

### The Chardon Chronicles: Season Two — The Winter

### by Kevin Kimmich

### (cc) Kevin Kimmich 2015

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All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

#

_Thetis Anointing Achilles_ \-- Johann Balthasar Probst

_Demeter and Demophon_ \-- Willy Pogany

#

_Elysian Fields --_ Carlos Schwabe 1903

#

#

#

# EPISODE ONE -- Down on the Farm

## Chapter One

Present Day

The sky was a deep shade of cloudless blue. A bird circled lazily overhead and meadow grasses and wildflowers swayed in a gentle breeze. The meadow was encircled by a ring of evergreens that turned the breeze to a persistent whisper. Morgan sat up. He held his hand up in front of his face. He recognized the hand as his, but it was slightly more defined and larger than he recalled.

"I am dreaming." He announced.

A figure who looked like Demetria bounded through the field toward him and jumped onto him and they fell back onto the grass together. She looked a bit older and had a more defined, womanly face than he remembered.

"Hello? Demetria?" he said. He felt confused.

"No, I've been looking for her too! I haven't seen another person for, it seems like forever." The girl said. "I'm Stephanie."

Morgan stood up and helped Stephanie to her feet. She continued to hold onto his hand with both her hands and kept looking at him. She was wearing a simple white gown that fluttered in the breeze. He looked around the meadow and asked, "Where are we?"

"This is Demetria's home. She brought me here. Did she send you?" Stephanie said. "Who are you? Where you are from?"

"I'm Morgan," he said, "I'm actually from Chardon, that's in Ohio."

"I know Chardon! The Maple Festival--I went there once, threw up on a ride! I was only 5 or something." She blushed. He felt her embarrassment wash over him like a wave. "I'm actually from Hudson, just down the road from Chardon, really." He sensed a mix of familiarity and a pang of homesickness from her.

Morgan knitted his brows together, Stephanie looked concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Then a look of recognition and amazement crept over his face. "Ohhhhh..." he said. "Oh, Okay. I get it." he said.

"Get what?" She was puzzled.

"We're on the 'other side'." He air quoted. "I got shot, actually. I don't think I'm dead though. I hope I'm not!" He felt his arm, and it seemed normal, but maybe it would seem that way if he were dead.

"Shot!" She was alarmed. She put a hand on his chest, and said. "No, I think you're actually alive. You seem really solid and real. You make this place like daytime. Normally it's really dim. How are you here? Demetria once said some people can just cross over whenever they want. Are you one of those?"

"I don't think I can do that. Maybe getting shot did it?" He was confused.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter, really." She hugged him and kissed his neck. "I'm really glad you're here anyway. I've been _really_ lonely. I prepared for this for years, but, still wasn't really ready." She kept her face pressed against him. He noticed she was sniffing him, breathing him in through her nose.

"What are you talking about? What did you prepare for?" He asked.

He felt a wave of confusion from her. "Aren't you one of us?" She asked. "Is there a Gathering in Chardon?"

"Gathering? What is that? I'm a senior at CHS... It's a really long story." He could feel her tense up and become anxious. His face softened. "I don't know what a Gathering is, but I know Demetria. I love her." He said.

Morgan felt the warmth return. Stephanie said, "I do, too. She's like a mother to me."

Morgan said, "How did you end up here?"

He felt a tinge of anxiety mix into her demeanor. She said, "It really is a long story. Basically, my family is part of this religious group, for lack of a better description, that is connected to this place. I spent a few years training myself to come over here. Now, I guess I'm basically immortal, but so far, it seems like the brochure lied about how great that would be. It's really pretty boring." She grazed her finger along his chin and studied his face. "Are you immortal?" She asked.

"I really don't know." He shrugged. "This is all really new to me."

They both felt a familiar presence, a warmth approached them. It began to encompass them both. Morgan tasted a powerful intoxicating flavor. Stephanie closed her eyes and seemed to glow.

"You can't do that!" A shrill voice insisted.

Morgan felt extremely groggy and couldn't open his eyes. He smelled Demetria's scent mixed with the rotten antiseptic tanginess of a hospital.

"Get off that bed, now!" The shrill voice grated again. He was too weak to open his eyes and he just dozed off again.

The ICU nurse was a matronly woman dressed in purple scrubs. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun away from her middle aged, lined face. The Geauga Hospital rarely had gunshot victims and she'd been on edge the entire night taking care of Morgan even though his wounds weren't life threatening. At first, she was happy to have Demetria there. It was endearing how attached Demetria was to Morgan, and her presence seemed to comfort him. When Demetria climbed into the bed and curled up next to him, she let it slide. But now as her shift ended, she found Demetria cradling his head and pressing her bosom against his face.

Demetria stood up and faced the nurse. Her eyes were blazing. "Why have you interrupted me!?" Demetria demanded. The woman averted her gaze and stepped back, then pulled herself together.

"Miss, you can't do that! This is a _hospital_. That boy's been shot. He needs rest!" She harumphed angrily and fussed with the covers on Morgan's bed.

Demetria sighed and rearranged her clothes. "Please forgive me for my anger. You've been very good to him and you are a very good person doing what's usually thankless work. I forget myself. What's your name?"

"I'm Marjorie." The nurse smiled.

"They're in here!" They heard from the hallway. Chloe waved through the door window and entered the room. She sat on Morgan's bedside. Then Tracy and Richard entered the room. Richard was wearing some of Tracy's father's old clothes.

Tracy asked, "Is he alright?"

"He's just a little out of it, Miss." Marjorie said. She checked her watch and noticed visiting hours were just starting and she'd be able to leave, soon.

"Dude, major eye boogers!" Chloe put a hand on Morgan's good arm. His right arm was in a huge bandaged splint. She grabbed a sponge from beside the bed and dabbed his eyes. "Poor guy won't be able to see. How disorienting, right?" Morgan's eyes fluttered open. He looked around the room.

"Hey..." he mumbled. He was still really groggy. "Does this bed have an up thingie?" He motioned like he wanted to sit up. Marjorie showed him the switch box and he raised the back and sat up. "I feel like I've been asleep for months! What happened?"

Marjorie said, "You had surgery, now the anaesthetic is wearing off, but I don't think you're quite back to the land of the living, yet. You'll feel out of it for the next few hours."

Demetria sat next to him again. "Welcome back." She said.

Morgan touched her hair and managed a weak smile. He said, "I met Stephanie, she's nice."

Demetria sat up with a start. "You met her in the meadow?"

He nodded. He was trying hard to stay awake. "My parents?" He asked. His eyes were half closed.

Marjorie said, "They were here overnight while you were in surgery. They will be here any time, now. Anyway, with some luck, you'll be outta here later today. A doctor should be around to check you out in about an hour." Marjorie said. "I hate to insist on this, but everyone will need to leave, now, including you." She pointed at Demetria.

Demetria deflated. "I can't leave him! Besides, I have nowhere to go..."

"You're always welcome at our house! We'll visit Morgan as soon as possible. It'll be fine." Tracy said and hugged her. "We're heading back there once we visit Berto."

Demetria leaned over and kissed Morgan's head. She thanked Marjorie for her hospitality and went with Tracy.

## Chapter Two

Berto whistled at Chloe as she walked into his room and he bounced around in his bed like he was dancing. He was wearing a white gown with a big checkerboard pattern. His buzzcut had been shaved and his dome was white and shiny.

"Sorry I stood you up Chloe! But I couldn't stand up." He smiled and pointed at his leg which was wrapped in layers of bandages.

"Dude! What happened to your hair?" Richard patted Berto's head.

"They needed to do some tests last night, I was like, shave it, bro, and the tech did." He laughed. "That'll save me $20."

Richard said, "I kinda like it. It's a good look on you."

"I heard something big went down last night, but I didn't get the details." Berto said. Chloe and Richard looked at eachother. She deferred to him to tell the story.

"Dude! It was like an action movie." Richard said.

"What?!" Berto said. "You mean the _dance_ was like an action movie?"

Richard formed his fingers into a pistol shape and said, "We were attacked by a couple of guys with guns. They tried to kill Demetria and Chloe."

Berto whistled a low troubled whistle. "What the?"

Richard continued, "But Chloe was like Bruce Lee. She took one of the guys apart. The second guy shot Morgan Klerc in the arm."

Demetria wilted visibly. Tracy patted her arm. Richard gave her a little squeeze around the shoulders and said, "This is Demetria, his girlfriend."

"Consort." she corrected.

Berto asked, "Is he alright?"

Tracy nodded, "Yeah, he's right down the hall, actually. We just visited him. He's still groggy, but on the mend."

Richard continued telling the story. "After this dude shot Morgan, I grabbed the gun and we wrestled for it. Then! Get this... Chloe stabbed him in the side of the head. Blood. Like a movie, dude. We did interviews with Five-O this whole morning. Evidence bags, the whole thing."

Chloe said, "My homecoming queen sash and crown are evidence. I'm guessing that's the first time that ever happened."

Berto clicked his tongue a couple of times and whistled low again, "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard." He looked at Chloe to see if the incident left any visible impression on her. She looked the same as a couple days before.

She sat next to him on the bed. "How's the leg?" She was a little afraid to ask, because she already knew the answer.

"FUBAR. I mean, I can't feel it right now because I'm on some major pain meds, but it's completely out of commission. I can't even wiggle my toes." He looked at his foot and lines of concentration formed on his brow, but the toes just refused to move. He sighed and continued on, "The doctor was as blunt as a rock to the head about it. I'm done with football--he said concentrate on _walking_ for the next year."

"Oh no!" Chloe said. She was aghast.

"Shoot... Is it just the knee?" Richard asked hopefully. He'd been around lots of injuries since he started playing varsity sports and saw people come back from bone breaks, sprains, and ACL tears. Knee injuries usually took people out for at least a season.

"Not just an ACL. The whole knee joint BOOM. Then something with my hip. I don't remember what he called it. Anyway, I'm going to be in a wheelchair for 4 weeks before I even start rehab!" Berto said.

Richard said, "Dude, that's harsh."

"Holy moly!" Chloe said. "If there's anything we can do to help, let me know."

Tracy said, "We're here for you, Berto. My family, too."

Berto said, "I appreciate that. I'll be outta here later today. Just do your best to treat me normally. I'll be so bored at home and my mom will smother me! I can't stand being babied, so please visit frequently!"

## Chapter Three

Once the anaesthetic wore off, Morgan felt alert, but weak. A team of doctors and technicians stopped by his room. A young Indian man with thick hair that parted on the right flashed a light in his eyes and checked his pulse. Then the surgeon listened to Morgan's heart and breathing and narrated as he examined him. Morgan's mother and father watched and listened.

"You were very lucky, Morgan. The bullet cleanly fractured the humerus, your arm bone, then split into three fragments. We were able to remove them with minimal complications. Since you're a strapping young lad and this bone is well supplied with blood I would expect the bone to mend with no problems, however, you really need to stick to our recommendations to avoid complications down the road, got it?" He pointed at Morgan.

Morgan nodded.

"You'll feel groggy for the rest of the day as the anaesthetic wears off. Drink a lot of fluids. Eat a healthy diet. Get exercise. You have a high risk for fainting today, so take it really easy. No school for at least a week. Now, let's remove this soft cast and we'll get you into a hard cast." He looked at Morgan's parents before he started snipping. "Don't freak out, it will look worse than it really is."

He snipped off the soft cast with a pair of shears. Morgan felt the cool air against his skin as the cast opened. He looked to see what happened to his arm. There was another layer of bandages beneath the soft cast. It was caked with dried blood and brown with iodine solution. Two nurses supported his arm as the surgeon removed the bandages. He sponged away blood and caked on gauze.

The arm was mottled angry dark purple, red and black shades. There were was a line of stitches on the back of his arm at the entry wound, then a scattering of short stitches where the bullet fragments had been removed.

"You'll be able to impress the ladies with those scars!" One of the nurses joked. He had short black hair and was only a few years older than Morgan.

His Mom interjected, "He saved his girlfriend's life!" She clasped her hands together and then wiped a tear away with a crumpled tissue. The night had been an emotional trial for her. The police banged on their door at about 1AM and they drove to the hospital with a full police escort. They stayed while Morgan was in surgery, then went home. She'd been dazzled by Demetria and Morgan's friends and still wasn't sure what happened, but knew her son was a hero.

"It all looks good." He stood up and smiled at his handy work. "You'll be back in here for a follow-up in a month. With some luck, the cast should come off, then rehab."

He turned Morgan over to the technicians. The surgeon shook hands with Morgan's parents and continued on his rounds. The technician quickly wrapped the arm in a hard cast from the shoulder down to Morgan's thumb. When they were done, an orderly rolled him out to the curb while his dad pulled the car around.

While they waited, Morgan's Mom said, "That Demetria is _such_ a beautiful girl and is so kind. I've been so out of it since I started working second shift. It's like I'm on a different planet! I had no idea. You did really well. I am so proud of you!"

"She's really incredible." Morgan said. His mind was reeling at the prospect of trying to explain anything he'd seen in the past few weeks of his life to his parents, so he just said, "don't feel bad you missed out on anything. It all happened so fast."

The orderly helped him climb into the back seat. "Thanks!" Morgan said to the man.

The man leaned in through the door and spoke to all three of them, "Be careful when you get out of the car at home. Don't faint and break some other bone, alright? I hate it when people come right back here for round two. Believe me it happens!" The man said. He patted the roof of the car and closed the door.

## Chapter Four

Robbie, Keith, Johnny and Dana had been up all night and were in the middle of a late breakfast when Tracy and the gang all returned from the hospital. Plenty of food was still left, so Tracy and the rest of the gang took some plates and went into the library where there was enough space at the table.

