Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
Later that night. The Safehouse
“Thanks, Anne.” Danni addressed her friend’s image on the wide screen in the Safehouse office. “This is going to make for a great article.”
“Danni, you need to think about this,” Anne Hamilton warned. “Duncan Freidman can be ruthless if he thinks he’s being crossed, especially by what he likes to call a ‘subordinate.’ Don’t put yourself in a position where he’ll find an excuse to fire you.”
“I’m going to be very careful and wait until after Christmas to have Stanley publish it,” Danni assured her. “And of course, I want him and you to look at the article when I finish writing it.”
“Happy to do that,” Anne said, her eyes twinkling. “And how are you and Patrick getting along?”
“Really well,” Danni said, praying her blush didn’t start. “You were right about him being an incredible cook. Bit of a tidy freak, but hey, nothing wrong with that.”
“Is that all?” If Anne’s voice could have twinkled along with her eyes, it would have.”
“Of course.” Danni tried to sound nonchalant. “What else would there be?”
“Nothing,” Anne said but she was laughing as she signed off and having the last word. She knew Danni hated that.
But Danni was glad for having had something to do after Miller’s phone call about Frank Sullivan. His information about Sullivan was–had been–a killer for hire had left her stunned and confused. An assassin? For me? The fact the man who had tried twice to kill her was dead and now had a name, did not make Danni less uneasy. And let’s face it, still very afraid.
And while Frank Sullivan was dead, Danni was very much alive and still a possible target. As Miller had asked, who would want Danni dead and why.
Wondering if the news would cover anything like this, she headed back to the living room. The carpet here and in the hall was just as soft as the one in her room and she considered that if she had to stay here indefinitely, if she would ever willingly wear shoes again.
She found Patrick and Kristopher playing chess. It must be more of a friendly match because neither was using those little timing boxes she’d seen professional players use.
“Would you mind if I turned on the news?” she asked. “It’s been days since I’ve listened to any kind of broadcast.”
“Sure,” Kristopher called just as Patrick pronounced, “Checkmate.”
The men exchanged a high five slap. “Well and truly played, my friend.”
“You’re being nice,” Kristopher groaned. “To paraphrase my high school swimming coach, ‘You ‘waxed my board’ and I was really, really, really trying to beat you.”
“Well, there’s always tomorrow,” Patrick said. Looking at Danni, he called, “Did you finish your interview with Anne?”
“I did,” Danni answered, settling onto the sofa to pick up the remote and turning on the TV. “I recorded it so I can go back and write it up the way I want.”
“Do you want to talk to Elaine Prescott?” Patrick asked, coming to sit beside her. “She did say she would when you met her at Excelsior. ”
“That would be great,” Danni said, turning up the volume as the words LOCAL HOSTESS DIED flashed across the screen. “Oh, dear.”
“–and tonight, our city mourns one of its finest hostesses,” the announcer said. “Mrs. Fredrick Everett died this afternoon after sustaining major injuries from a fall in her home. Mrs. Everett was also known for her charitable work at St. Nicholas–”
“Son of a bitch! He got her!” Patrick’s shout brought Kristopher to his feet from the table and Danni shrinking against the cushions in shock and surprise.
“Damn, damn, damn. Why didn’t I give Father Ryan Elaine’s phone number so she could talk to Christine Everett about her options?” Patrick raged. “She didn’t have to stay with that bastard. She had options. She could have left.”
“Patrick,” Danni said softly. “What is it?”
“Operation Phoenix is a damn good program,” he said as if he hadn’t heard her. “They take care of women who need to get out. They save women who need to get out. If I’d said something, maybe I could have saved her.”
He hurled himself to the front door and was gone. Her heart roaring in her ears, Danni looked at Kristopher who was slowly coming across the room.
“Holy shit,” he said. “What was that all about?”
“I’m not sure,” and Danni hated hearing the tremor in her voice. “Where would he go?”
Kristopher’s hands scrubbed the side of his narrow face. Unlike Patrick or Mac, he was clean-shaven, and it made him look younger than either of those men. But there was something about him that suggested Army experiences had added maturity that years alone cannot.
“Did you know,” he said at last. “That Patrick was a champion swimmer in high school?”
Danni tried to remember what little Patrick had told her. “I thought he played football.”
