Payback

by Fern Michaels

  “I certainly hope so. She’s too young to go through life alone. I can’t see Yoko or the Monarchs. Help me out here, Alexis. Do you see them?”

  Frank Sinatra was warbling about a summer wind as the women finally approached Yoko who was chatting it up with a female congresswoman from Virginia. As they approached they could hear that the discussion was about orchids. Julia smiled at the congresswoman as Alexis steered Yoko out of earshot. “Have you seen those creeps?”

  “If you mean the Monarchs, no. Myra was supposed to corner them and steer us in their direction. Maybe they decided not to attend. Is Julia all right?”

  “Julia is holding up just fine but her husband is trying to put the squeeze on her. However, she isn’t biting. She’s one tough lady. The Monarchs are here, we just haven’t seen them yet. You doing OK?”

  “My feet are killing me. People keep staring at me.”

  “Suck up the pain, my friend, and people are looking at you because you’re a knock-out. Head for the buffet while I try to corner Myra and Charles. Have you seen Nikki?”

  “A few minutes ago. She didn’t say so but I think she’s on the lookout for Jack Emery. Look, there she is! Over by the middle EXIT door.”

  “OK, see you later. Eat something, Yoko, you’re going to need your strength for what’s to come later.”

  “Is the food any good?” Yoko queried.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know. I ate a shrimp. Tasted like shrimp. I want to talk to Nikki. Don’t look right now but I see Myra at three o’clock and she’s talking to three people who can only be the Monarchs. Give them ten minutes before you make contact, and don’t forget to eat.”

  “Yes, Mama.” Yoko giggled just as an announcement blasted through the armory via a man in a tuxedo with a microphone in hand on stage. The huge room quieted almost immediately as the governor of Maryland, the Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States, hopped on stage followed by Mitchell Webster.

  Nikki whirled around, a crumpled note in her hand. Should she stay or should she go outside? Her stomach tightened into a knot. Charles said everything had been taken care of, and yet, here was Jack sending her notes right under the eyes of the FBI, the Secret Service and God knew who else. The decision was taken out of her hands when she grew light-headed. She needed air, not this canned stuff she was breathing in great gulps. She elbowed the door and stepped outside, but didn’t release her hold on the door. It was an EXIT only door. If it closed, she’d have to walk all the way around to the front.

  She saw him hobble toward her holding a lopsided umbrella. In the dim yellow light over the EXIT door she could clearly see Jack’s battered, bloody face. Her heart thumped in her chest. He looked to be in excruciating pain. She wanted to run to him, to say something, but she couldn’t move. He stopped two feet away.

  “I just wanted you to see what they did to me. Take a good look, Nik. This is all your doing. They said they’d kill me if I didn’t drop my investigation. Who are they? Well, dear Nikki, let me tell you who they are. The president’s goon squad sicced on me by your very own Charles Martin and Myra. They probably will kill me. You live with that because no way in hell am I going to knowingly allow all of you to break the law. You used to be a lawyer. You swore to uphold the law like I did. Now you can go back in there with all your high powered rich friends. And when they do kill me, you damn well better not show up at my funeral.”

  Tears rolled down Nikki’s cheeks. “Jack, wait…”

  Jack stopped, the lopsided umbrella tilted so that it covered his knees. “Go to hell, Nicole and don’t make any stops on the way down.” He let go of the umbrella and it slid across the parking lot. He didn’t seem to notice.

  Nikki did her best to digest what she’d just seen and heard. She was in a far-away place when she felt a hand on her arm and a voice said, “Ma’am, these doors have to be closed at all times.” The strong hand drew her back inside and she didn’t protest. She no longer felt light-headed, just sick to her stomach. She had to find Charles and she had to find him right now.

  She was startled to hear a loud voice from the stage followed by loud applause. That had to mean Senator Webster was still going to be Governor Crawford’s running mate in the election in November. She swivelled in every direction to see where Myra and Charles were. How stupid she was. She moved her arm so that her wrist grazed her lips and said. “Charles, I need to see you right now. I’m by the middle EXIT door.”

