Half Blind (The Technicians #13)

Chapter 17- Come-On

F riday morning was an eye-opener for everyone in the home, starting with Jared. A flashing red light appeared in the corner of the bedroom, startling him, but it didn't alarm his wife. He didn't know what the red light meant, but in the small office, a foreign sound rang out, which corresponded with the flash of light.

“What is that? It sounds like an old school fax machine,” he said.

“It is,” Lemon replied, rising and heading for the bedroom door.

In the hallway, Helen materialized, also recognizing the sound. Bria and Ayanna had come down the stairs, waiting in the hallway for Lemon. She exited the office space, thermal contract sheet balled into her hand, looking at them all.

“Local. I'm wheels out in fifteen. Should be back by dinner,” she said.

Helen, based on her life with Cherry, headed to the kitchen to make Lemon's go bag. In it, would be two sandwiches and a loose bit of fruit. If all that was in the house was an apple, she knew to peel and cut the fruit. Seedless grapes were ideal, but there weren't any on hand. Today would be peeled orange slices, a thermos of coffee, and a granola bar.

The girls went into the downstairs closet in Lemon's office to retrieve her ops bag. Helen and Jared both tried to hide their shock as Bria loaded a magazine into a 9 mm, seating a round. Ayanna pulled out Lemon's boots, along with a heavy jacket she sprayed down with a scent killer. Colette stood quietly in the corner observing the activity buzzing in the home.

Less than five minutes later, Lemon appeared in the living room. She wore black jeans, a black turtleneck, and a black skullcap. She sat, slipping her feet into the boots. Bria brought what looked like a utility belt for Lemon's waist, which she slipped around her slim form when she stood. Bria also handed the weapon to her, along with keys. Ayanna brought forth the spray, covering Lemon in the scent killer.

No one said a word as Lemon looked back. “Bria, you have the con. You know where the paperwork is, should I not return. Bring Pops and Colette up to speed,” she said.

Helen passed her the go bag and Lemon said, “Thanks, Cranberry.”

“Come back to us,” Helen said softly. It was a phrase she used for Cherry when she was activated for a job as a Technician. Until now, she didn't realize Lemon went out to work. She assumed, as the chemical assassin, that Lemon made products and they were sent to those who needed them. It never dawned on her that Lemon had to physically go out to make a cup of tea.

Colette began to sniffle, uncertain what was happening in the pleasant home with clean beds and daily, cooked yummy food. The foster mom was leaving with a gun. Ayanna ran to her side. “She'll be back. She would never put herself in a position where she couldn't make it home to us. We are her world, and Doc Myrtle will be back. If she says she'll be home by dinner, we best have the table set.”

“I don't understand,” Colette said. “She is dressed like a burglar. Is she going to rob somebody so we can live in this nice house and enjoy all the food to eat? I’m not understanding.”

“Right now, you don't need to,” Bria said. “In time, you'll learn what it is she does, what Pops is going to do, and why cousin Helen is here. However, the main priority for you is to feel safe and at home. The rest, as they say, is above our pay grades.”

Jared didn't know what to make of it. He too never thought his wife physically went into the field. His hands fisted and un-fisted, then he looked at Helen who waited for the girls to return to bed. Once they’d departed, she took the time to appease his fears.

“We cover the Great Lakes,” Helen told him. “My home state is Indiana. At the end of my training, I handle anything that needs to happen in Indiana. Same for her in the state of Ohio.”

“You're here to learn from Doc Myrtle,” he said flatly.

“Yes, most of what I will need, I can simply order in small quantities or take it back with me when I leave, setting up my own workspace,” Helen said. “Rarely will I make my own.”

“The fax machine,” he said.

“Work orders come through on thermal paper. Contents on the paper disappear in direct sunlight,” she said.

“You seem to know a great deal about this life, but you're in training,” he whispered, although the girls had returned to bed.