Richard picked at his sausage links with the fork and said, "Man, Berto's leg! Just so messed up! You know he's the _only_ reason I play football? To him, the game meant everything."

Tracy was intrigued, "Don't you like playing?"

Richard shrugged nonchalantly, "There can be a precision to running a route that's almost as good as surfing, but those moments are really rare. Berto's like my brother. Without him there, the appeal's pretty thin."

Tracy was shocked, "You mean, you'll quit the team?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Team sports are not my style. Plus, all this stuff that happened last night, well, it sort of puts life in a really different perspective. Can't just keep doing the same thing after all that!"

Chloe nodded, "No kidding!" In her mind's eye she saw Yuri slash the air with the knife and felt the blade pierce Saul's brain case and she felt the recoil of the gun as she blasted the Sheriff. She shook her head to banish the thoughts. "I don't know if I'll ever be the same. How could I?"

Demetria wiped a tear from her eye, then smiled and said, "The things of our past are very sweet, and we can always preserve their memory and treasure them rather than think of it as loss." She squeezed Chloe's hand.

Robbie and Keith joined them. Robbie said, "Keith and I were discussing your situation, Demetria."

She nodded and said, "I would like to hear what your evaluation is."

Tracy was startled, "What situation?"

Keith said, "Well, we think the Brotherhood is a danger, Demetria, and you'll have to hide. We're assuming they're watching the place right now, so we need to sneak you out. It's our best option."

Tracy put her hand on her chest and gasped. "We'll _all_ have to hide! They'll be coming after all of us soon."

Robbie patted Tracy's shoulder, "It might come to that. I think the rest of us are safe, at least for now, but Demetria's in danger, and we risk a direct confrontation if she stays here. They think they own her."

Tracy bit her lower lip, and nodded her head. "Alright. I think you're right. That makes sense."

Demetria nodded her head slowly. "You _are_ right. I don't want to go far away, though. I will disguise myself and stay close by. There is something very special about this corner of the world and I feel I need to stay here."

Robbie agreed, "If you're hidden near here or a thousand miles away, I think the result is the same."

Tracy asked Demetria, "What do you mean this place is special?"

Demetria got up and walked outside and motioned for the rest of them to follow her. They filed out after her, and Robbie brought Johnny and Dana in tow. Demetria was drawn back toward the spring. She put her hand on the sandstone and pressed her face against it. "Your family was drawn here to live." She said. She kept her hand on the green stone surface. She patted it fondly. "Then, I was drawn to you. This place is very, very _old_. There's a very strong connection here."

Robbie was curious. He felt very attached to the property, but just assumed it was just his familiarity with the place, "What do you mean by connection?"

She took his hand and put the palm on the rock and said, "It's a difficult skill to master, but you can do it if you practice. It is a very subtle sensation, really more fundamental than even an emotion, too basic to translate to words."

Robbie looked at Dana, "This is more your department."

Dana rolled her eyes and said, "Quit the gruff act. You're more subtle than you let on!" She planted her hand on the rock. Demetria put her arm around Dana's shoulders and they both closed their eyes. Dana's arm tingled. In her mind's eye, as if looking through thick gray fog, she saw a grove of trees and a meadow. She opened her eyes again and gasped. She looked at Johnny. "It's like the reflector!"

Johnny looked around at the spring and the pool. The rocks formed a semicircle. "That's really amazing. I guess it's easier than Matt thought. It was right here all along."

Demetria was puzzled, "Reflector?"

Johnny and Dana looked at Robbie. He sighed and nodded and said, "Go ahead. We don't need to keep any secrets."

Tracy noticed they were avoiding eye contact with her. "Hey! What secrets?!" She demanded.

Robbie was about to talk but Dana interrupted, "Tracy, a few years ago, your father discovered a way to cross over to the other side. Johnny built a giant metal beach-ball type thing that amplified this connection." She gestured around at the rocks. "Matt and Telia are alive, though we lost contact with them a few years ago."

Tracy nodded, "They just talked to us," She pointed at Richard and herself. "Well, that is, we both had a dream about them."

Demetria was just starting to recover some of her strength and energy and was just starting to feel hopeful. She breathed in the air of the spring, then tapped a finger on her temple. She speculated, "It's possible if he spent a lot of time here, he was basically getting hints from the other side about this reflector."

Tracy looked around in amazement. "We would come here all the time the summer before I went to Tweedy Pines."

Robbie said, "That's the summer he got the idea." He scratched his beard.

"Whoa! Is this for real?" Richard asked. He pushed his blond hair out of his face, and put his hand on the rock and closed his eyes and relaxed, like the moment after jumping onto his surfboard as he caught a wave. He saw the meadow and the fuzzy form of a girl. He opened his eyes again and asked, "Hey, is that you?" He looked at Demetria.

"That's Stephanie." Demetria said. She smiled and hugged him and gave him a kiss. Her energy was returning and they all felt their spirits lift.

## Chapter Five

Morgan was glad to be at home and started to feel really relaxed. He realized the broken arm gave him some space to think and plan. His life had been going forward at warp speed since the start of the school year, and he hadn't had a moment to really digest anything that happened.

He slowly tapped out an email to Alfonse with some of the highlights of the story. His phone rang immediately. He fumbled with it with his dumb left hand and finally answered the call.

Morgan said, "Ciao! Alfonse, how are you?"

Alfonse's voice dripped with concern, "I think the more pertinent question of the moment is how are you Morgan? I almost feel the need to hurry to Chardon!" Alfonse always pronounced the name with a hard "ch" sound, like "cheddar".

"Oh no need for that! I'm still a little bit groggy right now, and my arm is in a huge cast, but otherwise, I'm really good. I am probably going to be able to work on Project Diogenes full time for a couple days at least." Morgan said. He took the coin out of a keepsake box and flipped it over in his hand.

Morgan could hear excitement creep into Alfonse's voice as he spoke, "I hate to say this Morgan for fear of sounding mercenary, but you getting shot has just turbo-charged our saga. Plus your girlfriend is a stunning beauty, and now there's an element of romance. I thought we'd have to find these things in the history, but here they are in the now!"

Morgan nodded and said, "Yeah! I see it, too."

Alfonse replied, "I am going to draft an outline and send it to you later today, eh, more likely tomorrow. Get rest and take care! Ciao!"

## Chapter Six

As evening fell, the girls helped Demetria develop her disguise.

"Cut it!" Demetria insisted.

Dana held the scissors, but could hardly stand the thought of snipping the hair.

Chloe said, "We could dye it! Dye it black. It feels wrong to cut that hair."

Dana nodded, "Dye it, please!"

Tracy said, "There's actually some here, really good stuff my mom bought." She dug through the cabinets beside the sink. "Yep. Here it is."

They washed her hair in the sink and worked the dye in. Dana laughed, "Something about this makes you seem way older. Let's go with that."

Demetria smiled, "Maybe I'm showing my age?"

Chloe laughed, "4,000's the new 17?" She looked over at Tracy, "Do you have any peroxide?"

Tracy dug a bottle out from beneath the sink. By the time the girls were done, Demetria looked like she was fifty. She deflated herself beneath a formless brown dress and managed to appear unremarkable and mousy. She threw a dark blue cloak on over her shoulders and covered her head with the hood. They brought her out into the kitchen.

Robbie was astonished. He started laughing. "That's amazing! You look like the women I date!" He had to wipe a tear away he was laughing so hard. "That's really good work!"

Tracy smacked his arm, "Hey now, don't diss the ladies!"

They carried out their plan. Johnny and Dana pulled the Flying Fox up close to the house, then they shut off all the lights in the house and left the bus's headlights blazing in the night, pointing down the driveway. Dana put on a blond wig and a hoodie, and Keith, Tracy, Richard, and Johnny all hustled her out to the bus in the center of their group. Johnny and Dana drove away into the night.

In the meantime, Robbie and Demetria slipped out of the basement door and snuck into the dark woods. They were following trails he and David Mathis mapped out as children. They walked south for hours until they were on a long gravel path that used to be the old Eastern Ohio Traction Company railway. The crickets were chirping and the night sky was brilliant with stars since it was a new moon. They heard an exaggerated hammed up fake owl call, "harah huuu huuu." Robbie laughed. David stepped out onto the trail into the blue light of the night sky.

"David, this is Demetria. Demetria, David Mathis."

David said, "I've heard all about you, Demetria. It's an honor to make your acquaintance. I hope the walk was enjoyable, we still have a couple hours to go."

"I'm going to head back to the ranch." Robbie said. "Demetria, here's a phone that you can use if you want to talk to us or Morgan. He doesn't have the phone, yet but I'll get it to him soon! There's a set of numbers in there. I'll text you with details. I think we're safe using this thing, but avoid using your old email addresses."

Demetria hugged him. "I have hope, real hope, for the first time in centuries! Will it be safe to see Morgan, soon?"

Robbie nodded, "We'll work that out as soon as possible."

## Chapter Seven

Shortly after Robbie and Demetria left the Wells farm, Richard left for home, and Chloe and Tracy packed up to head back to the Marte's condo. The girls were completely out of gas and they collapsed into bed within a few minutes of getting home. Keith was still buzzing on a full day of caffeine and adrenaline.

He combed through the news he could find on the night's events. So far, the stories hadn't made it out of the local news. The initial radio report of Ralph's suicide transformed into a gun accident. There was zero word on the Sheriff's demise, and the details on the attack at the dance were vague, and they cited a deranged attacker who had been injured in a confrontation with students. Thankfully their names were not in any of the stories so far. He wondered how it would play out in the media.

He checked his voicemail and email, but there was no word, yet, from Rich Simons about his meeting with the prosecutor. Keith fired off a text to Rich, but it was too late in the night to expect any reply so he lounged back on the couch and dozed off.

The brilliant, clear night gave way to a dreary autumn morning. The sky was gray and rain looked almost certain. Keith woke up with the first light and was wide awake immediately. His mind had been churning all through the night, apparently, even in his sleep. There was a text reply from Rich that said, "in office at 7AM tomorrow, stop by."

Keith left a note, grabbed a cup of coffee, and went to meet Rich. Rich looked like he hadn't slept for two straight days. His hair was oily and he traded his dress shirt and jacket for a Chardon hoodie. He was nursing a cup of coffee when Keith walked in. Rich unplugged his phone.

"Hey Keith do you have a cell phone on you? Can you go put it out in the car, I hate to be this paranoid, but, well, you know."

Keith's eyebrows knitted together. "OK. No problem." Keith put the cellphone out on his car seat. When he got back into the office he asked, "You wanna check me for a wire?"

Rich managed a smile. He twiddled his thumbs and was deep in thought as he collected himself to speak. Keith sighed and urged him, "Come on Rich, just spit it out!"

"Right, right. Sorry Keith. I haven't slept for a couple of days."

"Well, just tell me what happened." Keith insisted.

Rich took his glasses off and wiped them carefully with the sweatshirt pocket. Without his glasses, he was basically blind. He could only see a couple of feet in front of his face with any detail. He put them on the desk and wiped his eyes and said to the blob across the desk from him, "This goes nowhere beyond this room, got it?"

Keith nodded, "OK. I can live with that."

Rich said, "I went to the prosecutor with your information, and I had a meeting yesterday with a Cleveland law firm on behalf of the State's people. This was a very odd, unexpected turn of events. Anyway, long story short, they made us, that is, me and you, an offer I think we can't refuse."

Keith was irritated and asked, "Well, what's the offer, Rich?"

"Deep six your case files--bring all the paperwork, your office computer over here. We shred it all. Drop any subsequent investigation of the people involved with the case. If we do all that, things will go well for both of us."

Keith sighed, "And if we don't do that?"

Rich shrugged and put his glasses back on. "They didn't really say, but the implication was unpleasant. He mentioned that the police investigation of the incident at the homecoming dance could affect your family."

Keith leaned back in the chair, "Geez. These people! What assurance can we possibly have that they'll hold up their end of any bargain. I followed this case to really dark places, Rich. I am way out in the wilderness, here, and now my daughter is involved!" He shouted. "We're in it up to our necks."

Rich held up his hands, "I don't think we are, Keith. I think for these people it is really just business. If we play ball, we're in the clear."

Keith dropped his head into his hands and tapped the floor with his heels. He sat back up, "Well, really what choice do we have anyway? Fine. So, should I just bring the stuff over here?"

Rich nodded. "I'll make a call. I'll text you when the guy's here."

Keith went over to his office and gathered all the case files into a big cardboard box. He unplugged the computer CPU and dropped it into the box as well. He bounced a tennis ball off the wall until Rich texted him. He checked his gun was loaded and chambered a shell, then put the safety on and hid the gun in his jacket pocket. He jogged across the street with the box.

A black van was parked in front of Rich's office. The back doors of the van were open. A short, slightly plump African American man was waiting for Keith. Rich had a box of papers related to the case on the ground at his feet. The man turned on a tablet computer. The tablet had a black bar with microphones and a camera on one end. The man looked at the screen and oriented the camera so it was pointed at Keith's face. He clicked a couple of icons and the device beeped twice.

He asked, "Do you swear that all the materials relevant to the matter are included here? That you've made no electronic or paper or any other type of copy?" He touched another icon.

Keith nodded. The man tapped the icon again and said, "You need to say it. Just a moment. OK. Go ahead."

Keith sighed, "Yes I swear, it's all there, no copies."

The device beeped. The man clicked a couple of icons and repeated the process with Rich. The device buzzed and the man clucked his tongue. He asked Rich, "Did you forget some papers or copies? They all need to be here."