  Nikki felt blind with rage when she recalled Jack’s battered face, his lips split, top and bottom, his eyes swollen shut, blood oozing from all his cuts and bruises and the fact that he could barely walk. Rage was too kind of a word. What goons was he talking about? And what did he mean about someone coming back to kill him ? You swore to uphold the law like I did. And when they do kill me, you damn well better not show up at my funeral. Go to hell, Nicole, and don’t make any stops on the way down. No, no, that wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t sign on for anything like this.

  Nikki looked away for a moment and when she looked back at the crowded room, Charles was less that a foot away from her. Right at that moment she hated the man, hated that they were all here, hated what was going to happen. She didn’t know if she hated Myra and the others or not. Probably.

  Charles held out his hand and Nikki shoved the crumpled note into his hand as she gave it a hard shake. “What did your…your goons do to Jack? He’s half dead. He said they were going to kill him. He should be in a hospital. He was just doing his damn job, Charles. We could have worked around him, outwitted him. What did you do, Charles?”

  “Nothing, Nikki. I made some calls. That’s all I did. Let’s move away from here so we can’t be overheard. It was supposed to be a cease and desist, fear of God scare. I certainly didn’t authorize any…any physical harm to his person.”

  “That’s not good enough for me, Charles. You didn’t see Jack, I did. For all I know he could have internal injuries. Look at my feet, Charles. Right now they are rooted to the floor. I’m staying right here until you come back tome with an answer that I can live with. Otherwise, I’m walking out of here and I’ll never set foot in Pinewood again. I’ll leave it up to you to explain to Myra and the others.”

  “Wait here, Nikki. This may take a little while. I’ll find out what happened. Please, give me the chance to find out. Will you at least do that?”

  “Yes. I’ll wait right here.”

  A little while turned into forty-seven minutes. When Nikki saw him making his way toward her she could see the fury in his eyes. Her own eyes narrowed as she waited for an explanation.

  “I’m sorry, Nikki. The orders were misconstrued by the president’s men. What happened had nothing to do with…with our little…mission. Jack’s pal, the FBI agent, somehow stumbled on to me. He called a fellow agent at Interpol who then notified MI6 that my new identity and location were about to be compromised. If that were to happen, I’d be whisked away in the blink of an eye and I’d never see Myra or any of you again. That’s what this is all about and it has nothing to do with the Sisterhood. You’re right, we can out-think and outwit Jack. Actually, I view it as a challenge.”

  It all rang true to Nikki’s ears. She found herself nodding. “I want your personal word that Jack is safe from physical harm, Charles.”

  “You have it, Nikki. I know how much you love him.” Nikki didn’t bother to deny it this time around. “I can send over medical help if you like, to his apartment.”

  “Yes, do that, Charles,” Nikki said flatly. “What’s going on?”

  “Myra is entertaining the Monarch family. They’re hanging on her every word. When Myra said she could possibly arrange an ambassadorship, all three of them literally swooned. Myra was getting ready to introduce them to Yoko when you flashed me. Is there anything else, Nikki?”

  Nikki shook her head before she made her way through the crowd of people, her thoughts not on the mission ahead of them but on Jack Emery.

  Eleven


  Myra Rutledge wore a smile that made her face ache. This Monarch family was despicable and yet here she was talking to them and making them phony promises. All they did, the three of them, was feed off innocent people who bought into their HMOs so their families could be protected in case of illness. Three vultures waiting to pounce on the innocent.

  She really had to stop smiling; her teeth were starting to ache. Her eyes left the little group for a few seconds as she tried to locate the girls. Where was Yoko? Ah, there she was, headed her way. A sigh escaped her lips.

  Myra was resplendent in diamonds and designer wear, far above what Elaine Monarch strived to be. If she had to take a wild guess, the Monarchs’ glittering attire probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty thousand, give or take a few thousand dollars, and they still looked tacky and artificial. She noticed early on that no one at the event made any effort to either shake their hands or even speak with them unless they initiated the contact. HMO was truly a dirty set of initials in this fair city.

