Fort Morgan

by Christian, Claudia Hall

“Not a long time for a fairy, but too long for a bun,” Otis said with a nod.

  He kissed the back of her neck.

  “Exactly,” Mari said.

  “And my driver?” Otis asked.

  “She met a guy on the plane back to Denver,” Mari said. “He was taking a spontaneous trip to Denver. It’s true love. They are driving from Denver to Silverton as we speak.”

  “They’ll be happy together?” Otis asked.

  “Very,” Mari smiled. “It doesn’t hurt that she has the money you left for her. Well, and the Silverton house is gorgeous.”

  “That’s very good,” Otis said with a nod. “Thank you.”

  “Will you buy me a house?” Mari asked.

  “Do you want a house?” Otis smiled.

  “Maybe.”

  “Where would you have a house?” Otis asked with a grin.

  There was a noise from the main room of the suite. Otis’s eyes shifted to the door of this bedroom.

  “I was planning on slipping out of here,” Mari said. “But I realize that’s not the best thing for you.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Otis said.

  Mari held her wand over her head. In a blink of an eye, she was standing in a floor-length, rust-colored fox jacket. Her practical fairy corps shoes had turned into five inch stilettos. She pulled the jacket up around her face. With a wave of her hand, she was wearing overstated make up. Otis scowled at her.

  “Yes, I’m aware that I look like a prostitute,” Mari grinned. “You’re my high-class client.”

  Otis grinned.

  “We can pass by the room, and no one will look twice at us,” Mari said.

  “Good.” Otis nodded to her.

  She leaned into him and kissed his cheek. Her cheap lipstick smudged on his cheek. He moved to wipe it off.

  “Leave it,” Mari said.

  Otis nodded.

  “Are we ready?” Otis asked.

  “Yes, my love,” Mari said.

  She was so surprised by her words that she stopped moving. Her mouth opened and closed. She shook herself head to toe.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Mari said.

  “You’re in love?” Otis asked.

  Mari blushed.

  “It’s all right,” Otis said “I feel strongly as well.”

  “Love?”

  “Something akin to that,” Otis smiled. “Psychopaths such as myself aren’t able to feel actual love.”

  “Good point,” Mari said.

  “I will never lie to you,” Otis said.

  Mari smiled, and they kissed. He smiled at her and held out his arm. They walked out of the room by the door Mari had created from the room to the hallway. They had gone only a few feet before encountering yellow police tape.

  A uniformed policeman in a Tyvek contamination suit with a respirator was standing at the tape. A team of people moved into the room.

  “What’s happened here, officer?” Mari laced enough magic in the spell for him to tell her.

  “Horrible business,” the policeman said.

  “Murder?” Otis asked.

  The policeman shook his head. Behind him, two people wearing Tyvek suits with the label “Experiri Genetics” on the back pushed a gurney into the suite. An elderly man wearing gear with the same logo caught sight of Otis and stopped short.

  “Plague,” the policeman said.

  “Plague?” Mari purred.

  “The worst thing I’ve ever seen,” the policeman said. “Ever. Most of the men have these massive bulging. . .”

  The policeman demonstrated on his arm. The elderly man from Experiri Genetics walked to the policeman. Mari glanced at him and then at Otis.

  “They have disgusting black tumors. Some of them burst open.” The policeman made a disgusted face. He leaned forward. “There’s blood all over the suite. Ceiling. Floor. Every wall. Windows. Most murder scenes don’t have this much gore!”

  “Yuck,” Mari said. She pursed her pretend prostitute lips.

  “The maid who found them?” the policeman nodded. “She’s in the hospital. They’re not sure she’ll make it. This shit is that infectious!”

  Mari winced. She’d forgotten about the maid. Otis squeezed her hand.

  “And. . .” the policeman continued.

  The two men from Experiri Genetics pushed the gurney out of the room. Otis’s son was strapped to the gurney. The financier was alive and in considerable pain. The gurney caught the door frame and the financier’s head lolled to the side. He saw Otis for the first time. The financier’s eye went wide. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Unmoved by their patient’s distress, the Experiri Genetics people banged against the doorframe a few more times before managing to wheel him into the hallway.