Rich went back in the office and said, then came out with Keith's case binder. "I almost forgot this." They repeated the process. The man looked satisfied.

The man put on a pair of earmuffs and said apologetically, "This will be loud. You might want to cover your ears."

He flipped a switch on the door of the van. An engine sputtered to life and a loud whine split the air. Keith plugged his ears and Rich stepped a few paces away. The man dropped the computer into a chute. A sound like a million pennies raining down on a frying pan assaulted their eardrums for a few seconds. He threw the document boxes in next, waited until the grinding noises stopped, then powered the system down. He shook both men's hands and left.

Keith said, "I'm heading home, Rich, you should too! "

Rich said, "I'll be in touch Keith."

## Chapter Eight

The dawn was breaking by the time David and Demetria made it to the farm. The trail emerged from the woods and crossed an expansive rolling field that was bordered by old fir trees.

"When we walk, we're basically invisible," David observed, "especially when we take these trails. Nobody even goes outside anymore. It's incredible--they live in a box, drive in a box, shop in a box and are buried in a box."

Demetria put the cloak hood down. Her black hair was streaked with gray and white but in the calm of the morning in their remote location, she felt safe revealing her graceful stride and lively face. She took David's arm and said, "This was a wonderful walk and you were a magnificent guide!" She beamed. She augmented his observation, "People have been _made_ that way. Us too!" She put a hand on her chest and gasped, "Oh look at that! White birches!"

She ran up a small hill to a ring of white birches. She sat down on the dew. David followed her up to the trees. "Aren't they great?" He said. He flopped down on his back and kicked his shoes off. "I love these long hikes, but still makes my feet tired."

Her eyes were dreamy. She said, "I spent many years on a farm much like this one half a world away a long time ago. There was a grove of trees just like this one."

David said, "Hey, sorry to disturb your reverie, but can you explain what happened to get us where we are today? We just try to piece the history together, but you witnessed the whole thing. I would love to hear it from you."

She looked pained and a little embarrassed and twisted a finger in her hair. She nodded and started to tell the story. "I was born a princess. As a young girl, I realized I had a gift. I could go back and forth to the other side at will. There, I encountered an older beautiful dark haired olive skinned woman who was much older than I am today and she _merged_ with me--it was the most intimate thing imaginable. We shared all our memories and knowledge. We became one being."

David smiled, "I'm going to get the _whole_ story. That's great!"

She tousled his hair, "You more than earned it. You remind me so much of Morgan."

David said, "Please continue, I'll just listen." He closed his eyes.

She continued, "With my new knowledge I became celebrated among my people. All the vanity and foolishness of my youth was gone. I worked tirelessly for my people. I taught them ways to improve their lot, better manage the fields and showed them how to harness the ebb and flow of their energies. I pulled the ruling families of the island into my orbit, and all the people prospered. But, it wasn't meant to last."

David said, "The volcano?"

She nodded and said, "I remember it so distinctly. I was eating a pomegranate. It was the most perfect one I ever ate. I went to take a bite and woosh, there was a sensation of an impossibly heavy door slamming shut, then I was in the meadow."

David furrowed his brows, "So you were dead? Killed. Your body blown away, but the thing that is _you_ still lived on?"

Demetria nodded, "Yes. In time, I discovered that people were always peering over there, or listening to what I said--at least trying to listen to it. In very rare cases, people would actually cross over, so I realized I could cross back here, too. I desired to return to this side and spent hundreds of years making it happen. Then I visited many places all over the world, teaching people."

David smiled, "That's what we do, I mean me and the Wells family, we teach people!"

She sighed happily, "It is wonderful in the quiet places like this. The people here can live for generations following the cycles of the Sun and the seasons and I can be with them, just like it was in the beginning." She grew pensive. Her tone hardened, "Inevitably, it gets too crowded and the people from the sea--it's always the sea people whether they're in boats or on horses, or now, with a _checkbook_ \--arrive and spoil things. The land people farm, have their crops, build their wealth and prosper, but inevitably the lazy plunderers arrived, either on horses, or from the coast and they subjugated the people and drove me out, or drove me and my followers into hiding. It happened again and again."

David was following along with the story, imagining the centuries rolling by.

She continued, "The Romans, though, were different. My cult continued even after they came. However, the sly and cynical Romans _infiltrated_ the cult and put it into the service of their grubby Empire. They did that to many cults. Of course, the priests are almost always tied to the rulers of any place, but the Romans made this type of domination into a perverse art form." She shuddered at the bad memories.

"What about today? I mean what happened to _my_ people?" David asked.

"The great revolution at the start of this cycle was the men of commerce _bought_ the kings and the priests and us, well, _me_ anyway." She groaned in rage. She was furious with herself.

"How did that happen?" David was incredulous.

She shrugged, "They turned me into a queen, a figurehead queen, and surrounded me with delightful and beautiful courtiers. It was like being the star of a perpetual play or movie--all just a dream. They managed me. Pampered me."

He sat up. Grass was sticking to the back of his shirt. "Why do they _need_ you? I don't get it."

"These arrangements are always just a truce in a never ending struggle. I'm dangerous. My people love me, and I love them. I can draw people away from their scheme and wipe it away in the blink of an eye. I'm not physically limited like you are. They can kill this body, but not me."

David considered for a moment, "But they can always get to your followers, too."

She sighed, "Yes, unfortunately. A solution for that is secrecy, or even better just splendid obscurity and satisfaction with this." She emphatically patted the ground.

He stood up and helped her to her feet. "Thanks for the amazing story and so much to contemplate. I'm sure I'll come up with some questions for you." She wrapped her arms around him and he kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and smiled slyly.

She said, "Something's poking my furrow."

He smirked, "Demetria, that's an involuntary response. As much as I would love to, I know you're Morgan's girl and I've got a girlfriend. I'm completely content to be guided by my pathetically limited sexual mores."

"You're _too_ good, David!" She laughed. "Let's go meet the people on this farm."

## Chapter Nine

Tracy and Chloe banged on the door of Morgan's house. The Klerc family lived a few miles east of town. Their house was a century home, a former farm that was painted a pleasant shade of yellow with white trim, but the paint was peeling and the weeds were a little out of control in the lawn and a few carcasses of vehicles were around the yard. However, in spite of the clutter, the place had a charm and positive energy in contrast to the housing developments that surrounded the property. The big old trees in the yard swayed in the afternoon breeze and the gold leaves dropped off and spun to the ground. Big yellow sunflowers lazily bobbed in the weedy garden.

Morgan's father was almost always in disputes, with the neighbors or the township about the cluttered property, or the state or the city about his business taxes. He'd been arrested several times over the years during more strident disputes and ended up in jail for a month for contempt of court when he refused to comply with a court order. The perpetual conflict eventually turned him into a human porcupine and drained away the family's savings. He was typically unpleasant to be around and tended to blow up about even trivial things. Tracy hoped Mr. Klerc wasn't home. Ever since she returned to Chardon High, she'd been hanging out with Morgan and his friend Steve Polloy, but they rarely went to Morgan's house.

Tracy and Chloe decided they needed to go see how he was doing so they baked some brownies, his favorite, and took the phone he could use to talk to Demetria and went to visit.

Mr. Klerc answered the door. "Tracy!" he grabbed her in a bear hug. He looked at Chloe and said, "And this must be Chloe!" He hugged her too.

"Hi Mr. Klerc!" Chloe said.

He smiled broadly, "Hello! Pleasure to meet you, Chloe." He looked at Tracy and said, "Hey Tracy, I just want to apologize for being a jerk at times over the years, ya know. Thank you for helping my son, not only these past few days, but really for years now. It means so much to us."

Tracy was stunned. "You're welcome! Morgan's been like my brother. I hope I can get to know you better too."

"I better get to work. He's inside, go on in." He trotted down the porch steps and climbed into his old pickup. He carefully maneuvered around the Austin Healey and exited the front drive. Tracy just watched him go.

Chloe snapped her fingers in Tracy's face. "Hello?"

Tracy said, "He's completely different! I'm just stunned."

Chloe said, "That's good! I guess people _can_ change. Maybe seeing his son in the hospital really put things in a new perspective for him."

They went inside the house. Tracy called out, "Yo! Morgan!"

He came out of his room. He was wearing a pair of baggy shorts and had an old Chardon sweatshirt on, but the sleeve had been cut off to make room for the cast. He said, "Hey watch these dance moves," and did a little robot dance to show off the awkwardness of the full arm cast.

The girls both laughed. Tracy hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. She kept her arm around his waist and Chloe checked out the cast.

Chloe said, "Dude, where's a Sharpie?"

He pointed over to a "The World's Ruff" mug on the counter in the kitchen. "There's a Sharpie in that puppy dog mug." Chloe grabbed it and handed it to Tracy. They all sat on the couch.

Chloe said, "According to the ancient scrolls of cast signing law, you need to write something endearing, but not too smarmy."

Tracy tapped the pen on her chin and thought for a few moments, then wrote, "Lucky for you chicks dig scars!" She drew a baby chicken scratching at the ground and signed her name with a few X's and O's. She turned the pen over to Chloe.

"Oh man! That is a cute one." Chloe said. "I have no art skills, so I'll write from the heart." She giggled and wrote. "Good thing you've got a girlfriend since your right hand is out of service." She put her lip prints on the cast.

"Do you always have to work blue?!" Tracy asked with mock indignation and shoved her. She handed the plate of brownies to Morgan. He chowed one down.

"Delicious!" he said and smiled with a mouth full of brownie. The girls both laughed. He swallowed and said, "If I knew people would treat me this well, I would have gotten shot _years_ ago."

Tracy frowned, "Oh come on!"

Morgan smiled, "Well, I exaggerate, but only a little. Did you talk to my dad?! He's a new man."

Tracy nodded, "You're right about that, anyway! He was so nice to me just now."

Morgan said, "I mean, he's treating me like a human being, now. And frankly, if you think about it, I was basically just a really bad action hero. My only super power is jumping in front of a gun that's about to go off."

Tracy guffawed. "I hadn't looked at it that way, but don't sell yourself short, Dude. Everybody else in that room pissed themselves and ran, well, except for Chloe and Richard. And me, I just watched."

Morgan continued, "It was Chloe who kicked all the ass! Then you played medic."

Chloe said, "Seriously Morgan, what you did took real courage. It's like I become someone else when that happens. Everything slows down. Normal people just seem like they're moving in slow motion."

Morgan said, "I don't know if it _was_ courage. I just reacted, too."

Tracy said, "Well, to me, it was _valiant_. You did not think of yourself. Maybe Chloe can teach us some moves and we won't be so lame."

Chloe nodded and took a brownie. "Sure! It can't hurt, but you guys are like the brains of this little operation. I guess I'm the brawn."

Morgan laughed, "Yeah, you're just trying to make us feel good, Chloe. How many Calculus A's have you racked up?"

Chloe smirked and held her hands up. "Yeah, more than one."

Tracy pulled the phone out of her pocket and tossed it on Morgan's lap.

Morgan asked, "What's this?"

Chloe put on a sexy voice and said, "The direct line to your love muffin."

Tracy said, "Uncle Robbie gave one to Demetria too. They think the bad guys could be tracing your calls and emails and stuff, so the new phone should be a safer way to stay in touch. Robbie said she'd contact you once she's settled in."

Morgan scanned through the phone's messages and opened one of the texts. He laughed. "Yeah, that's her."

Chloe took the phone and laughed. "She's not a shy one! Nice ass." She gave the phone to Tracy. Tracy's face turned red. She handed the phone back to Morgan.

Tracy was completely flustered. She put her hand on her head and said, "Everything that's happened makes my life seem completely ridiculous! I can't stand it!"

Chloe rolled her eyes and asked, "What?! That statement was clear as mud, Lady."

Tracy said, "I mean all the _bullshit_ I worried about in my life: what people think of me, what clothes to wear, what things to say to seem smart, or seem funny, it's all just incredibly trivial. I've literally wallowed in trivia."

Chloe dismissed it with a casual wave of her hand and imitated an old lady voice, "You're just a youngin'! Don't worry about it."

Tracy sighed, "Richard kind of gets it. He's very free, a little like Demetria. Well more than I am anyway."

Chloe had a devilish look, "Oh really? How so? Don't spare the details."

Tracy said emphatically, "You're more like that, too, Chloe. I edit myself all the time instead of going with the flow. It's so stupid, too, as if I couldn't tell you guys _anything_."

Chloe started rubbing her fingers through Tracy's hair. "This is when we need Dana. It's too bad they left."

Tracy chuckled. "I think I understand her better, too. She's always nudging and pulling people out of themselves. Robbie too."

Morgan's eyes opened wide. "You're right. I hadn't really put that together. He's always pushing me, literally knocking on my head sometimes."

Tracy stood up. Her face was flushed and her cheeks were red. She went and looked out the windows and locked the door. Chloe was startled, "What's up?"

Tracy's voice was shaky. She handed her phone to Chloe and said, "Get ready to take pictures. How's my hair?"

Morgan was puzzled and said, "It's good. Normal Tracy hair." He ate another brownie.

"Okay. Here goes." Tracy said. She tossed her coat onto an empty arm chair. She was wearing jeans and a gold and black flannel shirt over a white T-Shirt. She kicked off her shoes and socks.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked. She was filming with Tracy's phone.

"I'm doing a Demetria." Tracy's voice trembled. She cleared her throat and shook her arms and her head and tousled her hair.

"What's a Demetria?" Morgan asked.

"Shut up, dummy! You're ruining my moment." Tracy said. She took her flannel shirt off and tossed it on the coat.

