Final Epilogue
Daisy
“Ibaked muffins!” I exclaim as I walk through the conference room doors that Angel is holding open for me.
“Are they edible this time?” Owen asks without bothering to look up. “The last batch you made was better suited for grilling burgers.”
I huff, fighting the smile that threatens to give away how much I appreciate the banter from my brother and friends. “They were not charcoal; just a little crispy around the edges.”
Angel takes the box from me and places it on the table. “Daisy didn’t lie; she did bake a batch of blueberry muffins that are currently lining the bottom of her trash can. These are from Bakery and Cakery.”
“They didn’t need to know that,” I whisper to Angel before I make my way around the table to my seat. I reach for an orange cream cheese muffin and begin picking off little pieces from the top, savoring the chewy texture of the top and saving the cakey bottom for last.
Angel takes the spot beside me, grinning at the idea that we’ll be working together.
We had a long talk about whether the Southern Knights would be the right fit for him.
In the end, it was the values we cling to with every mission that were the deciding factor—not me.
He’s still worried that the day will come that we won’t be able to save each other.
“My days of subterfuge are behind me. I’m not starting my first day as a Southern Knight by trying to pull one over on the team.”
Owen taps his pen against the table, raising an eyebrow at Angel. “I really thought you’d take the offer from the FBI. They could use a man like you.”
Director Ludlow had offered Angel a promotion in order to keep him with the CIA, but Angel refused. Then Finnegan swooped in with an offer of his own; one that was pretty hard to refuse. In the end, Angel declined that one as well, feeling as though his service to the government is at an end.
Angel’s expression turns serious. “I’d rather work with an organization that includes God in its mission parameters and has an ethical code that they adhere to; one that follows Biblical principles.
I pray before every assignment, but not once has the team I’ve been on before prayed together as a whole.
You can’t put a price tag on that. At least Roger gives you all of the information as it comes in. There are no secrets here.”
Jeremy snorts as he reaches across the table for a breakfast pastry.
“You mean that there are no secrets pertaining to the job. I’m sure we each have secrets of our own.
Now that you’re one of us, Angel, I should warn you that protecting bankers and oil billionaires on a regular basis isn’t nearly as exciting as infiltrating a terrorist cell.
Will you be able to handle all the boredom? ”
At that, Angel guffaws. “You all seem to find yourselves in enough trouble that I doubt boredom will be an issue. It’s why Vinny has agreed to be a contractor for you.
He’s not looking for the day-to-day excitement, but he’s also not ready to retire from doing what needs to be done to make this world a better place. ”
I rest my head on Angel’s shoulder and smile up at him, then at Owen and Jeremy. “Vinny will be a great asset for us on the West Coast since he’s settling down in Oregon. He and Dottie are still going strong, and I doubt it will be long before we get the wedding invites.”
Rescuing the men in the room from the inevitable wedding debate we always seem to have when the subject of marriage comes up, the rest of the team trickles in.
Jaxon and Faith take the seats to my left, and Jack files in behind them.
I smile when I see Scott in the hallway kissing Grace goodbye before she heads to her office.
Those two are just so cute and further proof that two people who love each other can work together.
Once we’re all seated, Roger comes in, closes the door, and makes his way to the head of the table with a stack of folders. “Before I get started, I’d like to welcome our newest member to the team: Angel Conway.”
There is a round of applause and a few shrill whistles to commemorate the moment. I also know that Roger is having lunch brought in after the meeting. When the noise dies down, Roger passes out the assignments.
“Most of these are mundane and just your run-of-the-mill protection assignments. Honestly, we can use the break after weeks of debriefs with both the FBI and the CIA.”
I drum my fingers on the folder in front of me. Out of all of us, I got the worst of it because of my abduction. They asked me all kinds of questions; some so ridiculous that I thought I was being punked. “As they say, ‘no stone left unturned.’ How is Genevieve?”
“She’s doing surprisingly well,” Roger says.
“Genevieve was a little shaken up after the ordeal, but now she’s determined to go into law enforcement.
Northwyck Academy for Girls will be funding any and all post-secondary education for her and placing an additional two million dollars in a trust for when she turns 25.