  “You coming?” one of the Experiri Genetics people yelled to the elderly man.

  The elderly man took one last look at Otis before turning in place and following them to the elevator.

  “What about that one?” Otis asked.

  “Some weird variant of the virus,” the policeman said. “Seems to have caused his dick — sorry, ma’am — to explode and destroyed his voice. Those guys are from some genetics company. They’re taking him to run studies. Human guinea pig.”

  “He’s alive?” Mari asked.

  “Define alive,” the policeman said. “He can’t talk. The virus paralyzed him. He’s completely helpless. He’s on the line for child rape and kiddy porn. He had a deal with the government, which would have gotten him off. But now that he’s useless, his lawyers settled for him to go to a SuperMax prison. These guys’ll keep him instead.”

  The policeman shrugged. Otis looked up as the gurney was pushed onto the elevator. The elderly man gave Otis one last, long look before stepping on the elevator.

  “Anyway, they’ve got this whole end of the hallway blocked off,” the policeman said. “You should go back the way you came. There’s an elevator at the other end of the hall.”

  “Thank you, officer,” Otis said.

  “You can thank me by sharing your. . ..” The policeman rose his eyebrows.

  “This one would cost you much, much more than you’d ever want to give,” Otis said.

  Mari leaned over to kiss Otis’s cheek.

  “Probably true,” the police officer said.

  Otis smiled, and Mari winked at the policeman. They turned around and made their way to the other elevator.

  “Who was that guy?” Mari asked. “The one with the genetics company.”

  “Someone I met in Kenya a long, long time ago,” Otis said. “He’s the one who found something in my blood.”

  “He’s the one who tried to steal your grandson?” Mari asked. “Should I kill him?”

  “Nah,” Otis said. “Without him, they wouldn’t be so interested in my son.”

  The elevator door opened and Otis turned to Mari.

  “Fox?” he asked and stroked her fur coat.

  “Fairy fox,” Mari said.

  They stepped onto the elevator. They had dropped ten floors before Otis had to ask.

  “What is a fairy fox?” Otis asked.

  “Promise you won’t laugh?” Mari asked.

  “I won’t laugh,” Otis said.

  “It’s not real,” Mari said. “I could never kill an animal.”

  Otis grinned.

  “You said you wouldn’t laugh,” Mari said. “Are you disappointed that I’m not as heartless as I seem?”

  “I have not been disappointed by you,” Otis said. “No.”

  They traveled down another ten floors before she dared to look at him.

  “I’m a vegetarian,” Mari said.

  “I knew that wasn’t meat,” Otis said.

  “Last night?” Mari blushed. “I just couldn’t stand the suffering of animals. Do you mind?”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. She was breathless when he released her.

  “This must have been very hard for you,” Otis said.

  “I told you b
efore,” Mari said, “I hate evil humans.”

  “I’m going to enjoy being a vegetarian,” Otis said.

  Mari clapped her hands in a little cheer. He held out his hand to her.

  “Let’s put this mess behind us,” Otis said.

  She took his hand and they walked out of the building.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Sunday morning — 11:25 a.m.

  New York, New York

  Sandy had hoped Sissy would be well enough for the doctors to reduce her medications. Sandy had hoped that Sissy would be well enough to wake up. Sandy had hoped that Sissy would be well enough to talk to her.

  Sandy sighed.

  How many times had she silently wished that Sissy would stop talking? From the moment she arrived, Sissy had been the noisiest child. As an infant, she’d wailed so loud that their mother had left the house to avoid hearing her. Sissy had babbled non-stop. She learned to talk early and would entertain their dying father with her long stories about nothing.

  Mitch had loved Sissy’s words. He’d encouraged her to talk. When her voice lagged, he’d ask her questions until she was chatting again. She had so much to say that Mitch’s last moments in this world were filled with the sound of them. Then he died, and Sissy kept talking.

  Sandy spent hours listening to Sissy when she was first in the eating disorder clinic. At that time, their mother played the “Feel sorry for me my daughter is sick” card. Family therapy revolved around her mother’s pouting and not Sissy’s words.