“My cousin is, or rather was, The Cherry on Top,” she told him, uncertain why she felt the need to share the information, but something in her spirit told her he needed the reassurance. “She retired her handle since she'd married to Mr. Slow.”

“Your cousin is married to Michael?”

“Yes, I see you know the family,” Helen said.

“Archangel and I were roommates at Langley. I assume you know him through Mr. Slow,” Jared said.

“I know him by the activation of the Mustang who helped The Cherry on Top rescue me from The Collector, whom I put a knife in once I went back and found that fucker,” she said. “On my way to taking care of that weirdo bastard, I took down two kiddie sellers, which gave me first dibs on replacing my cousin.”

“You took down two?”

“Yep, and last month—was it last month—I shut down three Field of Flowers warehouses in Milwaukee. I have a lead on maybe two in the area, but I'm here to learn chemistry, but I think my specialty is not going to be this shit,” she said, holding out her arms. “That ergot fungus has broken me out. My arms are covered with this crap.”

“You're disconcerting,” Jared said, blinking twice.

“No, I'm not. Men say that when they can speak to a woman as they would a man,” Helen clarified. “You think I'm scary because it feels weird to have a conversation with a woman without having to hide your emotions or an agenda. Fucking me is not an option, and friending me feels odd; therefore, you deem me as scary because your man brain can't compartmentalize me.”

“Yep, scary. Discombobulating? Befuddling. There’s a way to describe you. Coffee?”

“Coffee sounds good,” she said, looking at her watch. The hour struck 6 a.m., and Lemon had gone to work.

“May I ask, Cranberry, why you shared all of that with me?”

“Because you're her man and are scared, you didn't know what was happening or what to do to help her,” she said. “If shit goes sideways, I am here and will serve as backup. However, Lemon is a hell of a lot scarier than I am and will be home by dinner.”

“Dinner,” he said, the unsettled feeling hovering around him. “I have an uneasy feeling that is not just about her. Help me prep the home for the arrival of guests this evening. I have no idea who or what is coming, but I want to be ready.”

“Then ready we shall be,” Helen said, starting the coffee maker.

****

T HE ENTIRE DAY WAS a shit show. Although the backhoe had arrived on Wednesday evening to dig out the foundations and tanks for the septic and propane for his work pod and man cave, Jared didn't expect for the foundations to be placed on Thursday. He expected a concrete truck to arrive, versus cinder blocks encased in cement structures and placed on a flat bed. The explanation given was since the cinder blocks were not permanent; they would not add to the tax cost of the home.

Much to his shock, at ten in the morning, what looked like half a house arrived to be seated on the cinder blocks. He stood in the kitchen staring at the room addition, complete with a wood-burning fireplace, a walk-in storage closet, and a bathroom. The addition appeared to get nailed to the side of the farmhouse. The side door, which once lead to another area of the backyard, became the entrance to his new man's space. A space that was physically, damned near stapled against the house and functional. All that was needed was tying in the power and HVAC units.

“I see it, but don't believe it,” he said.

Jack, the contractor, waved at him. He tapped on his watch, waved again then left. Jared had no idea what any of it meant. However, at two in the afternoon, Jack returned with a 16x40 utility cabin, complete with bathroom and kitchen cabinets which he maneuvered onto the cinder block base behind the barn. The placement of the work pod could not be seen from the house, street or when parked in the yard. Jared knew this because he checked it all.

At five in the afternoon, Lemon returned in a black Ford F-150 that neither Helen nor Jared knew she had. They watched her park the vehicle in a garage they didn't know existed in the wood line behind an additional building they also were unaware existed. He wanted to say something to his wife, but Helen touched his arm.

“She needs to shower and shake it off,” she cautioned. “When she arrives in front of you, simply open your arms to hold her. Whatever she had to do, she doesn't want to talk about it or relive the situation.”

“You seem to know these things well,” Jared said.

“The hardest thing in this life is to be of use,” Helen said. “I wondered how I would be of use here as I learned, but maybe why I'm here isn't to learn how to poison people.”