It was either offer a settlement or end up in a lawsuit that would have closed the school down permanently.
Bankruptcy would have ensured that both parties lost. As it stands, attendance has dropped by 30 percent since word got out they ignored a warning that resulted in the kidnapping of one of their students. ”
“I guess justice is served…” Scott says as he swivels in his chair, “…if one considers buying your way out of punishment justice.”
Angel responds. “Negligence is a civil crime, not a felony. In this context, justice was served in the most appropriate manner. Jerry sifted through the correspondence to the school regarding the field trip, and none of it contains coercive language. The only stipulations to receive the funds were that the trip had to be in the Crater Lake region to meet the needs of the field experiments and it had to be during a specific timeframe. The headmistress had no idea that Bennett could monitor their internal communications to ascertain the chosen location. As far as the school is concerned, they weren’t complicit in any crime other than ignoring a very vague and ambiguous warning. ”
Jaxon clasps his hands, leaning back casually in the office chair. “Speaking of Brad, have you heard from him?”
I snort in an unladylike fashion. “He wants to be as far away from us and this mess as possible, especially after spending three weeks detained in an FBI field office while his life was getting torn apart. Suffice it to say, he’s not the happiest camper.”
Owen grunts. “What did Brad expect? He may have been framed by Bennett, but he did work for Dominion in their accounting department. We just had to be sure that he wasn’t tied to anything illegal, especially anything related to CIPHER, before letting him go.
The false ID of Douglas Jenner was implanted by Bennett for the sole purpose of leading a person down a rabbit hole if they got too close.
I’ve often found there’s a kernel of truth in every lie. ”
Jack stands up and goes to pour himself a cup of coffee. While he’s fixing it up the way he likes it, he turns to the room and says, “I’m just glad it’s all over and out of our hands. Let the big dogs dismantle Dominion piece by piece.”
Before the conversation can go any further, there’s a delicate knock on the door. After Roger acknowledges the interruption, Grace pokes her head into the room. “There’s someone who would like to speak to you.”
“Have our guest wait in my office. We’re almost through here.”
Grace shakes her head. “He’d like to speak to all of you. I’m not sure who he is, but I’m under the impression that he’s important and has other business he needs to attend to.”
We all close the folders in front of us in case any information inside is confidential. If the assignments are routine, then learning what they are can wait a few more minutes. Roger nods and gestures for Grace to allow the man to enter.
My eyes become big as saucers as Uri fills up the doorway, while Angel’s jaw practically scrapes the floor.
“Uri,” I breathe out in a whisper that no one else but Uri can hear.
Uri smiles warmly at me. “Our paths cross yet again.”
Jack becomes protective when he notices that Angel and I have both gone silent. “Daisy, do you know this giant?”
At nearly seven feet tall, giant is an apt description. I nod slowly, returning the question with one of my own. “You can see him?”
Based on my question, Roger immediately knows that he’s standing in the presence of a divine being and rises to his feet out of respect. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Roger Cavenaugh.”
Uri booms a laugh then shakes Roger’s hand.
“We’ve met. For you, it was almost 30 years ago, but for me, it feels like yesterday.
You asked God for proof of His existence while staring across a landscape that He created—mountains, rivers, wildlife, insects, and plants all working in harmony that couldn’t happen by chance.
You were blind to what was right in front of you, but the Father got your attention, didn’t He? ”
Roger laughs at that. “That He did. I was buried alive, but I thought it was Jesus who rescued me.”
Uri chuckles. “The Son will one day return, but the time has not yet come. The Father sent me, Roger. It was probably the beard and the long hair that confused you since we’re able to take any human form.
I was going for a lumberjack look as I thought it was fitting for the occasion.
Does an angel saving your life change your perception? ”
“Not at all.”
Uri seems satisfied with the answer, turning his attention away from Roger and directing it to everyone in the room. “I’ve been watching all of you for most of your lives, providing protection and guidance when you needed it and nudging you all in the direction the Father needed you to go.”
Angel takes my hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze as he addresses Uri. “Is Daisy still in danger? Is that why you’re here?”