  Sandy wiped a tear from her eye. Aden had taken Noelle back to Denver. Seth was here but busy with Ivan and the ballet company. Sandy picked up Sissy’s limp hand. This was her turn to be alone with Sissy. She felt very, very alone.

  She was so exhausted from the lack of sleep and her strong emotions that every once in a while she saw a flash of light. She knew she should tell one of the doctors, but she was too exhausted to deal with the drama. It was probably just a migraine anyway. She rubbed her eyes.

  “Ahem!” Sandy heard as clear as day.

  She looked up and around. No one was there. Seth had paid to move Sissy into this posh suite. She had her own attendants, but they were nowhere to be found. Sandy shook her head at herself. She was losing her mind.

  Without warning, her emotions caught up with her. What would Sissy do if Sandy went crazy? What would any of her family do? Aden couldn’t make it a day. She was the only mother Sissy and Charlie had! Noelle, Nash, even Teddy, needed her. That’s not to mention poor Rachel, who Maresol said hadn’t slept more than a few hours since Sandy had been gone. Sandy started to weep.

  “Crap,” the little voice said.

  Sandy covered her ears and dropped her head to the bed. She started sobbing uncontrollably.

  Chapter Three Hundred and Forty-nine

  Beginning of Over

  A hand touched Sandy’s shoulder. Through her tears, she looked up to see Abi. The fairy was wearing her pink Fairy Corps costume and carrying the ridiculous silver wand.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Abi said.

  “That was you?” Sandy asked. She jumped to her feet and slapped at Abi. The fairy raised her arms to protect herself. “I thought I was going crazy!”

  After a moment, Sandy sniffed back her tears, nodded to Abi, and sat down. She stared at the wall for a moment.

  “You’ve been here this whole time?” Sandy asked.

  “Not right away,” Abi said. Sandy glanced at the fairy. Abi’s face was a mask of regret. “I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I know,” Sandy said. “I’m just. . .”

  “Crazy?” Abi said with an anxious smile. Sandy laughed and nodded. “I had to save Yvonne from that horrible financier.”

  “I thought Jill’s grandfather, uh, Otis, took care of him,” Sandy said.

  “Fin’s sister Mari was first in line,” Abi said.

  “Mari and Otis?” Sandy raised her eyebrows.

  “I know,” Abi said. “I thought the very same thing.”

  Sandy nodded.

  “Anyway, I was there, and then I came here,” Abi said. “Fin’s in Olympus trying to save Hedone.”

  “I thought Tanesha and Jill did that,” Sandy said.

  “Fin was there, too,” Abi said. “He’d never let Tanesha go there on her own.”

  Sandy nodded.

  “He had to stay behind to make sure nothing fell apart,” Abi said. “You have no idea what a mess it is when Olympia is in disarray. It affects everything in our world.”

  “I don’t really know how it all works,” Sandy said. “I used to think they were just stories.”

  Abi nodded.

  “Fin’s ex is an Olympian,” Abi said.

  “Are you worried. . .?” Sandy asked.

  “Um. . .” Abi said. “I mean, we’re married now.”

  “You think that getting married will make him cheat,” Sandy said.

  Abi nodded.

  “Should I tell Tanesha?” Sandy asked. “She has no patience for cheaters. It might help.”

  “His ex is Jill’s step-sister, Hecate,” Abi said with a nod.

  “I hate her then,” Sandy said with a loyal nod.

  “She’s okay,” Abi said. “Actually, his women have all been these truly incredible women, well, except. . .”

  She pointed at herself. Sandy shook her head at Abi’s indication that she wasn’t amazing. Abi gave an affirming nod.

  “You should hear what they say about me in the court,” Abi said.

  “How bad can it be?” Sandy shrugged.

  “Bad,” Abi said.

  “Well, forget them,” Sandy said.

  Abi gave her a sad shrug, and Sandy hugged her.

  “Is that why you never married?” Sandy asked.

  Abi nodded.

  “You must be worried now that you are married,” Sandy said.

  Abi nodded. Sandy nodded that she understood.

  “I didn’t want to get married, either,” Sandy said.

  “You didn’t?” Abi asked in a surprised voice. “But Aden is so wonderful and loves you so much!”