  Elaine Monarch reached for Myra’s arm. “You do understand that my husband and I would be more than willing to pay for the ambassadorship. We don’t even care what country it is.”

  Myra pretended horror. At least she could stop smiling for a few minutes. “No, dear lady. One does not pay for such a position. They pay you. One just accepts graciously when one is appointed. I have considerable influence and will certainly put in a kind word on your behalf. I don’t see any harm in making a donation to some worthy cause if you’re successful in being appointed.” Dear God, please don’t let me gag.

  “You are so very kind, Mrs. Rutledge. Isn’t she kind, Derek? We almost didn’t come this evening but Ethan said we needed to show our support for the Democrats. Meeting you, Mrs. Rutledge, has been the highlight of the evening,” Elaine continued to gush.

  Myra had to smile again. “I so enjoyed hearing about your…ah, various collections. You did say you have many priceless antiquities of Ming origin, didn’t you?’

  The skinny dandy son named Ethan chirped up. “Mother has a fabulous collection and is constantly on the lookout for more. They’re incredibly hard to come by as I’m sure you know. Are you a collector, Mrs. Rutledge?’

  “Of many things, young man.” She could tell by the look in Ethan’s eyes that Yoko was close by. He did everything but drool, as did his pudgy, balding father. Elaine’s head went a little higher, her see-through hair glistening in the artificial light.

  Yoko’s voice when she spoke was soft, cultured and whispery. “I wonder if I might have a quiet word with you, Mrs. Rutledge, before I leave?”

  “But of course, my dear. Let me introduce you to this delightful little family. Elaine and Derek Monarch, and their son, Ethan. This is Su Li. She is a descendent of the Ming dynasty. Isn’t that absolutely amazing? She probably knows everything there is to know about the treasures you’ve been collecting.” Yoko gave a slight nod of her head, her hands folded demurely in front of her. Ethan looked like his eyes were going to pop right out of his head. His father was so busy undressing Yoko with his eyes he didn’t notice the jealous glare in his wife’s eyes. Myra felt pleased at what she was seeing. She decided to stoke the fire a little. “Su Li will be your competition for the ambassadorship, Mrs. Monarch. She really doesn’t want it, though. We’ve been doing some arm twisting.”

  “My father is old-fashioned,” Yoko explained. “He does not believe women belong in the political arena but I am a modern Chinese. It’s just that my life is so very full right now that I have no time to take on such a prestigious position and do it justice. Still, if the powers that be offer it to me, I would want to do my duty and would probably accept the appointment,” she said sweetly. Elaine Monarch scowled at these words.

  Myra smiled again. “Su is being modest. She single-handedly runs her father’s import-export business. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, Li Luc Imports.”

  Derek Monarch’s eyebrows shot upward as did his son’s. “Your father owns Li Luc Imports?”

  “Yes,” Yoko said quietly.

  Obviously, Myra thought, the male members of the Monarch family were aware of Li Luc Imports’s financial status. She could tell they were impressed by their greedy expressions. Elaine had no clue what anyone was talking about. Myra looked around, trying not to be obvious about it. The crowd of supporters was starting to thin out. The buffet table was a mess, the way buffet tables always were at the end of a party. The musicians were packing up their equipment. Where were the girls?

  “The night’s still young,” Derek Monarch said as he looked down at his watch. We live in Manassas which isn’t far from here. Would you ladies like to come up with us so we can show you our treasures and perhaps talk a little about that ambassadorship?”

  Yoko tilted her head sideways. “I am so sorry but I cannot make it this evening. I am leaving for China early in the morning. It was a pleasure meeting you all.” She bowed slightly.

  Elaine’s see-through hair waved in the breeze created by the various fans overhead. “So, does that mean you do or do not want to be appointed to the ambassadorship. Miss Li?”

  Yoko lowered her gaze. “The appointment has not been offered to me as yet, Madam Monarch. Mrs. Rutledge, I understand, will have considerable input when it is time to make the final decision. She is aware of my position. Good night, everyone, it was a pleasure to meet you all.”