“Why then would you assume you are here, Helen?”

“To serve as a balm,” she told him. “You've spent years with a weapon in your hand like a dog on a leash. The leash comes off, you bark, bite, and attack. Now you have no leash, a regular woman to love on at night, and three daughters by proxy. In your heart you want a son, but today you found out your wife goes to work as a Technician when she gets a fax in the middle of the night. Now, your plan to knock her up has to be postponed. That's a lot for anybody to deal with it.”

“You're creepy,” he said, “and get out of my head. I'll deal with it just fine.”

“Okay, but are you ready to deal with him?” she asked, pointing out the window.

Arriving in a rental car along with his silent assistant, Alita, was Micah Delgado. Jared's eyebrows arched with a clearer understanding of what the Archangel meant about assistance arriving in U.S. Airspace.

“Sometimes, I just don't like that man,” Jared said.

“I know who you're talking about without even saying his name,” she said. “I'll add a couple of extra plates to the table for dinner.”

Colette had come into the dining room and was standing at the window, watching the young man get out of the vehicle. She found herself blushing at how handsome he was but frowning at the pretty young lady who was with him. “Helen, who is he?”

“Trouble with an accent,” Helen replied, “so stay clear, and please don't touch him. The young woman with him is his bodyguard. You get too close, and she will drop you.”

“What have I moved into? Doc Myrtle left this morning dressed like an assassin and now teenagers are arriving who look like bad people,” Colette asked.

“I ask myself that question every damned day,” Helen said, pressing a few limes to go into the pitcher of sweetened iced tea.

Micah arrived at the front door, tapping lightly as the girls arrived at the back door, coming through in a whirl of breathlessness. Ayanna hurriedly ran to the bathroom to check her hair and breath. Bria stopped at the mirror to check her lip gloss, and Jared stood at the door rolling his eyes. His mind immediately conjured an image of Jesus flinging a dusty sandal at the girls, just as his mother would when his sisters behaved recklessly. He opened the door for the young man who greeted him with a smile.

“Senor Jared, mi amigo , how have you been?” Micah said, entering the home. This time, Jared spotted the suitcase. The young man planned to stay the night once more, but he sure as hell wasn’t eating any more damned neck bones for dinner. Micah’s eyes immediately searched for Helen as he stepped through the doorway.

The girls entered the living room, pretending to be sophisticated and speaking to Micah with a greeting in Spanish. He offered a smirk in acknowledgement of their efforts to make him feel welcomed. He was dressed comfortably in black jeans with a dark button-down shirt. The shirt, untucked, appeared expensive as he waved his assistant Alita forward.

“I come bearing gifts,” he said, looking about. “Where is the chemist? I have items for her as well.”

“I'm here, Senor,” Lemon said, stepping forward. Her eyes showed a weariness Micah immediately picked up on.

“This life can be tough,” Micah offered. “We do what must be done to ensure the world in which we live is safe for those we love. My father reminds me of this often.”

“Your father is a wise man,” Lemon said pressing her lips together. The assignment was a nasty one which required the assistance of Pear. The visuals hurt her brain. The reality of what she’d seen hurt her heart. Micah saw it all in her eyes.

“No need to be down, my friends. I brought presents,” he said, passing Jared a box. “I brought steaks from the ranch tambien !”

“The ranch,” Jared said looking at the box which wielded the logo of The Busy B. “Ranch, as in Blakemore Ranch, the Busy B?”

“ Sí , Bobby Ray, the Blakemore cut these fresh for me this morning. We shall all have the T-bones for supper. I brought three extras for the pilots and Julianna. Will you grill these for us all?”

Jared blinked, “Blakemore, as in Saxton Blakemore?”

“Sí, mi Mama , her sister, is married to Saxton the Blakemore,” Micah said.

“Your Aunt is Odessa Blakemore?” Jared asked as Lemon's mouth dropped.