  “I could say the same for Fin,” Sandy said.

  There was a noise at the door, and Abi disappeared. The nurse came in to check on Sissy.

  “Don’t you worry, dear,” the nurse said. “Your sister is getting better.”

  “How can you tell?” Sandy asked.

  “Experience,” the nurse said.

  She gave Sandy a hug and left the room. Sandy was scowling at the door when Abi appeared again.

  “She’s right,” Abi said.

  “Who’s right?” Sandy asked.

  “The nurse,” Abi said. “Sissy’s getting better.”

  Sandy nodded because she felt like she should.

  “No, really,” Abi said. “Sissy’s going to be fine.”

  “I worry about that, too!” Sandy said. “If she’s fine, she’s going to lose a year in ballet. The ballet company has already said they have to replace her. Sissy’s going to have to come home to get better. If she comes home, she’ll never be the ballerina she wants to be. Plus, it looks like Ivan’s going to stay in New York.”

  When Sandy finished, Abi gave Sandy a hug.

  “Sissy’s ballet career is going to be just fine,” Abi said.

  “Is that a fairy skill?” Sandy asked.

  “Oh, no,” Abi said. “We fairies suck at telling the future. Delphie told me last night that Sissy was going to be fine.”

  “Delphie,” Sandy scowled. “She also says that Ivan and Sissy belong together.”

  “They do,” Abi said.

  “Ivan is about a hundred,” Sandy groaned. “Sissy’s just a kid!”

  “Ivan’s not that old,” Abi said. “And your sister is not a child.”

  “How’s it going to work with Sissy in Denver and Ivan here?” Sandy shook her head.

  “Why does it bother you?” Abi asked.

  “Oh. . .” Sandy sighed and sat down. She picked up Sis
sy’s hand again. “When Sissy was in the eating disorder clinic the first time, her therapist said that Ivan had molested Sissy and that’s why she had an eating disorder. Ivan was furious. Sissy denied the whole thing. My mom. . . well, you can imagine.”

  “Your sister’s in love with her teacher,” Abi said. “And Ivan loves Sissy. Plus, he’s incredibly handsome.”

  “Have you seen him dance?” Sandy asked.

  Abi shook her head.

  “It’s like fluid sex,” Sandy said. “The women swoon.”

  “But not you?” Abi asked.

  “No,” Sandy said. “And, in case you’re wondering, I’m not sexually or romantically interested in Ivan, and I’m not jealous of my sister.”

  “Eating disorder treatment?” Abi asked.

  “Second one,” Sandy said. “Ivan’s been the topic of much therapy.”

  “He’s very handsome,” Abi repeated.

  “He is,” Sandy said.

  “So. . .” Abi said. “Why aren’t you interested in him?”

  “He’s not my type,” Sandy said. “Plus, he’s always been so good with Sissy, since she was a little kid. You should have seen them meet.”

  “What happened?” Abi asked.

  “We were at Seth’s,” Sandy said. “My Dad. . .”

  “Mitch,” Abi said. “He was just here.”

  “I’m sure,” Sandy said with a nod. “Anyway, Mitch was in his last days, and Seth arrived from Russia with Ivan. Sissy and my dad were really close. She was lying on his bed telling him some random story about the picture she was coloring.

  “Ivan was on crutches,” Sandy said. “He was in the gulag when Seth found him. Honestly, he was in pretty bad shape. Seth opened the door to Dad’s room, and Sissy looked up. Ivan crutched in. Sissy said, ‘You’re finally here’ or something like that. Ivan’s English wasn’t great, but he said something like, ‘I’m sorry it too so long.’ She said, ‘That’s okay. We have the rest of our lives.’”

  “Really?” Abi asked.

  “Right,” Sandy nodded. “I was embarrassed, so I hustled her out of the room. When we got to the kitchen, I asked her why she said that to the handsome man. You know what she said?”

  “No,” Abi shook her head.

  “She said, ‘He’s my prince. We’re ’sposed to be together,’” Sandy said.

  “How sweet!” Abi said.

  “Kind of crazy, I know,” Sandy said. “But when I apologized to Ivan later, he said almost the same thing. Something like, ‘We belong together.’”