Chloe laughed and said, "Go for it!"

Tracy unbuttoned her pants and paused. She breathed out. She slipped them to the floor. Morgan's mouth was open. She kicked the pants onto him. She slipped off the T-Shirt and threw it on Chloe's lap. Tracy started giggling. She danced around the room. She slipped her hand over Morgan's shoulders, then sat on Chloe's lap.

Tracy smiled. She said, "I get why Demetria is like this. You should see your faces. You are frozen by the power of my boobs! Undo my bra, Chica."

Chloe said, "You sure?"

Tracy nodded. Chloe fumbled with the clasp until the bra popped open. She said, "It's much harder to do from this angle." Tracy crossed her arms and stood up. She said, "Tadaa!" and slipped the bra off. She loved feeling the air on her naked chest. Chloe kept the camera going.

Morgan finally managed to say something. He deadpanned, "I always wondered what they look like." That broke the tension in the room and they all laughed.

Tracy kicked her panties off. "Smack it." She ordered Morgan. He complied and swatted her fleshy butt cheek. She went and sat on Chloe's lap and put her arms around her head and kissed her hair.

"Oh good gods! This is my first boobs in the face experience! I always thought it'd happen at college." Chloe stopped the camera.

"I feel completely free." Tracy said. "It is very weird, and I highly recommend it, but not today, this is my moment to shine."

Morgan said, "I'd join you, but I'd feel stupid in just my sweatshirt."

"No. It's my moment. You stay clothed, boy." Tracy smiled then stood up and put her clothes back on. "I'll send you some pics, though. Forward them to Demetria, too, let her know I was inspired by her."

"What's gotten into you, wild woman?" Chloe said. "By the way, this is some _serious_ peer pressure, here. Now do I have to run around the Square in pasties to keep up?!"

Tracy put her hand on Chloe's chest like Dana. "I never tried this. Whoa! Wow! I always thought she was pulling my leg or just making things up, but no, I see _you_." Tracy growled and made a fake paw gesture. "You're a lioness, but you're also so gentle and sweet. I see it in my mind." She put her arm around Chloe's shoulders and started to lead her out of the house.

"We gotta get going, Morgan. Let us know if you need anything." Tracy said.

"I'm good. Thanks for the brownies."

She kissed him and waved goodbye. Chloe blew him a kiss and they left.

## Chapter Ten

The people of the farm welcomed Demetria with a meal. They had lunch on a couple of picnic tables that were put together end to end under the roof of a pole barn. She sat at the head of the table as a guest of honor. She'd showered and cleaned up the makeup she wore overnight and borrowed some clothes from a girl who lived there. Her black hair cascaded around her face.

David spoke up, "Everybody, this is a new resident. She'll be here for a little while. I just want everyone to know that she had some trouble with some violent people, so she's not really 'here', got it?"

They all nodded. A young woman with dreadlocks and a nose ring said, "A few of us are in the same boat, don't worry. This place is safe as can be, and these are all solid people."

Demetria announced to the whole group, "I know a lot about farming, and a lot of other things too. I look forward to sharing with you. I hope you'll give me a tour of the fields, today."

One of the men sitting near them said, "I'll show you around." He was a short older man with thick, curly white hair, and kind blue eyes.

She smiled. "Thank you, I am so happy to be here. It's like coming home again."

David took note of the expressions on faces in the room. He noted the conversation pick up and the laughter increased. He felt his own energy level pick up. He said, "That's amazing."

Demetria shrugged. "It's just how it works. Do you feel the flow?"

He nodded. "Yeah." he said.

She nodded to the older man and added, "It's the same thing with the soil, this ebb and flow. What's your name, Dear?"

"Stan." He said and shook her hand. His hands were rough. One of his fingers was paralyzed from an accident he had as a boy.

She held his hand and smiled and said, "These are honest hands on an honest man."

"Thanks, Miss." He was beaming.

David asked, "Any recommendations on an alias for her?"

Stan offered, "How about Chloe? I always liked that name."

David chortled, "That'll get confusing."

Demetria said, "Call me Marta."

The table said in unison, "Hi Marta!"

David saw a familiar face. He waved, "Hey Amy!" He got up to hug her. She was transformed from the girl he knew a few years ago. She was strong and healthy and solid. Her hair was shorter, now, and up in a ponytail on the top of her head. He put his arm around her and gestured to Demetria, "Amy, this is 'Marta'. She's also a friend of the Wells family."

Amy shook Demetria's hand and studied her face. David said, "Amy built this place."

Amy smiled, "Robbie and David helped jump start the farm, but all these people really built it." She gestured around the table.

Stan said, "Marta's a farmer, too."

Demetria said. "Yes, for a very long time. I can't wait to see this place, can you show me? Stan will come too."

Amy nodded and the four of them left the barn.

Demetria said, "In the fall the fields are very tired. Do you ever play music there?"

Amy raised an eyebrow. "No! We haven't... Really the thought never crossed my mind."

Demetria took Amy's hand. "I know this will sound crazy to you, but you should give them company. They like it. It keeps them strong."

Amy looked at David. He shrugged. Amy said, "OK. I always like to learn something new." She wasn't convinced. She was wondering if Demetria was crazy.

They walked into a corn field. Demetria slumped her shoulders a little. "It's tired." She knelt down and touched the ground. "Do you feel it?" She asked them.

Stan looked around, "How can you tell?"

Demetria said, "Don't look with your eyes."

David closed his eyes and relaxed and tried to feel it. "Hmmm. I can't really tell."

Demetria pulled him down onto his knees. She said, "It takes some practice, that's all. It will actually talk to you eventually." She looked at Amy, "Are there singers here at the farm?"

Amy nodded and started to head back toward the barns, "Sure. Let me go get the girls."

Stan and David waited. Stan kept trying to touch the fields and listened for them to talk. He shrugged at David. Demetria seemed so certain it was hard to ignore.

Amy returned with four young women. Three of them were college aged and the fourth was a teen. The girl with the dreadlocks was really eager to find out what Demetria was talking about.

Demetria stood in front of them and said, "This whole place is not only alive, but it hears you and talks to you. But its speech is very subtle. Over a long time, we learned how to hear it and talk to it. Songs work best for talking to it, so I will teach you one today."

She sang the words. She first sang it in Greek. It was a beautiful, simple melody. The tones of the scale were alien to their ears. When she was done, they were all smiling. One of the girls asked, "Is that a dorian scale?"

Demetria smiled and nodded. "You know music?"

"Yeah, I studied it in college." The girl said. She was wearing overalls and had her hair tucked under an old John Deere hat.

Demetria tapped her head, then said, "Let me translate, I don't think the words actually matter, but maybe the sentiment does. Here goes." She sang,

" _Oh Earth thank you for all you bring,_

Green shoots in spring,

And flowers in May,

And rolling fields of wheat so fair,

_Like golden tresses of a mother's hair._ "

They all sang. Stan teared up and the salty drop fell on the field. "That's beautiful." He said.

She clasped his hands and said, "See this feeling you have is not for the music, or the girls, but for this place and these fields." Stan nodded. He held his hands out and breathed in the air.

David felt his hair stand on end. He knelt on the ground and touched the soil. Demetria looked at Amy and David, "Now do you feel a difference? It can be very subtle and hard to sort out from your own feelings."

David said, "I did feel something. It was really very sudden. Right when they stopped singing. That was beautiful girls."

Demetria felt the energy and understanding building. Her eyes were light and lively. "The thing that's important is that you mean it, understand it, think about it, make it artful. If it becomes rote, stupid drudgery it will have no effect."

Amy asked, "So what will it do? Or how does it work?"

Demetria smiled. "It will take time to show you, because it's much more than just this." She smacked her hands together, "Believe it or not, people used to practice abstinence in the fields to try to exchange their sexual energy with the earth, but for me, nothing's better than lovemaking in the fields. Do you do that?"

Amy blanched. The girls laughed. The girl with the dreadlocks nodded and held her hands up and said, "Guilty!"

Demetria put her arm around the girl. "I like this one. Will you stay with me?"

The girl laughed, "You are not shy, Marta! I'm Vera, by the way."

Amy poked David in the chest, "Never a dull moment with you people! I love her. Do you have any more?"

## Chapter Eleven

Morgan was still dazed about Tracy's performance. He went back to his room and saw an email from Alfonse. A big file, the promised outline, was attached. He was relieved to have a distraction. He printed it out and hopped onto his bed to read. He kept seeing Tracy's naked body in his mind's eye.

"Man these women lately!" He mumbled to himself. His phone started buzzing repeatedly. He opened it up and saw a string of emails from Tracy.

He spoke to the air, "Beautiful women are blowing up my phone with nude pictures." He smacked his head in amazement. He copied the pictures to his computer, then copied them to the new phone.

He texted Demetria. "Tracy said to send these along."

Demetria replied, "She's a goddess! Can you both come here? Talk to Robbie for safe passage." For good measure she sent a selfie with Vera kissing the side of her face.

Morgan chuckled and mumbled to himself, "I guess the life of a consort has its privileges."

He switched phones and texted Tracy, "Hey! Want to go visit Demetria? I think she loves you, now. Ask Robbie for deets."

A few minutes later the phone buzzed. She replied, "We have to walk at night!"

He wrote back, "OK, so what's the big deal?"

She replied, "It's twenty miles! 5 hours!"

He wrote, "No biggie! It'll be fun."

"Pick you up in an hour?" She wrote.

"OK. CU." He replied. He packed a backpack with a change of clothes and his toothbrush. He wrote a note and waited out on the porch for Tracy to pick him up. He watched the cars roll by on the pavement for an hour and breezed through Alfonse's outline and occasionally made notes in the margin.

Tracy beeped the horn and stopped the car. He waved with his cast hand and jogged over to the car and hopped in. He said, "This should be a nice adventure!"

Tracy nodded. "I just hope we don't get lost. Robbie said I'd be able to find the trail. Anyway, it's supposed to be a nice night."

"Hopefully we'll figure out a more convenient way to get back and forth, soon." Morgan said. "A twenty mile walk? Wow. I think that will be a personal record by about 18 miles."

They ate dinner and lounged around waiting for nightfall. Tracy read through a list of instructions from Robbie. They powered down their normal cell phones and put them on the counter. She shut off the lights in the kitchen. They shouldered their packs and went out through the basement door and shuffled into the woods. Morgan whispered, "I wonder if this is really necessary. Seems like overkill."

"Overkill? Boy, you just got shot by the people hunting your lady love!" Tracy hissed. "Robbie knows what he's talking about. They do this stuff all the time."

"Good points." He bumped into her. "Sorry! How can you see where you're going?"

"I guess I have good night vision." She replied. "Stay close. Hopefully your eyes will adjust soon."

After a half hour of bumbling through the dark woods, he could finally see. They rambled along at a good pace for a couple hours and emerged from woods into a field by a stream. A crescent moon was shining and reflecting on the water's face. It was very dark and the night sky was full of stars and some wispy clouds glowed in the moonlight. Crickets were still chirping and the water burbled over some rocks. The smell of fresh cut hay was heavy in the air. They paused by the water.

She said, "This really is beautiful. Who could have guessed all these trails are here?"

He nodded and gazed up at the moon. "I know, it's like we're in the wilderness. How far along are we?"

Tracy said, "I think this is the halfway mark."

"Good!" Morgan said. "I still feel surprisingly fresh."

"Me too, this is fun." Tracy smiled. "How's the arm?"

"Luckily, it's nice and cool tonight, so it's not too itchy. I can't wait to get this cast off."

"Robbie likes to complain about all his achy bones, so now you'll be able to join in."

He became thoughtful. He said, "Hey Tracy, you know being around Demetria is, well, a very unusual experience? I told you a little bit about the whole thing with Steve and Marta. Really, I left a lot out, anything could happen."

She took his cast arm in hers. "That's what I'm hoping for."

He was surprised. "Really?"

She said, "I am not sure if all this is really sinking in with you, yet. I think it is with me. We keep getting a chance to make these choices: ordinary life, or this crazy, wild one. You chose crazy every time so far. I've just been watching. I'm like a kid who's afraid to jump into the pool. So now..." She pretended to hold her nose and jump into an imaginary pool.

"OK." He nodded. "I see. I plan to keep making these crazy choices and keep going to the very end." He pointed down the path.

They continued hiking and eventually were on an old network of farm roads that spanned fields between two county roads. The miles ticked by easily. The night was just starting to give way to morning and they saw a sign on the edge of the path. "Elysium Farms".

Tracy said, "Hey! We made it!"

Morgan stretched, "That wasn't bad at all. My legs are tired, but I'm surprised we could do that so easily."

Tracy nodded, "Me too. Ok, so I guess we just go on in. Remember, it's Marta, not Demetria."

Morgan sighed. "Poor Marta."

They crossed the big open field, passed the birch grove and found the farmhouse and barns. A person was working in the dim incandescent lights of one of the barns, so they knocked on the open barn door and called out, "Hello?" Tracy said.

"Whoa!" Vera jumped. "Man, you freaked me out!" She was doling out breakfast to goats. "Say hi, girls!" She scratched one of the goats behind the ears. It bleated.

"Sorry to startle you," Tracy said, "We're friends of David and Marta and Amy by the way. I haven't seen her in forever."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Vera." She waved at them.

Morgan apologized, "Sorry we got here so early. We never walked that far before so we gave it way too much time."

"No problem. David said you'd be here. I'm just not totally awake yet. I am used to being out here with just my thoughts for a couple of hours. Let me show you up to Marta's room."