“He did both,” Kristopher said. “Outstanding at both of them. Since he’s so tall, he had the advantage of link when he was competing.”
“Why are telling me this?” Danni’s fingers curled around the remote to keep her from throwing it.
“Because I’ll bet you a donut we’ll find in him the pool in the downstairs gym next door,” Kristopher told her. When Danni felt her mouth fall open, he said, “Hank Patterson had it put in when he bought the building. It’ just two lanes but some BP members are champion swimmers as well. Maybe he’s in the pool working off whatever is eating him.”
“You must know him awfully well.” Danni said. “How do I get there?”
“Underground passages between the buildings,” Kristopher said. I’ll tell you about those later, but right now, I’m going to take you there. C’mon.”
Feeling like she was moving through a dream, Danni followed her new friend to take the elevator to the lowest level, then through a hallway that he told her was under the Safehouse. They reached another door and Danni recognized the unmistakable aroma of the swimming pool. They arrived at a door with a sign requesting to use the pool at one’s own risk because there was no lifeguard on duty.
And behind the door, the faint sound of splashing water. A faint light came from beneath it and Kristopher pushed it open.
“I think,” he said quietly, “you’ll know better how to handle this than I will.”
“Thanks,” Danni said and stepped inside the room.
Someone had left a trail of discarded clothing up to the pool’s edge. Danni gathered them up, then went to sit on a concrete bench against the wall to watch and wait.
A lone figure was plowing through the water with strong steady movements. First an impressive freestyle, then an incredibly powerful butterfly, followed by a rapid backstroke. The only sound was water splashing and deep, almost synchronized breathing of a powerful, champion swimmer.
After what seemed like a long time, the figure returned to the side of the pool closest to where Danni waited and rested his arms on the edge, head down. Then as if he knew he were being watched, looked up. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
“Damn.” He shook his head and drops flew from his short blonde hair. “Where are my clothes?”
Danni patted the bundle beside her “Here. Did you bring a towel?”
“There’s a stack over there.” He pointed to a stand in the far corner. “Could you bring two of them please?”
“Sure.” Danni collected them, handed them down and watched Patrick apply one towel to first his hair, then his chest and arms, while concentrating on her breathing and keeping her gaze on his face and not the water beneath him.
Lord, don’t judge me too harshly for admiring what I can see of this fine specimen of man you created. And don’t let me peek. Please.
“Could you turn your back while I get out, please?”
“Sure.” Danni closed her eyes and counted to ten before returning to sit on the bench. She was grateful for it because the sight of Patrick Danton wrapped in a towel was enough to make the strongest of women swoon.
When he was seated beside her, she said, “This is about your sister, isn’t it?”
“Say what?”
“Your reaction to Mrs. Everett’s death,” Danni said softly. “You think Everett beat her, no matter what he told the police. And your description of abused women needing help in Captain Haggerty’s office was one of a man who knows or knew a woman who was abused by a male partner. A woman you loved. I’m guessing from your reluctance to talk about her, it was a sister. Am I right?”
“Damn, you sure are a cop’s daughter.” He leaned his arms on his thighs. “OK. The abbreviated version, ok?”
“Whatever you want to tell me,” she assured. “I’m not a therapist, just your friend.”
“My only sister Morgan, married an abusive man right after she graduated from college. His name was Kyle Winterhouse and he played football. Good lucking guy, wealthy, went into his family’s sports merchandizing when he graduated. I was a year older then her and joined the Army right away, so after their wedding I only saw them when I was on leave. And when good ole Kyle would ‘let’ her. As if our family wasn’t good enough anymore.”
“Classic abuser profile,” Danni said. “Keep your little woman away from her family because she belongs to you. Control freaks. Let her around her family, they may talk her into coming back.”
“Right.” Patrick’s head stayed down, and he seemed to be examining his knees. “We didn’t know about the abuse at first, but it started six months into the marriage. Morgan was proud and denied it like crazy to my parents, but they knew. When I came home from overseas and learned she was pregnant, I begged her to go home to my parents, but she still refused. It’s a damn good thing Kyle didn’t hit her while she was pregnant with Grace because I would have killed him.”
“Did Morgan ever come home with Grace?”
