie. Dinner is roasting in the oven. It’s one of those everything-in-one-pan dinners, the kind you all like because it cuts down on the dishwashing.”

  While they drank their hot chocolate and ate the delectable cherry pie, the women talked about the snow, the government shutting down, and the possibility they could do some playing in the snow with the snowmobiles stored in the barn that Myra had once given them as Christmas presents.

  “They’re gassed up and ready to go. Charles did it early this morning. How well he knows us,” Myra said.

  Nikki looked around. “Oh, my gosh, I forgot about Annie. Where is she?”

  “With Charles. She arrived before it got light out. When she saw how bad the weather was getting she decided to leave early. She arrived safe and sound. We’re all here. This is good pie, Kathryn. As good as Charles’s pies but don’t tell him I said that.”

  Kathryn laughed. “One of these days I’m going to take you and Charles to Zack’s diner. Everything is homemade from scratch.”

  Myra played with her pearls. “Yes, yes, someday we’ll have to do that. If you’re finished, I think it’s time to go below and get on with Yoko’s mission. There have been enough delays.”

  As one, the women knew Myra was worried about something. The mood turned solemn as they cleared the table and fell into line behind her as she led the way to the secret bookshelf.

  The women were still solemn when they took their places at the round table where Annie was already sitting. They offered up greetings and then discussed the snowstorm for a few minutes until Myra called the meeting to order.

  Myra looked up to see Lady Justice gracing them with her presence. She took a deep breath before she shuffled the papers in front of her. As she started to speak, she fingered the pearls at her neck.

  Nikki, who knew Myra better than anyone did except Charles, knew that her adopted mother was worried. Big-time.

  Chapter 7

  Nikki’s hands itched to open the folder in front of her. She tried not to stare at Yoko, who looked, in her opinion, incredibly calm. Since returning from Japan and the meeting with her grandparents she seemed to have moved to a higher plane of serenity. She risked a glance at Charles and was stunned to see that his normally ruddy complexion was pasty white and strained. To her experienced eye, Myra was decidedly uncomfortable. What they were about to see and read must be really bad. Right that moment she wished she was with Jack in Georgetown.

  Nikki was jarred from her thoughts when Kathryn spoke. “When are we going to run this,” she began, tapping the green folder, “up the flagpole?”

  “Right now, dear,” Myra said. “I was just about to tell you all to open your folders and read the contents. I don’t see…Charles and I don’t feel we need to discuss the contents aloud unless you all vote to do so. When you’re finished reading, we’ll move to the punishment phase. Are there any questions?”

  The only sounds in the room were the whirring of the oscillating fan overhead and a few beeps and chirps from the bank of monitors under Charles’s command as Lady Justice watched over them.

  Above the main floor, Charles watched the women carefully for their reaction to the reading material in front of them. All, it seemed to him, with the exception of Yoko, were stunned. Kathryn, while he couldn’t hear her words, was cursing up a storm. Annie was speechless, her eyes wide in horror. Alexis wiped at her eyes while Isabelle chewed on her lower lip. He thought he saw a pink streak of blood on her chin. Nikki was stiff with anger, her hands trembling as she turned the pages and looked at the downloaded pictures. Myra looked like she did when she was in bed with the flu—sick. Just the way he felt sick.

  Minutes ticked by so slowly Charles felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. He forced himself to look down at Yoko, whose expression hadn’t changed. At that precise moment, Kathryn closed her folder and pitched it across the room. Words he’d never before heard from her spewed from her mouth. She then slumped back in her seat like someone had let all the air out of her body. Even from where he was standing he could see tears on Kathryn’s cheeks. Hard-boiled, tough-as-nails Kathryn crying!

  All eyes turned to Yoko when she closed the green folder and stood up. Her eyes were bright, her shoulders stiff, her expression grim. She inclined her head slightly. “I wish to apologize for what you were forced to read. I cannot imagine what you must think of me. I…No one should be forced to deal with a man like Michael Lyons. I cannot ask you, my friends, to deal with this hateful person. I withdraw my mission. I will leave now and offer up my thanks for…for your friendship.”

  Isabelle, who was sitting next to Yoko, gave her a push. Yoko landed back in her chair. “Like hell you’re leaving!”

  Kathryn bounded out of her chair, ran around the table, gave Yoko’s chair a wide swing until she was facing her. “Kiddo, nothing in this life will give me more pleasure than going after that man. Read my lips, Yoko, we are all for one and one for all, or however the hell that saying goes.”

  Tears rolled down Yoko’s cheeks. “But�
��”

  The others joined Kathryn and squatted next to Yoko’s chair as they said all the words she longed for and needed to hear.

  “We can take care of this man, my dear,” Myra said. “I want you to trust all of us. Can you do that?”

  Yoko’s head bobbed up and down. “That man…That sick person is my father.”

  “Yeah, well, sometimes shit like that happens. Don’t give it another thought. He’s just a sorry sack of crap we’re going to take care of,” Kathryn snarled.

  Alexis reached for Yoko’s hands. She took both of them in her own. “Look at me, Yoko, and listen to what I’m going to say. You know, you all know, how terrified I am of going back to prison. I will gladly go back to prison if I can help you put that man out of his misery.”

  “And I’ll go to the wall defending you. If I have to sleep with the judge and all of the jury, I’ll do it,” Nikki said.

  Annie cleared her throat. “And when it’s all said and done, you’ll make me a happy woman if you allow me to adopt you. I miss having a daughter. You don’t have to decide right now, honey, the offer will always be open.”

  Kathryn whooped. “She accepts!”

  “Of course she accepts, and I’ll do all the legal work for free,” Nikki said.

  Charles, his color back to normal, approached the women. “All you have to do is tell us what you want us to do, child.”

  Yoko cried openly. Isabelle cradled her, whispering in her ear. A wan smile tugged at Yoko’s lips as she nodded.

  Myra handed her a wad of tissues. “Are we ready to get back to business?” she asked.