A barn near the farmhouse served as a garage and the second floor had been converted into a couple of small apartments. Vera tapped on the door and opened it carefully, but it still creaked. Demetria was fast asleep. Morgan and Tracy crept inside and closed it carefully.

Demetria's black hair cascaded down her back onto a multi-colored Hudson Bay blanket and her white skin was ghostly in the twilight. Morgan put his bag on the floor and carefully sat on the edge of the bed. He put a hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She stirred awake. "Morgan!" she said dreamily. She sat up and the blankets slipped down. She was naked under the covers. She hugged him and gave him a big kiss.

"Hi!" Tracy waved.

"Get in here, you two. It's chilly. You can keep me warm. There's plenty of room and we have a while before we need to get out of bed."

Tracy stripped off her clothes.

Morgan said to her, "Hey, Can you help me get this shirt off?" Tracy was a little nervous and fumbled with his shirt. When she got it off, she smacked his bare butt. He laughed. "I guess that's fair play."

Morgan hopped into the bed and Demetria hugged and kissed him. Tracy slipped in on the other side and Demetria hugged her and kissed her face. Demetria sat up between them and stretched languidly, then stroked their backs with her fingertips. She said, "I am going to teach you both many things. They were always kept secret among my people, but you could go shout them on the street corner and nobody would understand." She thought for a long time and finally said, "You two have a complex relationship already, but you're very stifled together and that will keep slowing us down." She stroked their hair. "Do you feel the energy that's bottled up in you both? By now, I feel it is getting intolerable."

Tracy mumbled huskily, "Yes, I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin into yours, Demetria."

"Good!" Demetria was pleased. "That's poetic. It's good you can put it into words. You two are like pagans, untroubled by the teachings of any old fools and not bound by dead hands. It is so much easier with you!" She clambered out of the bed. Demetria pulled some oil out of a dresser. "I made this yesterday." She examined them both. "Oh you two should kiss, I think, look at the awkward space between your bodies, just don't get over excited, Morgan. You have a lot of work to do!" She coached him.

Tracy held his face in her hands. She planted a kiss on his lips and her tongue darted into his mouth.

Demetria said, "Oh wow. I feel that energy. Lay back Tracy." Demetria poured fragrant oil into her hands and into Morgan's. They began to rub the oil into Tracy's skin. Tracy tried to relax, but she couldn't help but respond to their touch and moved with their hands. Demetria said, "You're going to start seeing things, just follow them."

All the sensations merged into a bodily static charge and soon Tracy felt like she was floating away on an electric sea. She closed her eyes and saw a bright field and a girl with long dark hair, almond eyes and olive skin. The girl wore a white gown and a brocaded green and gold sash and a belt that was embroidered with pictures of flowers. The ocean sparkled in the distance. Demetria stood next to Tracy and said, "That was me when I was your age." Demetria put her arms around Tracy's shoulders. When Tracy blinked, she was looking through Demetria's eyes at her own body. She saw herself breathing and saw her pulse beating in her neck. She reached out and touched Morgan's face. It was very real.

She said, "Whoa!" from Demetria's mouth with Demetria's voice. Morgan looked at Demetria and Tracy said, "I'm in her. It's me Tracy."

Morgan kissed Demetria's mouth. The sensation was so foreign that Tracy snapped back into her own skin and gasped. She saw Morgan and Demetria still kissing. "Now I'm down here." She said. She felt supercharged with life and energy.

Demetria smirked at Morgan. She said, "If you thought being a consort was easy, you're about to earn your keep." The two girls attacked him.

# EPISODE TWO -- I Had An Irish Setter

Three Years in The Past

## Chapter One

Matt and Telia were meeting with Owen and Francis in the great room of the lodge. A fire was roaring in a large fieldstone fireplace. The southern wall was glass from the slate floor to the lodge pole ceiling and the north flank of Whiteface Mountain loomed in the distance. Francis let them get settled in for the first week after their arrival then they all started meeting together in the afternoon.

Telia asked him, "How did you start in the Brotherhood, Francis? You seem too young for this job!"

Francis shrugged, "It's actually a short, simple story. I moved to New York right after college. I had no job, no real prospects. I was from a small city in Indiana. Eventually I got a job in the mailroom at Black Cube. Over lunch we'd go out and play chess. My dad and brothers and I always played, and my dad was really good. Anyway, I just wailed away on everyone. I couldn't be beat. So, finally, one day Seth comes down to play me, little old me."

Matt asked, "Did you win?"

Francis was grinning ear to ear. "I did. He is a very talented player, too. Later on that week, he starts inviting me up to the big office and asks advice on different deals without telling me many details--it's like the wire frame version of these problems."

Telia said, "So you were like an advisor?"

He shook his head, no. "All the meetings were just a test... Finally, he asks me up there and lays out the details of a bloody, corrupt deal, and asks for my advice. I was appalled. I just turned around and walked out and went back to my crappy little apartment. The other men in that room were staring daggers at me as I got up and left. I just had no idea what the business really was."

Matt said, "Good for you, Francis! Too bad more people don't do that."

Francis nodded, "No doubt. Get this, a couple hours later there's a knock on my apartment door. I look out the peephole and it's Seth. Just by himself, no limo, no driver. He comes inside and tells me this completely impossible story about who he is, and what the Brotherhood actually does. It takes hours. He asks for my help. Me. Francis Mouseler from Valparaiso, Indiana."

Matt wondered, "How long ago was that Francis?"

He shrugged, "I guess that was only about a year ago, now. I spent the past several months just absorbing all this information and history. Believe me, the job we've got to do will not be an easy one."

Owen swirled scotch around in a tumbler. "It's gotten too big, right?"

Francis patted the arms of the chair. "Possibly. We really need to know what more we can do with the reflector. Can we reform people? Or is our only option destruction of the Brotherhood, which from my perspective is a bad option."

Telia was surprised, "But I thought you were appalled by it."

Francis agreed, "It is appalling. Unfortunately, the extent of it and the corruption is so pervasive that destroying it is, well, equivalent to destroying swaths of civil society. I don't see how to do that without starting a war."

Matt asked, "We always thought the corruption was pervasive, but as outsiders we don't really know. So, how bad is it really."

Francis rolled his eyes. "Believe me, as a normal person with normal morals and a sense of right and wrong, you can't even begin to imagine. The process that's used to select these people weeds out all the good ones and you're left with the worst of the worst. The congress, with a few exceptions, for example, is entirely and comically compromised. Essentially every businessman you see on financial news networks is one of our agents."

Owen offered a starting point, "Samantha and I have long wondered about ways to help people escape the financial system. This seems to be the basis for much of the Brotherhood's power."

Francis agreed, "It certainly is, but that will take too long and expose us too soon. We have a couple things on our side--the element of surprise, and the element of secrecy."

Matt nodded, "It seems like we need a decisive blow that will split this thing open." He flicked the pendulum of the not-a-clock that Seth gave him and it started its hypnotic dance. "Owen, have you thought more about ways to harness, wow I still think this sounds weird to say, the Sun?"

Francis sat back to listen. He sucked on an ice cube and looked at the mountain through his scotch glass.

Owen stood up and walked around the carpet. "The Brotherhood successfully put the western world _in_ the underworld, that is, they essentially trapped the minds of men in the mythical _underworld_ , but look out the window. That mountain is not in the underworld, nor is it a figment of our mind, and there's the Sun, it shines on everyone. This is a problem of myth, of religion, of understanding. You see, the consciousness of men has been focused on this beast, and in turn, it reaches out through them to our world."

Telia's face became animated, "We already started on this problem, guys. Before Seth contacted us, we sought to gain funding through contacts of our family. We were going to build two more reflectors."

Francis crunched an ice cube in his teeth and took another drink. "I agree with the premise, but I worry about the time it will take. Anyway, Seth gave us a test mission. This will show you what we're up against."

Owen sighed. He had been worried that they'd run into interference and meddling from Seth. "Alright, what test mission?"

Francis turned a projector on and tapped his laptop mousepad. "You probably recognize this face." Senator Jonathan Cain's face popped up on the screen. There were a few short paragraphs explaining his indictable felony offenses. Each had a case number.

Telia gasped. "I don't know why I continue to be shocked, but this is shocking."

Francis chuckled. "A good indication of the prevalence of corruption is the number of characters in these case numbers! It's an alpha-numeric filing system. There is a warehouse filled with records and evidence, actually several warehouses."

Owen said, "Cain is a promoter of carnage and death. As we are attached and influenced by Samantha, perhaps he's attached to the Beast."

Matt asked, "What is the mission?"

Francis said. "Seth thinks the connection Owen's talking about is not metaphorical. The Brotherhood is compartmentalized. We're here at the top, and have a good overall view, but not a perfect view, and certainly within the organization there are multiple factions and sub orders. We believe Senator Cain is involved in one, and they are usurping Seth. If we were able to turn the rest of the order against them, then, well, maybe that would be the blow that splits the whole thing open."

Owen closed his eyes for a moment. "Matt, Telia, Samantha urges caution. This alliance with Seth is new. Also, we worry about the Brotherhood's loyalty to Seth--he rules through fear, not love."

Francis held a finger up, "Consider that Seth and Samantha share a common enemy. It's advantageous for Seth to regain control of the brotherhood for the sake of all of us. Also, even though fear is the main glue that holds this enterprise together, there is certainly an element of respect."

Matt said, "I think we need to use the reflector to investigate Cain."

Francis's eyes lit up and he rubbed his hands together. "Now this is getting exciting!"

Owen nodded. "That's a safe course of action, though, not without it's risks. It can be a form of revealing our hand, though not our location on this plane. Allow me to undertake the initial investigation."

Francis looked at Matt. Matt agreed, "Sounds good to me."

## Chapter Two

Matt, Telia and Owen and Francis went into the basement of the house and took an underground walkway to the barn. They tried to stay out of sight from the air whenever they could. The house was splendid and appointed with the best of everything, but it could still feel like a prison.

The reflector had been torn down from the warehouse in Cleveland, moved, and rebuilt by a small army of riggers and technicians. They spent a few weeks experimenting with it and trying different orientations until it was dialed in. They found the strongest connection to the other side was made when the reflector was pointed at the mountain.

Owen took the seat. He didn't bother drinking the peyote tea when he used the reflector, he'd initially been a skeptic of the device, but found it greatly enhanced his abilities. He could narrate as he worked, and he wore a headset and Telia, Matt and Francis communicated with him through the control panel and watched him on a big flat panel display. Matt habitually noted the events down in a notebook, though the sessions were recorded so they could review later.

Owen said, "Samantha's here and she says 'Hello'."

Telia responded, "Hi Samantha."

Owen smiled. "She loves to hear your voice, Telia. We're going to try to find Cain, and then his residence."

There was a long pause. Matt sketched a picture of Samantha's face in his notebook and Telia watched Owen on the monitor. Then Owen spoke, "I think we found him. I hope he doesn't notice a flock of crows is following his car." Owen chuckled. "By the way, Samantha is always easily able to find people from the other side. I don't really know how that works."

Matt asked Francis. "Do you think Cain might be aware that crows can spy on him?"

Francis shrugged. "I really don't know. I doubt it, but that's just a hunch."

Owen smiled. "We found his residence! How interesting! There's a small stone temple in the back yard... The roof of the building is tiled in lead, I think. Unfortunately there are no windows. I suppose this is really a waiting game."

Francis whispered, "Do you guys want a drink? Snacks?"

Telia said, "I could use a refresh on this coffee."

Francis trotted away.

Matt smiled at her. "It's a supernatural stake-out."

His levity made her suddenly horribly depressed, and the tears rolled from her eyes. She walked away. He said, "We'll be right back, Owen," and followed her to the barn door. She looked out at the grass and the trees. Most of the lot was shrouded with evergreens, but the few stout, smooth barked Birches were skeletons with a few brilliant yellow leaves clinging to the branches. Whiteface Mountain was a stony blue solid mass on the horizon. It made her feel like the gentle hills of the Wells Farm were impossibly far away.

"Hey Tee, it'll be alright. I think we can use the reflector to check up on Tracy. It'll almost be like we're there."

She sighed. "I know. I've been getting better about it, lately, since we've been staying busy, but it's still very depressing at times. We're going to miss so much!"

Matt hugged her. "Well, let's just get through this as quickly as we can. I think once we know what we're dealing with, we'll be able to see her."

They returned to the control system and plopped back down on the couch. Matt kicked his feet up on a rustic coffee table and continued doodling. Francis returned with a tray and drinks for all of them. Matt sipped his scotch. Telia blew on the coffee and watched the monitor.

Owen spoke up. "You won't believe this, but Senator Cain is walking out to this small temple. He's wearing a black velvet robe and carrying a silver bowl. I bet his constituents would love a photo of that!"

Matt noted it down and asked, "Can you see any details on the bowl? Is there anything in it?"

Owen said, "It's got some carving around the rim, but I can't see details. I think the bowl is empty."

Owen felt a looming presence and peered into the other side through the crow's eyes. "An enormous shadow just passed by! Amazing! Cain casts a shadow into the other side. I just got a glimpse through the temple door. There is a large stone tub filled with water. I smell warm water, but I don't think that's a hot tub! Samantha can hear their whispers, but I can't. I'm fading here, oh so tired!"

He shook his head and took the headset off. He wobbled down the ladder and Matt ran over to help him. Owen complained, "It is so exhausting. I need a drink, for sure. The Beast, it was there, no doubt."

Matt asked, "What could Cain possibly get out of this deal?"

Owen said, "Senator Cain cast a shadow in the other side. I've never witnessed that. I am not sure what that could possibly mean."