“You have heard of her, no ?”

“We've heard of her,” both Lemon and Jared said, but Micah's eyes were on Helen.

He moved closer to her, staring deeply into her eyes. Helen didn't flinch under his gaze this time. This brought a twitch to the corner of his mouth. From his pocket, he removed a square velvet box.

“I brought you this from my mine,” he said, passing the box to her.

Helen didn't accept the gift. “What do you mean you brought me something from your mind? What have you thought up?”

“No, my lovely dangerous woman, my mine; as in the earth,” he said. “I discovered a vein of yellowish emeralds found nowhere else in the world. Our jeweler handcrafted these pieces for you. There are no other stones like this anywhere. It is a rare delight, much like you.”

“What in the hell,” Helen said, pushing the box away.

“Alita, please pass out the other gifts I have brought,” Micah said, his focus solely on Helen. He moved closer. Then he frowned. In Spanish, he swore under his breath. “I almost wish to not present you with this priceless gift. You have recently been with this lover of your yours while I was away.”

Helen pulled back her entire face as if she were a turtle trying to tuck her head into her neck, “Excuse me?”

“This man, who makes the passionate love to you has marred your throat with his fevered kisses,” Micah said. “Who is he? I shall bare knuckle fight him for your affections!”

“Young man don't get your shirt folded while you're still in it,” Helen said as Micah took a step back.

“I do not understand this phrasing,” he said, looking down at his shirt. She could see him imagining mentally folding the shirt he was wearing while it was on his body. He looked up in recognition of her wording. “Ah, you make the funny . Wait, did you threaten to harm my body by folding me like the shirt ?”

Alita stopped passing out the gift boxes, looking at Helen with an intimidating stare. Helen gave it back to her in spades. “Young man, I am too old for you and am unavailable.”

“No disrespect, my lovely Senorita, but my age has nothing to do with my skillsets,” he said with a wink. He lowered his voice to a whisper so only she could hear him, “I can do what he can, better with more flexibility and longer. I have the stamina of a young thoroughbred coupled with unbridled determined focus. I am up at 5 am every morning, riding the fields, working the farm, before I do anything else during my 16-hour work day. I do not tire easily.”

It was then when Helen noticed a box was also given to Colette, who opened the package to find a set of earrings similar but not exactly like the pair given to Bria and Ayanna.Tears filled the blue eyes at the sight of such a lovely gift, she wasn’t certain why it was given to her.

Ayanna asked the question they were all wondering. “Hey, she wasn't here the last time you spent the night. How did you know she was here, Micah?”

“I know a great many things,” he said, turning to Jared. “Our craftsmen created that watch for you. I hope you like it.”

“Micah, we can't accept these gifts,” Jared said looking at the yellow emeralds in the time piece.

“You accept the gifts, or I shall have to ink you,” he said. “Currently, you are protected by the Bushmaster’s coiling around you. I can go one further and ink your hands with the Bushmaster’s scales, so everyone seeing the markings knows to not bring you the troubles , but I don't do the flashy.”

Ayanna spoke up, “You can ink me wherever you want, Senor.”

Lemon's head snapped around to scowl at the brazen behavior. Ayanna muttered, “What? He can. I don't know why he's so fascinated with Cousin Helen. She's old. I'm young and teachable. I won't even complain if he hurts me a little.”

Jared pointed at her to hush. Micah continued as if he didn't hear Ayanna. He paused, titling his head as if he heard something no one else did. He nodded to Alita, who moved to stand closer to Jared, telling him to take a seat.

“I don't want to sit down,” Jared said as her hand went to his shoulder, pushing him to a seated position in the chair.

“Senorita Helen, take the point,” Micah said his head cocked at an angle.

