Chapter Twenty-one And Justice for All
Chapter Twenty-one
And Justice for All
Pinewood
The Tunnels
Hawthorne and Gerber woke up to the dank smell of mold and urine.
If either of them were to guess, they would think they were in a dungeon.
They would be half right. They had no idea this horrible place was situated under a beautifully restored farmhouse outside McLean, Virginia, whose owner was one of the richest women in the country.
Dungeons were known for keeping people separated from the rest of the world, and torture was part of the deal.
They had no idea how long they had been there or why.
Food would be pushed through a small opening at the bottom of the door, and they were forced to sit and sleep in their urine and feces.
After two days, Myra and Annie climbed down the stone stairs, saluted Lady Liberty, and walked through a tunnel that led to the concrete slab boxes where the two men were being held.
“We won’t keep you long. We wanted the opportunity to inform you as to why you are here, and what your future holds.”
Gerber was about to protest, but Annie kicked him in the leg.
“Next time I’ll aim higher.”
“Why are you doing this?” Gerber whined.
Hawthorne simply stared ahead. He knew this day would come.
Myra began with a laundry list of their crimes and misdeeds. “You robbed the government. You robbed unsuspecting seniors of their pensions and let them waste away in your crime lab.”
It was Annie’s turn. “You let people with life-ending diseases suffer without their medication.”
Gerber was blubbering, “But those people were going to die anyway.”
“I guess you don’t have a problem with pain.” This time, Annie aimed right for his groin.
An hour later, a crew sent by Pearl Barnes arrived to remove the men and send them to a similar “rehabilitation camp” as Gerber’s two aunts.
As they were being carried out of the building, the Sisters formed a line to send them off.
The last person was Aunt Dottie, who elegantly gave them the middle finger.
It just so happened it was the same one with the art deco ring.
The anchor of the nightly news continued the story of the two missing men:
Senator Spencer Gerber and Congressman Maxwell Hawthorne have been missing for two days. We’ve been told that they are wanted for questioning. The congressman’s wife, Karen Hawthorne, claims she has no idea where her husband is, but some think the two men have fled the country.
Several days later, Karen Hawthorne was shocked when she was served with a search warrant and arrested. She screamed her head off. “Don’t you know who I am?”
The agent calmly replied, “We do. And that is why we are here.”
Aunt Dottie was regaining her strength. The doctors were optimistic that the delayed physical therapy would not hamper her recovery.
Lizzie Fox phoned Theresa. “Hi. I understand your aunt is coming along well.”
“Thanks to you and your friends,” Theresa said with gratitude.
“I have some exciting news for you.”
“I don’t know if I can take any more excitement,” Theresa said, and chuckled.
“I think you’re going to enjoy this.” Lizzie paused. “We couldn’t figure out why Sunnydale would hijack your aunt.”
“That was my question, too.”
“Do you think it’s because she won a quarter of a million dollars in the lottery?” Nikki said calmly.
“She what?” Theresa gasped.
“You heard me. Two hundred fifty thousand smackers.”
“Holy guacamole.” Theresa was baffled by the news.
“We’re taking care of the legal measures for you. With all the chicanery, it may be a few months before we can have the funds transferred. I’ll draw up a power of attorney agreement so you can handle her funds. I am sure you are much more trustworthy than those scoundrels.”
“And Nurse Nasty,” Theresa said.
“Just think, there were two of them,” Nikki remarked.
“As if one wasn’t enough,” Theresa said. “I don’t know how you guys pulled this off, and I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you.”
“Enjoying your new family member is thanks enough,” Nikki said.
“Brian began working on a room for Dottie so she can live with us. The lottery money will come in handy for whatever care she needs.”
“That’s what I thought you would say,” Nikki replied with confidence.
The Following Weekend
Maggie reminded Charles of the promise he made, and he was very happy to oblige. He had a new recipe he wanted to try. With Fergus as his sous chef, they produced a well-deserved banquet.
Yoko arrived with bowls of white gardenias, which were placed on the dining room table. White tea lights sparkled off the Baccarat crystal wine glasses. It was a wonderful setting something that had become a tradition after a successful mission.
The Sisters gathered together at the table, along with Harry, Jack, Fergus, and Charles. They joined hands, and Myra said grace: “Thank you for the many blessings in our lives.”
This was followed by another tradition: Maggie shouting, “Let’s eat!”
The first course was lightly sautéed zucchini flowers stuffed with mascarpone cheese, accompanied by fresh figs and prosciutto.
The main course was a showstopper of lobster thermidor, a classic French dish of sautéed lobster meat in a brandy cream sauce, stuffed back into the shells, then quickly browned with a crust of Gruyère cheese.
A boule of sourdough bread and a salad of arugula with beets, goat cheese, and crumbled walnuts complemented the divine cuisine.
As with all fine meals, a good bottle of wine was served.
For dessert, Charles served a warm fig cake with crème fra?che and fresh berries.
It was a night of good food, good humor, and good friends.