Matt said, "A few years ago, Robbie, Dana and I captured an entity, and Dana did her hand on the chest trick. She said there was nothing there but black. Those were always the most foul beings we encountered."

Francis pumped both of his fists and said, "This is a big discovery. Now we can determine who's infected using that crow vision trick, which is possibly the coolest thing of all time, by the way!"

Telia said, "I'll go talk to Samantha. Do I need the peyote tea any more?"

Matt shrugged. "I dunno. But, Samantha doesn't leave poor Owen alone. I'm not sure if that's from long term interaction with her, or if the peyote really prevents it. I'll keep using it, myself."

She took a shot of the tea. "Gaak. That is nasty. I try to keep it from hitting my tongue, but it's like an explosion of bitter. Blechh." She climbed up into the chair and closed her eyes. Now, when she crossed over, she arrived on the bank of a mountain stream. Tall trees swayed in a stiff breeze and Telia's hair whipped around her head. Water tumbled over big granite stones.

Samantha had changed as well. She still had long red hair, but now it was all piled up on top of her head in a spiral bun. The few stray strands that hung down to her shoulders accentuated her long pale neck, and the gown she wore previously was now a black mesh dress with a plunging neckline and no back. Telia discovered she craved these meetings and wanted more from Samantha each time and Samantha indulged her.

"Telia," She purred, "We'll take you to observe Cain." She put her arm around Telia and stroked her face and neck. Telia kissed her. Samantha's saliva was honey sweet and made Telia light headed.

Telia said, "Owen wondered how you find people. How do you do it?"

Louis was also different, he wore a dark velvety shirt and black linen pants. He smiled and said, "Remember that the human world is really small in connections. Owen still thinks of this place geographically, because it looks like Earth."

Samantha purred in her ear, "We know you're more adaptable than he is. Who in this room with you is most likely connected to someone who knows Cain?"

"Francis, of course." She concentrated on him and his shimmering form appeared.

Samantha said, "I'll help you. The next parts are really more subtle and take more practice."

Telia felt Samantha flow through her. She felt a slight pause, then another, and another, then she and Samantha were in a desert. A cold wind ruffled their clothes. Samantha was very close to her, reassuring her.

Telia said, "Samantha, that feeling of you passing through me is irresistible."

Samantha cocked her head a little to the left and said, "It is for me, too. This tea you drink does mute my feelings and your response, though. I think I can explain how this works with a metaphor. When you make love, the sensation will persist for a time after the intercourse, right?"

Telia nodded, "Yes. For a while sometimes."

"When you became pregnant with Tracy, your body changed completely?"

The understanding dawned on Telia. "Yes, yes. Completely. The hormones."

Samantha rolled her eyes and Telia felt her anger, then she regained her composure and patted Telia's hand. "Sorry for that. I take _this_ very personally, because _they_ deleted me from what people now call science. The so called hormones are the after effect. Anyway, when I enter you, you change, too. It happens each time we meet, now, but the drink mutes the effect."

Telia felt torn, "If you enter me without the peyote, do you stay? Am I free, or do I become you?"

Samantha nuzzled her and kissed her neck and murmured. "Telia, I am very attached to you and your family. I've guided them for generations. This suspicion saddens me, though I do have an ulterior motive, a base and lusty ulterior motive."

Telia was intrigued and asked, "What motive?"

Samantha's voice became very husky, "I want to be fucked. I would also like to become pregnant, if possible."

Telia asked, "Where am _I_ in this scenario?"

Samantha smiled, "We're both there."

Telia was warming to the idea, but was still suspicious. "Will you leave if I ask?"

Samantha saddened slightly at the idea of rejection. "I think leave is the wrong word. You will find things to be very different afterwards. Our relationship will change, and your access to this side will change, too. I'll be a little more like you, and you a little more like me."

"Like Owen? Well, I am open to the idea, but need to think about it a little."

She felt Samantha brighten. "Good! Now to the grubby business, and I must point out, isn't it so sad that we need to waste our time with these pathetic creatures seeking to dominate. We could be discussing the mysteries of life, sex and love. So much nicer."

Telia asked, "Where are we?"

Samantha laughed ruefully, "Good lord, this place is every capital city of every country. A dead place for dead men and women."

Crows were in the distance, so they reached out to look through their eyes. Telia saw The National Mall and the familiar skyline of the Capitol. The crow flew toward the Capitol Building. She felt Samantha's presence and she defocused to look into the two worlds at once. They passed over a group of men who were talking to reporters on the Capitol steps. Three of them cast shadows in the other side. Telia tried to study their faces, though the crow was too far away to make out many details. She recognized the reporter, though, it was a correspondent from National News Network--N Cubed. She returned her mind to Samantha.

"I think we can figure out who those people are." She said.

Samantha smirked, "OK. We have completed our errand, Dear Love."

Telia chuckled and said, "I think you have the correct attitude about this. We've been taking it very seriously and solemnly. But we can be serious without the dullness."

Samantha playfully smacked her on the butt and then grabbed her hands and danced with her a moment. "Yes!" She agreed. "To be always serious, or always playful, or always ridiculous, that's very dull."

Telia said, "Well, then, one more errand, but do it while we kiss. What did the Beast whisper?"

Samantha looked at her slyly and kissed her and gripped Telia's ass and pulled her close. "It thanked Cain for being so loyal and promised him _more_ for more death." She said in a bubbly voice. Telia pulled back.

Telia said, "Whoa! That's a mood breaker!"

Samantha acknowledged it, "Yes, sorry. Grubby business and more deals by dead men about death and murder. But you are very much alive!"

Telia lost the connection, and gasped and was back in the chair. Each of the encounters left her drunk with emotion and the memory of Samantha's presence was like a gentle tension on her heart and gut. Matt, Francis, and Owen were all very quiet and shifted uncomfortably as she rejoined them. She plopped onto Matt's lap and lounged back onto the arm of the couch.

"Francis, if you don't go over there one of these days, I'm going to start to badger you and sexually harass you, you delicious little man." She said.

"I'm more, well, reserved than that and a little concerned with how it might affect me." Francis was now used to her sudden transformation after her journeys, but it still intimidated him. She stood up and smiled aggressively, then plopped onto Francis's lap and played with his hair. Owen smacked his knee and laughed at the look on Francis's face.

"Tee, I'm pretty sure Francis is uncomfortable." Matt said. He sighed, "Francis, you can chill out. Just go with it, I am not a jealous man. It's not like we're at a bar and you're hitting on my wife, she just got done talking with a goddess."

"What over there makes you like this?" Francis asked her. He tried to relax, but was still slightly on edge. He ventured putting his hand on her hip.

"It's a body chemistry change." She said. "But it's a lot more than that. It makes how you are acting now and your careful manners and carefully protected boundaries seem very ridiculous. Plus Samantha is always _teasing_ me and caressing me and I get revved up."

Francis was curious, "I thought she was a knowledge goddess. What's with all the sexiness?"

Matt shrugged, "Two sides of the same coin. Seeking knowledge has that component of _eros._ In our time, much knowledge has been neutered and institutionalized, and the artful knowing, poetry, painting, music, is considered a different thing. To me, it's really all one and the same. Samantha's more a creature of that earlier type of understanding."

Telia cupped Francis's cheeks with her hands. "Admit you like my boobs! I can tell you do." She was enjoying backing him into the couch with her breasts. He was running out of room.

He smiled uncomfortably, "Yes, who wouldn't. They are spectacular."

She stood up. "Don't be a monk, Francis. Get some girls up here for the love of the gods!"

Francis looked at Matt and Owen and asked, "Would you mind? I can arrange it."

Matt asked, "Why would I mind?"

Francis said, "Just so many things to do. The circle of people who know who we are and what we're doing here is very small, now. Plus, due to the security aspect, they'll have to stay here for a long time, and frankly it will expose them to some danger. If they try to leave, for example, they'll end up being detained, um, at _best_."

Matt rubbed his chin. "I don't know... That sounds dicey. Maybe if they knew what they were getting into."

Telia rolled her eyes, "If we're trapped here, we're no better off than prisoners ourselves. Anyway, it's really for you, Francis. Your call."

## Chapter Three

When the police arrived at the front door, Uncle Robbie talked with them quietly on the front porch. When he walked back into the house, he was very sad, a state he was never in, and he took Tracy out to the table rock to talk.

"Tracy, something happened. The police say your mom and dad had a serious car accident. The story is they died, but they are _not dead_ , got it?"

Tracy went slack and Robbie worried she might faint. She said, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Robbie sighed heavily, "I wish I could tell you more, but I am not sure where they went. I do know they are alright. They went to do something very important."

Tracy sobbed, "They just left me here? Alone?!" She crumpled into his arms and cried. The sense of loss was crushing her heart.

Robbie said, "Hey, you're not alone! I'm here, plus they'll be back. The world needs to think they're dead. Remember when they went on vacation to Hawaii? It's like that, just longer."

Tracy said, "I don't understand. Mom left me this note, why would they do this?" She squeezed the paper in anger.

"The world needs them. We need them to do this." Robbie said. "I find it hard to accept, myself, but I just know it's the truth. Hey let's go for a walk. Sitting here will just keep us stuck in sadness."

They walked through the woods. The air was cool and the bare tree tops were clacking together in a breeze. The floor of the woods was covered with the newly fallen leaves and it was a mix of shades of brown, yellow, and red. A squirrel barked at them from a tree.

Tracy said, "That guy is huge!" She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Robbie pretended to listen to him, "I think he's saying we need to get off his lawn."

"It's more like, where's my f'ing peanuts, humans!"

Robbie asked, "Do you ever feed them?"

She nodded, "Yeah, at Tweedy, we fed them. They're really tame. Needed to make up for the lack of pets."

"Do you like it there?"

She thought for a few moments and in her mind, she ran through her experience there so far. "No." She said conclusively. "I do think I'll stick it out until the end of the year, though. That was the deal with Mom." She stifled a sob. "Then, I'll get back to Chardon. But, man, I don't want to be stuck there all the time. It's like a prison."

Robbie's eyes lit up. "Any time you want outta there, I'll pick you up. How old are you now anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "Dude, you don't pay _any_ attention!"

He shrugged, "Hell, I barely know what year it is! I don't even remember how old I am without doing the math."

"You rebel! The Man can't tell you what to do!" She actually smiled. "I'm fourteen."

He considered for a moment. "Well, you never did much driving or riding around on tractors, right... Probably too young to drive, or ride a motorcycle."

She nodded. "Not that I wouldn't like to try."

They were quiet as they picked their way down the path to the spring. The cool air and the familiarity of the place lifted their moods. They gazed down into the dark pool. Their dim reflections shimmered on the surface lit by the pale blue of the November sky.

He smiled. "Alright, this is a huge opportunity for both of us."

She was intrigued by what he might be thinking. "What do you mean?"

He put up both of his hands as if framing a scene, "Picture this. You finish up at Tweedy. Come home any time you want. If you want to finish up the year, good, if not, that's fine with me, too."

She nodded enthusiastically.

He continued on, "You run your own life. Make your decisions, with my advice of course. You get to live as an adult. I am pretty sure I can't treat you any other way, anyway."

She tapped a finger on her chin, "What about money, Uncle Robbie?"

Robbie waved a hand dismissively. "We've got plenty of money, but here's a challenge. I'd like to see you get by as much as you can on your own. Get used to running this place, seeing what it takes, got it? But you can ease into it at your own pace, alright?"

She put out a hand to shake on it. "Deal." she said emphatically.

He added, "Once you turn 18, we'll re-orient, and who knows, Matt and Telia might be back by then." He shrugged.

She asked him, "Did you ever go into the spring? I always wonder what's down there."

He shook his head no but smiled broadly and said, "That's the spirit. You should wonder about things and try to figure them out, too. Maybe we'll try to see how deep it is this week. I wonder if we can get a camera down there."

They walked back up the hill. She re-read the note from Telia. It was just a short love letter, but it made her believe Robbie's story. "So everyone's going to think they're dead, right? What should I do?"

"Oh you mean, do you need to lie about it?" He shook his head no. "No, you don't need to lie or even be evasive. Everything about the accident is fake. That said, you don't need to shout it from the rooftops that they're alive."

"Alright." She said simply. She was still stunned at the sudden turn of events but her mind was digesting it. "Really, if you think about it, I was going to be away at Tweedy most of the year anyway. I kind of got used to that idea. This is not such a huge change."

## Chapter Four

A few weeks passed, and Tracy felt ready to go back to Tweedy Pines. Johnny and Dana took that as a cue to head back onto the road. They pointed the Flying Fox west and drove away down Sherman.

Robbie, Amy, the golden lab Perry, and Tracy all piled into Robbie's beat up M1008 truck and drove back to Tweedy Pines Academy.

"Which one is your dorm?" He asked as they pulled into the lot.

Tracy pointed to one of the red brick buildings. "Cell block D" she laughed.

The truck started creeping forward onto the grass. "Uh oh! The brakes work, but I'm not working the brakes!" Robbie said mischievously. He drove across the lawn to the dorm. Tracy was laughing hysterically. Faces appeared in all the windows and the girls craned their necks out the windows to see what the fuss was about.

Tracy hugged Robbie, Amy and Perry and hopped out of the truck and grabbed her bag from the bed of the truck. A woman in a red dress shoved the dorm's main door open and ran out. She said, "Don't park there!"

Robbie climbed out of the truck. "We're just unloading, Ma'am. I thought I saw a sign that said loading and unloading on the grass only."

"No! There's no such sign."