  “Can I escort you to your car?” Ethan asked.

  “That would be very kind of you, Mr. Monarch.” As they walked away, Myra could hear Yoko ask, “And what is it you do, sir?”

  Myra eyed the offensive woman standing in front of her. She knew both husband and wife would kiss her feet if she asked them to. She held out her hand when she saw Isabelle waving across the room. Elaine Monarch looked like she wanted to cry. She poked her husband on the arm. He turned to Myra and said, “We’d be honored if you could see your way to joining us in a nightcap somewhere in the city, Mrs. Rutledge, if you aren’t up to a trip to Manassas.”

  “There’s nothing I would like more than that, Mr. Monarch. Unfortunately, I have house guests at home. Perhaps another time. If you’re amenable, Mrs. Monarch, and if my schedule permits, we could do lunch next week. By then I should have more information on the ambassadorship.”

  The relief on Elaine’s face was short of comic. “Derek, give Mrs. Rutledge one of your business cards. I’ll wait for your call. I have the entire week free, dear lady.”

  I just bet you do. Myra’s teeth were starting to ache again as she forced still another smile. It was a relief to shake hands and move away.

  As Myra made her way to the front exit, stopping to chat with a federal judge here, a socialite there and a handful of other dignitaries she could hardly wait to get in the car and get home so she could take a shower. All she could think about was the obnoxious Monarch family and how they’d fleeced their subscribers to satisfy their own greed.

  Outside, the rain came down in torrents as limo drivers jockied for position fearing their customers’ wrath at not being by the door to greet them. Security was sloppy at best.

  Charles appeared as if by magic holding a large black umbrella. Myra stepped under it. She squeezed Charles’s arm. All around her people were muttering and some were cursing the weather, the security and the limo drivers. “I suggest we walk down the road to where our car waits. That’s if you don’t mind getting wet.”

  “You can keep me warm, darling.” Myra’s eyes twinkled. “Let’s hurry, though, before those three vultures come anywhere close. As it is, I can’t wait to take a shower.”

  “Were they that bad, Myra?”

  “Worse, Charles. All I could think about was all the people who were denied coverage with deadly consequences. Can you imagine people like that coveting an ambassadorship?”

  “Yes, dear, I can imagine it. Look, Myra, there’s Kathryn with her truck backed up to the back of the armory. And, there’s Yoko! They look like our girls. It’s amazing how glamorous t
hey can look one minute and the next they’re just our girls.”

  Myra did her best to peer into the driving rain. She saw two figures running back and forth with flowers and plants in their hands. Whistles shrilled and blasted as the local police tried to direct traffic in the soggy night.

  Twenty minutes passed before Charles looked down at his digital watch that glowed blue in the dark. “On the count of five, we should have total darkness. One, two, three, four, five!” Myra clutched his arm as the world turned totally dark. “Three minutes before our man drives the Monarch Town Car right up the ramp into Kathryn’s truck. Another minute to discard the ramp and Kathryn will take off. The girls are right behind the rig in their individual limousines. No one will ever be the wiser. The only thing the security detail is concerned with at this moment is the governor.”

  “Darling, you are too clever. I’m not even going to ask you how you arranged all of this.”

  “We arranged the cars just as Yoko left. It wasn’t easy with all the security, and a limousine is not the easiest vehicle to back up and turn around. I relied on the congestion, everyone’s short temper and, of course, this pouring rain which worked to our advantage.”

  “What about Julia and her husband. Don’t they have a security detail?”

  “They did have a security detail. Julia pulled off what Kathryn would call the old switcheroo. The detail is following an eighty-year-old couple from Arlington. All of our people, as I speak, are on their way to Manassas. We can now go home knowing the Monarch family and Senator Webster are in capable hands.” Charles looked at his watch again as he counted under his breath. “Three minutes and counting. The lamp posts will come to life and our caravan will be safely out of sight. I just love this rain, don’t you, Myra?”

  Myra giggled as she snuggled closer to Charles. “I do love the rain but I love you more. What are we going to do when we get home, Charles?”