She didn't know what he heard or knew, but Helen didn't question. At the back door, there was a bag on a hook. Helen reached inside to grab her 9 mm and seated a round from the clip. From the bag, she grabbed two knives which went into the pockets of her embroidered sweater. She also added the .380 to the pocket of the skirt she wore. An ink pen went into the loose hair, swirling it up on the crown of her head into a messy bun. She plastered a soft smile on her lips as the knock came to the front door.

Micah simply stared at her.

“I adore you,” he said softly for her ears only. “One entire night of passion in your arms, and I shall give you everything your heart desires. It is not our way, but I would defy my father to have you.”

“Child, if you don't cut it out...” she said, watching Lemon open the door.

The same woman, large and wide, from before, entered the home on this visit. She looked about the space, noticing Colette, Bria, and Ayanna, and her eyes ended on Jared. Briefly, she looked at Alita standing next to the man she came to kill, immediately dismissing the girl.

“I've been looking for you,” the woman said to Jared.

“You've found me,” he replied.

“I need you to come with me,” the woman said.

“No, thanks,” he answered.

“Then I will make you,” the woman said, trying to sound threatening.

Micah, who had been leaning against the doorjamb, spoke. “Constance Monroe, that is no way to enter a man's home and speak with such disrespect in front of his family. You should apologize for your rudeness,” he told her.

“And who the fuck are you?” Constance asked as a shadow loomed at the back door, which Helen carefully watched.

Micah took his time. He said nothing as he made eye contact with the woman. Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt, one black button at a time until he reached the bottom. He flung open the shirt, circa Michael Jackson style, revealing the completed head of the Bushmaster snake, the fangs visible and dripping blood. The red eyes were centered on his nipples, giving the serpent an ominous appearance. A flash of Argentine blue showed in the scales above his navel. Colette's cheeks turned red. Ayanna damn near swooned, but Constance Monroe acted as if she'd seen the devil himself.

“Senor...I didn't...,” Constance began to say.

“Sh..sh...,” Micah said. “Today would be a day to ensure your affairs, as well as those of your crew, are in order.”

“Are you threatening me?” Constance said, puffing up her large chest.

“I have no need to threaten you,” Micah said. “My father has kept close tabs on your activities as well as the Conclave of Vipers. They all have a bone to pick with you.”

Her posture changed. The chest deflated. Humility transformed the tone of her voice, “With me?”

“ Sí , while you have been so busy chasing my friend here, who has my full protection, that you are unaware your last shipment did not make it to the final destination,” Micah informed her. “On top of my father's infuriation with you, those who paid for products they will not receive are looking for you as well. Leave here. Get your affairs in order. Go. Go on now.”

Constance Monroe gasped loudly.

The second woman burst through the back door when she heard the loud gasp from her friend only to be met by a quick sweep of Helen’s leg, knocking the woman to the floor on all fours. Helen stood over her, a knee in her back, a knife at her throat and the 9mm at her head. Helen stooped, whispering in her ear, daring her to move. Alita smiled at Helen, yet Micah's eyes remained on the large woman.

Constance began to back out the door. The woman on the floor rose slowly as Helen released her, the gun still aimed at her head. The lady held up her hands in surrender, backing out of the door. She exited quietly.

Helen put away her knife but held the gun. Colette yelled out, “Teach me all of that! I want to know how to do all of that! Helen, you are bad ass! I want to learn to be fearless like that as well.”

Micah stood still, looking at his feet. His mind in a tizzy processing so many moving pieces at once. He’d seen the moves by Helen from the corner of his eye. He moved to stand next to the woman who sent his mind and emotions into turmoil; his back to the family. His words were only for her.

“Senorita Helen, the plane is fueled. Say the word and we can spend an evening dining on fresh seafood near a white sandy beach in Celestun, Mexico nursing margaritas or sipping a hearty red wine at a vineyard in California on 1800 thread count sheets, as I feed you figs and decadent cheeses. I give you the choice. Say the word, and these things I will make happen for us this evening,” he said.

“Or we can crack open a $20 bottle of red, fire up the grill for those T-bones, and discuss which colleges you're looking at attending next year,” she said with a smile.