"It's quite possible I just made that up." Robbie smirked. "Bye Tracy!" He waved at her and climbed back in the cab. He honked the horn a couple of times and waved out the window at the building as they drove back across the lawn. He and Amy laughed as they drove back onto the parking lot, then he smoked the tires and kicked the back end of the truck out as they left the campus.

"I guess I'm just a redneck!" He laughed. "That was fun, although, that place curdles my milk."

Amy had her head out the window with Perry. She said, "Man it's getting cold. Brrr... C'mon back in, Perry." She rolled the window up.

Robbie said, "Well, it's just us, now." They listened to the hum of the tires on the pavement and the air whistling over the cab.

Amy still hadn't completely adjusted to her situation. The Wells family had been kind beyond words and she kept thinking she needed to do something to reciprocate, but they never asked, Robbie never even asked when she was going to leave. She thought there had to be a catch, so finally she just blurted out what she was thinking. "What's the deal, Robbie? I mean what's going to happen to me?"

He was confused. "What do you mean?"

"How long can I stay at your house?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. You're welcome as long as you want to stay. Here's the way I think about the house, my family occupies the place and it's our home, but it's also like a hotel, a hostel, a base of operations for our network. You're in that network now. You belong, I think."

She grunted. "I don't get it. People always want something."

He answered, "Well, I'm not a saint or anything. If you're a pain in the ass, I'll kick you out. And frankly, I think you'll get bored not doing anything. If you want to hang out with me, we'll stay busy, maybe you'll learn something, figure out what you want to do."

Amy asked, "Well, what about money?"

He rubbed his beard, "Yeah, you're not a kid, without money, you'll feel trapped. How old are you anyway?"

"Thirty two. How old are you?"

"Ugh. Don't ask! I just turned forty over the summer. I feel every year of that age!"

She did the math. "So when I turn forty, you'd be forty eight. That's not too bad."

He chuckled. "That's right. Wait, what are you thinking?"

Amy said, "Oh nothing. I think this will be fun, just the three of us..." She paused a long while. "My life's been total shit so far, until I came here. I muddled through school barely paid attention, my parents died, then I was stoned. My life story."

"You're right, that's pretty shitty, but hey, you are now in the position to do whatever you want. Matt left me some information on your house. We can go over that later. You can sell it when you're ready. That's a nice chunk of change, not enough to retire on, but enough to reboot your life. But don't sell it until you're ready, alright?"

He pulled the truck onto the lawn of the farm. He thought for a few minutes and said, "Hey I want to show you a couple of things. First of all, you drive, I'll direct. Do you know 'Chinese Fire Drill'?" She nodded. He said, "Go!"

They ran around the truck and switched seats. Perry watched them and Robbie scooted the dog over as he took the passenger's side. Robbie pointed into the field, "Drive! But take it relatively easy. It's pretty uneven."

She looked tiny behind the wheel. They had to scoot the seat far forward. She cautiously drove into the field. The cab bounced around even at the slow pace. He pointed, "Head over there to the far corner of the property."

They got to a stream bed in a low spot in the fields. Robbie said, "You'll need to gun it to get some momentum." She was too careful and lost traction. He said, "Oops! Takes some practice. You can try rocking it out. Go ahead try reverse, then drive." They got very stuck and mud spattered up on the side of the truck and on the window.

She was upset, but he was smiling so she just shut the engine off. She twisted a finger in her hair and asked, "Now what?"

"We walk. Watch the water when you get out, of course."

They walked across the field to the corner of the property. There was a concrete boundary marker and there was a larger-than-life statue of a woman that was facing east with her arms outstretched. Her face was aligned with the spring equinox sunrise and her arms with the solstices. The statue had been carved from an erratic boulder at the edge of the field decades ago. Robbie patted the statue's butt. "I haven't been over to this corner of the lot for years."

"Who's the lady?" Amy asked.

"The story is completely crazy, but anyway, this is my family's patron _goddess_. Apparently, if I believe my brother, she's actually real and he met her. Growing up, I just thought someone left it here as art. But clearly, it's something more significant than that. The family story was we gave up all this hoodoo almost two hundred years ago... Guess not." He stepped back and regarded the statue. "Whoever carved this was really devoted."

Amy put her hand on the stone and admired. "She's pretty."

"The sculptor did a nice job. Nice tits." He laughed. "Anyway, check out this field. That was all hay. We have a guy who manages it."

She grunted in appreciation. "That's pretty cool."

He added, "So the sun shines on this field. The hay grows and he harvests it. He actually pays us, then sells the bales. We usually avoid doing deals in money whenever we can, though."

"Why?" She asked.

"Well, trade and barter are better and it helps us build relationships and that's more important."

"Matt did that with me. He just made things happen, and I was a part of it." She understood a little better what he was talking about.

"Yeah, see how it works?"

"But what do I add? When he met me, I was in really bad shape." She said. "I keep worrying I'll just slide back into that."

Robbie shook his head no. "No way. I don't think you will. "

"How can you be so sure?" Amy hugged herself, suddenly feeling the chill air.

"Old habits can die hard, but they do die. You can just shed your old skin and do something new. Let's walk back through the woods."

They took another tractor trail back toward the house. There were some pond sized puddles they had to navigate around through the woods. Perry romped back and forth in the leaves.

"You want to help me with the firewood this year?" He asked.

"Sure, yeah, I mean what can I do?" She asked.

"It's really pretty easy, you'll have to learn to drive the tractor, run the wood splitter and help out with customers. No biggie. No pressure. We'll just go around and cut up some downed trees." He said.

She agreed, "Yeah, I think I'd really like doing something constructive."

He showed her how to drive the tractor and she slowly maneuvered it over toward the truck. He hooked up a tow line and had her back up and pull him out of the stream. She was beaming with pride. She stopped the tractor and got off and did a little dance. "Gods, that felt great! I know this will sound totally, incredibly lame, but that's the first time I ever really _did_ anything."

When they were done, they sipped some wine and went inside by the fire. She cuddled up by his side. She asked him, "Were you ever married? Girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah. Both, and that was the problem." He laughed. "Well, my life has had it's major ups and downs in that area. The way my family lives, it can be really hard on normal domestic life. Matt and Telia managed because they were sort of the center of the family, while I was out there on the wild frontier."

"No kids?"

"Well, Tracy, now, but none of my own, anyway, none that I know about!" He stood up. "Hey, Amy, I've got some emails to fire off and then I'm hitting the sack. You can pick any room you want, or remain in the little one. Let's talk tomorrow about your house. Lots to do!"

She slumped over in his spot, which was still warm. She patted Perry's side and just enjoyed the fire. She dozed off, then woke up late in the night. The fire was just red embers. She brushed her teeth and checked her face in the mirror. She was looking much healthier, even cute. Her hair was clean and starting to have some glossiness. She breathed out a quick breath and went to seduce Robbie.

His light was off and his body was a big lump in the middle of the queen sized bed in his room. She sat on the bedside and asked, "Hey, are you awake?"

"Yeah." He mumbled from under the covers. "I didn't want to wake you up, so I just went up to bed."

"Can I? Um, get in there with you?" She asked carefully.

She heard him breathe and could sense some tension. He said, "Yeah, climb in here, but I am not sure we should make a habit of this.. Plus, let's not get physical, I think that will be bad for you, and me, frankly."

She slipped under the covers. It was very warm with the two of them together. "Why do you say that?" She asked.

"We'll get all distracted and I feel like you're on the verge of figuring out what you're going to do. I think if you do _that_ first, then still find me appealing, we should date like a normal couple."

She said, "It's just weird being here with you, all alone, and we're already like a couple in some ways. It's confusing."

He stroked her hair and she snuggled up against his chest. "Yeah, it's hard to sort out, sometimes. I've learned from too much bad experience! I find it's really best just to be completely open and blunt about it in these circumstances--like Dana is!"

She asked, "Okay. Honesty. Do you find me attractive? I feel worried that you don't."

Robbie answered, "I do. I find you attractive."

She sighed, "Are you worried I'm a junkie? That I'm trashy?"

He sighed, "Have I acted like that at all so far? If I thought that, you'd know it, believe me. Here's what I think, based on what you told me. You were a spoiled kid and stumbled into a really bad habit. It seems like you didn't really process your parents deaths very well and never really had the skills you need to make it on your own. So the reason I'm not jumping your bones is I think you want to transfer that relationship to me, right? See how that won't help you, or me?"

He sensed her get tense, then suddenly she blurted out, "Yeah! I think you're right. What the fuck?" She tapped his chest with her hand. "How are you so smart?" She burbled. She was genuinely happy and relaxed for the first time in weeks.

"Like I said, it was hard experience, and absorbing wisdom from Dana. Actually I don't consider myself very smart about this, well, compared to her, anyway."

"Yeah, gosh, I was being very selfish and needy again, right? I mean, I was just going to come in here and fuck you so you'd take care of me... What the hell is that? I don't want to be like that..."

"Damn straight!" He said. "Hey, let's go sleep in the master bedroom. They've got a huge bed. If we stay in this one, we'll end up forgetting all this good advice. It's just too small."

They went across the hall to the master bedroom. The moon was shining through the big picture window. She whispered, "This room is so nice."

"Yeah!" he said. "Telia did a good job decorating it."

The bed was two queen mattresses that were put together. It was huge. Telia had to stitch comforters and blankets together with a sewing machine to cover it. Amy laughed, "I feel like we're swimming in a pool!"

"There is some acreage here." He agreed. She still snuggled up by his side, but the tension and awkwardness was gone and they managed to fall asleep.

## Chapter Five

Tracy's perception of Tweedy Pines shifted now that she had the freedom to leave anytime she wanted to. She no longer viewed it as a prison sentence that she needed to endure and thought, instead, that the place was lucky to have her there. In the first few days back on the campus, almost every interaction she had was shaped by the fiction that her parents were dead, and her secret knowledge that they were alive transformed her experience into a farcical dream.

Her roommate Bethany Madher told her, "Hey, my mom really liked your mom. She says you should come over and hang out at the house."

Tracy nodded, "Sure, that would be a good change of pace."

Bethany texted her mom. Every girl on the campus had a cell phone, though the school had a policy against it. It seemed one of the important jobs of Tweedy Pines was to teach the girls that rules were for other people. The school had too many rules, silly rules about everything, and this actually forced the girls to break them all the time. Moreover, several of the girls on the campus were above the rules and actually untouchable.

Tracy found the topsy-turvy nature of the place, where the children of wealthy parents outranked the staff and teachers, very unappealing. Many of the girls in the school had been in private schools their entire life, and their families were members of the same clubs and organizations. The obsession with hierarchy and pecking order pervaded the entire school. Tracy couldn't stand it.

Bethany's family was in the rarefied heights of wealth and social rank, and her mother's status as a popular celebrity made Bethany one of the members of Tweedy Pines royalty. She dealt with her status by ignoring the school as much as possible. She said, "C'mon, the driver is here."

Tracy followed her out to the car. They had classes during the day, but most of the time Bethany didn't go.

"Hey Joe, what up?" Bethany said to the driver as she climbed into the back of the white SUV. "Hey, can we stop at Whole Foods? I want to get some of those dried pea pod things. Yummers."

"Sure thing, Miss Bethany." Joe said. He was a middle aged man with gray and white hair and a heavy face.

"Joe. Stop it with the Miss stuff. I feel like Penelope Moneybags when you do that." Bethany rolled her eyes. "Hey, this is my roomie Tracy Wells."

Joe looked in the rearview, "Hello Miss... er I mean hi Tracy."

Tracy waved at him. Bethany's face was glued to the screen of her cell phone. Bethany apologized, "Tracy. My fam's weird. Sorry for all this... stuff." She waved around the car. "The house, you'll find out soon enough, is like a fucking museum. It's embarrassing. Joe's a nice dude, but, like my Mom or Dad can't just come pick me up? If we had a dog, they'd pay someone to pet it!"

They stopped at Whole Foods and the girls went inside while Joe waited in the car. Bethany loaded up a shopping basket with savory snacks and they left the store with a few bags full. Bethany gave Joe a bag of the crisps.

"Thanks, Bethany." he said. They were his favorite.

"Don't mention it. These are better than money on the inside. Now, we won't end up as anyone's bitches." She smirked at Tracy.

"Please, Bethany, you know that language makes me uncomfortable." He said.

"Such a thin skin! You wouldn't last for a minute on the inside." Bethany said.

The Madher's mansion was in an old neighborhood in Shaker Heights. The house had a smooth stone facade and gothic spires and windows. The stones of the front walkway were from an old Roman Road and it led through a sculpture garden to the glass and wrought iron front doors. Bethany took Tracy a few steps off the path.

Bethany whispered, "Tracy, my dad's weird. He can be a real creep. I mean a _real_ creep. He's home, now, just avoid being alone with him, alright? If you end up in a room with him, alone, just leave. Act sick or whatever."

Tracy nodded and screwed up her face, "Wait, what do you mean?"

"He's a gross perv." Bethany said.

"Did he do anything to you? Does your mom know?" Tracy hissed. She was starting to be worried about what she was getting into.

Bethany shook her head no. "No, not me. Other girls. I'm not sure what happened, exactly."

Tracy couldn't tell if Bethany was pulling her leg or acting out a scene of some TV show or movie. "Are you serious? Don't kid around about this shit!"

They continued on to the house. "Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. I really don't know what happened, but he's just weird, you'll see."

The Madher's house was like a museum. Money had been piling up in the family's businesses, private accounts, foundations, and charitable causes for generations, and a small fraction of the cash was converted to artwork and furnishings. Tracy looked around the foyer of the house and realized it was probably worth more than the entire Wells Farm.