“Finally, when Grace was almost four years old. She filed for divorce but then Morgan was killed in a car accident. My parents immediately filed for custody, but I’d bet a year’s salary the family court judge was a friend of Kyle’s family because that bastard gave Kyle sole custody of Grace. He took her and refused to let us see her. Grandparents’ rights aren’t the best in Tennessee and that’s where my parents were living at the time. We haven’t seen Grace in six years.”
“So, Grace would be ten?” Danni asked slowly. “Sara’s age. Oh, Patrick, I’m so sorry. This explains so much.”
“Explains why I’m a screw-up?” Bitterness laced his tone. “I never should have said anything in Haggerty’s office. I never–”
“Oh, will you please stop?” She managed to pull him into a sitting position to face him. “You are a compassionate man who cares about children and abused women, otherwise you wouldn’t be in Brotherhood Protectors. You’ve probably been blaming yourself for years that Morgan didn’t listen to you about leaving Kyle. Her decision was not your fault. Hearing Mrs. Everett’s story and us thinking he probably knocked her down the stairs has stirred up all those old memories. Trying to help me find Sara has added to that, but there’s no one I would rather have by my side right now but you.”
“You’re sure?” Tears began to run down his remarkable face.
“Straight up.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“I think I would prefer something like this.” He gathered her to his chest and she pressed against him, accepting his kiss. One that was eager and hungry. Soft but demanding. Heady and breath-stealing. Danni’s heart sang in her ears as their mouths explored and feasted until he pulled back and slowly exhaled a long, weary breath.
“I think we need to stop,” he said. “Or something is going to start that I won’t be able to stop. I’m going to get dressed in that little room over there and then we’re going to go have dinner. You okay with that?”
“Yeah,” Danni agreed, willing her heart to return to a normal rate. “Sounds good.”
Only when they were in the elevator did he speak again. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.
“For what?”
“Listening.” He kissed her again and then exited the elevator to open the door to their suite and call, “Kristopher? Do I smell something burning?”
“You have reached the rank of Alpha,” The Man intoned into the candlelit room. Incense still wafted through the air after the cleansing ritual. “The highest of them all. Great will be your reward on Earth, and greater still in Heaven. You are the new patriarchs that will help build a new world order.”
The robed men before him bowed their heads. The Man was the supreme leader of Soli Deo Gloria–to God Alone the Glory. To the outside world, they were a traditional church, doing many good works, with members following traditional roles as God intended. Within their ranks, they were dedicated to ensuring that men held the power over their households while the women stayed in their place, raising their many children, who one day, provided enough sons were born, would grow up to rule the world.
But too many sons–if there were such a thing–had been born over the last twenty years and not enough daughters to provide more sons. Females were designed to breed and breed and breed. And the younger the female, the better. Which was why Soli Deo Gloria needed child brides for the men anxious to start creating their own new dynasties.
And so, they would simply take girls. And the younger the girl, the better. Eleven was the best age since it was on the cusp of puberty when the girls could be planted with the men’s seed. Such was Soli Deo Gloria’s custom now since its founding thirty years ago.
“We now have your child brides,” The Man intoned. “More are being sought and will be with us soon, so you may eventually have more than one bride at a time. As is our custom, you will be officially betrothed to these on Christmas Eve and marry two months after their menarches begin. By this time next year, you could very well be fathers of new sons. Hail Soli Deo Gloria!”
“Hail Soli Deo Gloria!” the men responded. The Man began to chant the closing prayer for the country’s return to a patriarchal state, ending the rite.
Only one remained after the other three were gone. He was older than the others, and the most eager for a child bride but he could also be impatient, which meant he could possibly be careless. “What is it?” The Man asked now.
“Is Danni Blake going to continue to be a problem?” he asked.
“Not for much longer,” The Man said. “She is too clever for her own good and very soon she’ll walk into the trap I am laying for her. She will not stop Soli’s mission. Rest assured; I have the situation in hand.”
The other man nodded, bowed to show The Man the respect he deserved and left the room.
When he had gone, The Man snuffed out the candles in the candelabra with the brass extinguisher he took from his pocket. Oh, he had plans for Danni Blake. Very soon it would all come together. As he had told the other man, no one stops Soli Deo Gloria.
And if she should lead him to the Brotherhood Protectors, then The Cadre could have them and welcome to them. He didn’t care a damn about the Brotherhood but if helping stop them put The Cadre in his debt, so much the better and they would owe him for a very long, long time.