“This desire I have for you is unrequited, but I have made my case,” he said softly. “You are aware of my heart's craving, and I shall leave you my card when I depart. Use it once in case of an emergency. Use it twice if you desire an unforgettable evening together.”

“Please stop it. You are making this weird, and I don’t like it. You’re also making me uncomfortable with such talk. You are out of pocket and you know it. It’s inappropriate,” Helen said, pointing her finger at him. She moved away from the private huddle to address Jared. “I'm hungry. Jared, can we fire up the grill?”

“Of course,” Jared said, looking about the home. “Alita, Micah, how do you like your steaks?”

“Hot pink in the center for us both,” Micah said, looking at Helen. “I apologize if I have caused the discomfort . You too, have caused me the same. I feel calm when I am near you. The buzzing in my head ceases and I want to sit and talk of my dreams and aspirations, yet I hunger for your affection. I have this need for you to hold me, but then my man brain begins to work. It is very disconcerting.”

“I like the thought of having you as a young friend,” Helen told him. “The idea of being an Auntie to you and Alita, sending you two care packages while in college, and celebrating your victories and successes on your journey into manhood would be an honor for me.”

“An Auntie, as in a Tia ?” he said, snarling his lip.

“A cool ass Auntie,” she told him with a wink. “Besides, I think your hands will be full with the one who guards you. Each time you say something to me, the look in her eyes...she has deep feelings for you.”

Micah turned to look at Alita, who watched him carefully. He stared at her, and she looked away. “Hmmm,” he said, then sauntered off behind Jared.

Lemon came to sit at her side. A glass of lemonade was in one hand and the jewelry box given to her by Micah in the other. She sipped at the lemonade.

“He brought me more venom,” she told Helen, “And this stunning necklace he said was a wedding gift.”

“Hmm. He gave me his card,” Helen said.

“Use it wisely; he can come through at a time when things seem bleak,” Lemon said.

“I know there is more to learn about him, but do I want to know?”

“No, you don’t,” Lemon said. “From what I’ve been told, Yield was the best man at his brother’s wedding. His oldest brother is soul chilling. The father is terrifying.”

“Good to know,” Helen said, taking a seat on the living room couch. Colette, Bria, and Ayanna flanked her. She looked back for Alita, whom she called over. “Baby, you can take a break from your watch; he’s safe here with your new family.”

Alita came to sit, but she perched herself at an angle to see out the back door to the patio where Micah stood chatting with Jared. He started the grill but returned inside to show Micah his new space. His man space. Alita’s eyes were sharp and she missed nothing. Helen too missed very little.

The girl spoke, “ Tia Helen, the watch never ends. We safeguard and look for snares which are invisible to the eyes of others, but we know are present. The watch is constant.”

Helen couldn’t help but agree. Her watch hadn’t officially started yet, and the training still had ways to go. There would be no more early breaks from Lemon. There was a lot to learn about mixing plants, which Lemon preferred over a chemical pre-manufactured. She and Cherry had lived in isolation, interacting with very few people, but she better understood more now than ever that living that way was simply a choice made by Cherry.

Cherry had made many choices for them both, and for the first time in many years, Helen felt free. She was free to learn, love, and live without Cherry being a constant watchdog over her every action. For Cherry, she believed she was protecting Helen, when in fact, the insistence of sequestering her away only increased her insecurities. Cherry had done more damage to Helen’s self-esteem than she realized. Helen knew it was unintentional, but the best intentions often have the most harm.

“My watch is just beginning,” Helen said, looking at Lemon’s family. A thought crossed her mind briefly at the request by Colette to come live with her. Then she thought of little Oscar and smiled again. The idea of bringing home two kids would make Mustang kick her ass. She chuckled at the idea, rising and excusing herself to take a moment alone with her thoughts.

“I’m going to be a frickin’ Technician.”

For the first time, she felt good about what that meant.