The floor of the house was tiled in a dark charcoal black and dark black checkerboard marble. Thick handwoven rugs linked all the rooms and prevented the place from being an echo chamber. Bethany took Tracy to a room that was encased in stained glass. "Check this shit out. These were not humble people."

The family history was enshrined in art deco stained glass murals. There was a little caption in the glass on each pane. Tracy started to read, but Bethany got bored. "It's all a lie, you know?" Bethany said.

Tracy was surprised. "Which part?"

Bethany said, "The whole thing. I mean check out this dude," she pointed at one of the figures. It showed a bearded man in shirtsleeves wielding a hammer against some stones and steel girders apparently building a factory. Bethany continued, "I guess he's a great, great grand-daddy. Here he is building this factory with his sleeves rolled up. I studied the history. Not one of these people built a thing. Accountants and finance people at best, mostly just _there_. I couldn't ever figure out where the money came from." She shrugged.

Tracy grunted in vague agreement and looked around the windows. "So why lie about it?"

Bethany said, "Cuz it sucks to be so lame. Dad's the same way. It's like all the money prevents him from actually doing anything. He doesn't know how."

Tracy wondered, "But I thought he was down in Florida on a biology expedition. That sounds cool."

Bethany rolled her eyes and said, "It's all just an act. Always pretending to be doing something other people actually do. It's life as a pile of digits. You'll see it if you're here enough."

Heather Madher was wearing an exaggerated 1970's style flamingo pink jumpsuit with bell bottoms. "Oh precious Baby!" She hugged Tracy tight and sniffled against her shoulder. "Your mom. I was just getting to know her better. A remarkable woman."

Tracy thanked her and said, "It still doesn't seem real to me."

"If you need anything, I'll do my best to help out." Heather said. She clasped a hand to her chest and her costume jewels clanked.

Tracy said, "My Uncle's taking care of me, now, but thanks."

Heather wiped her eyes. "That's good. Family is so important. You and your Uncle should join us for Thanksgiving. I'll send you invites." Heather threw an arm around Bethany and Tracy and they walked into a sun room. The wan light of late autumn filtered through the picture windows. Heather whispered, "It gets so dark in this castle. Can you imagine the people who had this built?" She got into character. "I say, good man, make it dark and dank as a proper castle. Can you make sure there's a spot for bats?" She shook her head. "Good lord!"

They heard Charlie's voice. He was talking with an entourage just outside the door. The meeting broke up and he walked into the room. Bethany elbowed Tracy. She partly expected a monster, or a man with devil horns to walk in through the arch, but Charlie was a normal man, with an unremarkable face, wavy brown hair, a casual sweater and khakis.

"Beth! Sweetheart!" he put his arms out. Bethany walked across the room and hugged him. "Is that Tracy?" he asked.

Tracy said, "Yes, sir. Nice to meet you."

"Call me Charlie. I am so sorry to hear about your parents." She scanned his face for any sign of perversion, but saw nothing. His eyes were just expressionless. He gave Heather a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Beth, did you give Tracy a tour?"

"Just the chapel." Bethany said.

Charlie said, "Why don't you show her around before you go?"

Tracy asked, "Go?"

Heather said, "We'll head over to the soundstage for a while. Won't that be fun?"

Bethany answered, "Yes, the soundstage is cool!" She was genuinely enthusiastic. "Let's go do a quick tour." She trotted out of the room and Tracy followed.

She led Tracy through the first floor of the house to a flight of stone stairs that led down into a basement. "I'll spare you the home tour, but you have to see this room." She trotted down the solid stone steps. They were cupped from many feet descending them for many years. Bethany said, "Check this out." A stone archway was framed by a snake eating its tail.

"That's pretty interesting." Tracy ran her fingers over the stone. The doors into the room were black, shiny polished ebony laminated onto oak slabs. Bethany pushed the doors open.

The floor was composed of the same black and charcoal marble, but the seams were inlaid with a shiny metal and the arched ceiling had a flat, dull, and scaly appearance. Four stout black bookcases stood at the cardinal points of the room and a black stone pool was in the center. Bethany asked, "Isn't it weird? Dad has meetings down here sometimes and they close off the basement from the upstairs."

Tracy agreed. "Yeah, this is a really strange room. Some people like this gothic shit, though."

Bethany said, "Yeah. All the drama, I guess. Let's get outta here. The soundstage is cool."

They ran back up the stairs and found Heather. She was packing up a gym bag and putting a few bottles of water in holders on the sides.

Joe drove them to a building in one of the dilapidated inner ring suburbs of Cleveland. An unremarkable warehouse building had been converted to a soundstage. Catering trucks and stars trailers parked in the lot were the only thing that gave it away. The logo of a defunct company was still on a sign in the front yard. "Gallows Cabinets and Interiors"

They walked into the building through an open garage door in the back.

A tall blond woman approached them. She looked angry.

"You bitch! How dare you show your face here again? Do you think you're a queen just because you're from money?"

"You!" Heather shouted angrily and pointed emphatically. "You! So self righteous just because you had to work to put yourself through college and take care of your poor, dear, sick mommy. So pathetic!"

The woman reared a hand back to slap Heather. She swung violently, but Heather blocked the blow and then gripped her wrist. The woman said, "She's your mother, too!"

Heather sobbed. "My mother? That makes us..."

"Twins..." the woman said. They embraced, then started laughing hysterically at Tracy's expression.

Heather's eyes got big, "We should do a switcheroo. Can you mom these two? I'll be you today."

Bethany was grinning. She joined in on the act and hugged the blond woman. "Mom! I missed you."

"Oh dearest Bethany!" The woman hugged her and kissed her. "How are you doing in school? Who is your friend?"

Tracy decided to join in, "I'm Tabitha. I'm an exchange student from Canada."

Bethany said, "She's OK, but she stole my boyfriend at the big dance."

Tracy said, "And I didn't even really like him, but I'm just such a bitch."

The blond imitated Heather's voice and mannerisms. "I'll just have to get you two parts in this production. Charlie can pull some strings."

They took seats near the center of the warehouse. Bethany said, "This part is sooo boring. It takes forever for anything to happen. Then they do it over and over and over."

The blond woman continued in her role as Heather. "I'm going to do a big scene today. There I am." She pointed at Heather. "They just finished this set last night. See the camera gantry. It'll fly over the room then spin around and around through the wall. Thus the push-up bra to show off my rack. My tits aren't really that big. But they're nice." She broke character. "I'm Meg, by the way."

Tracy said, "Hi Meg. I'm Tracy. I go to school with Bethany."

"My cellmate." Bethany added.

There was a lot of activity all of a sudden and Heather walked onto the set and took her mark. She was still wearing her street clothes. The crew was blocking out the shot and she rehearsed her movements and timing. Some dramatic music played each time to help her keep the correct rhythm. After a few false starts, they attempted to put the entire scene together. The heavy camera platform orbited through. The whir of the electric motors was surprisingly loud.

"How do they keep all that noise out of the movie?" Tracy asked.

"This scene is no dialogue, all background music. Basically she's eye candy, or maybe like a human art work. She'll be all dolled up and in costume. It'll take four or five hours to do this, and it might last thirty seconds in the film, or end up completely cut out."

Tracy said, "Wow, that's a lot of work for just thirty seconds!"

Meg said, "Speaking of work! Can you believe they're changing my entire character? Now I'm Russian, have a Russian accent, and am the bad guy, but I think we're still twins separated at birth. This is like the third rewrite! I'll brb. Just be good once they start filming. Mute your phones and stay put, _capiche_?"

The girls both nodded. Tracy said, "This is pretty cool."

Bethany said, "The people are cool. The whole process is dull, dull, dull. I had a scene in one of my Mom's movies last year. I sat around all day--I mean literally a full day. I said my little line and did my little bit part. We watched the finished movie and the scene wasn't in it."

Tracy grunted in amazement. "I never knew it was like this."

A voice boomed out on a PA system. "Quiet on the set. Places. Close that garage door, somebody.... OK. Go."

Heather started to pose and hit her marks. She looked like a model on a catwalk. The robotic camera gantry whirred out over the room and the gantry arm arced toward the floor and the big camera rotated to keep Heather's body in the center of the frame. Tracy and Bethany could see the images it was capturing on a big flat screen monitor. A group of people huddled around the monitor and camera control board.

The camera stopped suddenly. There was a murmur of activity. The director shouted out. "We need to move that mark, right where Heather's standing now, back about six inches, let's do it again!"

Tracy was extremely bored by the time they were on the fifth cycle through the scene. They now had it all blocked out and Heather went to change into her costume. Her stand-in walked through the scene to help them refine the camera motion further.

"Oh my god. I think I'll chew my hand off from boredom." Tracy mumbled.

"Yeah, it's boring." Bethany sighed. "I want to see mom in her costume once, then we can head out of here."

Heather wore a skimpy black dress with a white bar down the side. She had tall spike heels and held a prop gun. Her hair was teased out into a modern looking version of a beehive hairdo. A small team of makeup people primped her until the last minute. Then they filmed the scene a few times, making small adjustments to the lighting, to her costume, and her makeup.

At a break in the action, Bethany texted her Mom. "Great job! We're bored. Leaving."

"Wanna go back to Tweedy?" Bethany asked.

"Sure. I guess so. That was cool. Thank your mom for me."

## Chapter Six

Matt, Telia, Owen and Francis fell into a rhythm with their work. Francis traced out Senator Cain's connections, then Matt, Telia, and Owen would surveil them using the reflector. They were discovering there was no conspiracy at work among the Disciples of the Beast, rather, it was spontaneous collusion toward a collective vision of annihilation.

As Thanksgiving rolled around, a light dusting of snow covered the ground. The barn was kept a comfortable temperature but they had to keep the door closed, and the building now seemed dark and cavernous.

Telia crossed over and found Samantha and Louis now dressed in winter clothes. She was surprised each time their appearance changed, "Does it get cold here?"

Samantha held her hand. "You bring the warmth and the weather. It's cold where you are, so now it's cold here. It is another trick to try to make it warm, like a beach, like a summer day." Samantha's eyes narrowed and she looked at Telia slyly. She purred, "I can tell, you didn't drink the tea. Does my hand feel different?"

Telia nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's even more real. Not as trippy."

Samantha brushed Telia's hair aside and gazed into her eyes. Telia felt her stomach flutter. Samantha said, "I suppose we need to do some grubby business to keep the boys happy for now, then are you ready for me?"

Telia was nervous. "Yes, I'm ready in two ways. Ready for you, and I'm ovulating."

Samantha put her hand on Telia's belly. "I felt it was time! I am very excited."

Telia took Samantha's hand and kissed her palm. "I am too. Let's get to work and make it quick."

Now, they were able to find Cain in an instant. With increasing familiarity of him and his network of associates and family members, they were able to peer into his world in its shimmering ghostly form.

They'd discovered his relationship with the Beast was very simple, power for power. A small air strike--the death, chaos and carnage fed the Beast and it responded by feeding Cain a little dose of power while he floated in his salty tub. A massive shipment of heroin delivered successfully, and another dose of power. Cain divined what the Beast wanted in his meditation sessions. The Beast spoke a dark, simple language of hate, violence, greed, and lust, and Cain translated it to be more palatable to the world. He spoke in terms of national security, and confronting danger, rather than murder and power.

Samantha had them investigating ways to interfere with the communications and start planting false messages among the Disciples of the Beast. Senator Cain was scheduled to be interviewed live on N-Cubed later in the afternoon. On this outing, Samantha intended to prompt him to say some words about love. Matt and Francis had devised a short statement that would prove their concept.

Cain floated in his tub and the immense shadow swarmed over them and flowed through the water. Samantha listened to the whispers and waited for the beast to disappear through the waters. Telia could hear Samantha's whispers as she flowed through her and into Cain.

"It's done, we'll see now!" Samantha said.

They returned to the mountain stream. Telia was feeling tense, but excited. Samantha held Telia's face in her hands and gazed into her eyes again. Samantha asked, "Are you ready for me?"

Telia nodded and whispered, "Yes."

She saw light emanating from her own body and from Samantha's eyes and face. The golden white light blazed from the ground, the trees, and the sky. She felt herself filling with heat and radiance. Every nerve in her body sang in a strange harmony and her mind felt like it was soaring, expanding like a cloud crackling with electricity and light.

When she returned to the barn, Telia held her hand up and saw her normal skin. She felt herself, her hair, her face her chest. She felt energy flowing through her spine and radiating through her body. She thought it might be possible to leap down from the chair to the floor, but she laughed at the absurdity of it, having a solid fleshy body.

The men were used to Telia's overflowing sensuality, by now, and even Francis was comfortable with it and treated it as part of the job. But today she didn't attack them. Owen just said, "Oh dear..."

Matt and Francis shifted in their seats. Matt looked at her with his head slightly cocked to the left, then to the right. Francis inspected her nervously.

Matt stood up and took her hand and led her away. "Tee, You're soaked. Let's head back over to the house."

She spoke as if each syllable was made of chocolate, "Matthew Wells. Matt." She kissed his hand. Her pupils were dilated so they were like black pools. Her skin was flushed and hot. Her scent started to work on him and he wobbled a little bit drunkenly through the tunnel to the house. "Let's shower." She suggested.

They went into the bathroom together. She stripped him naked and stepped out of her clothes and inspected herself in the mirror and posed. He started the shower, which was a large tiled room with shower heads that lined the floor walls and ceiling.

She said, "That feels so incredible. The hot water everywhere."

They made love for hours. He couldn't get enough of her. When she orgasmed, her entire body contorted. Minutes later, he'd be aroused again and they'd start a new round. Finally, when they were too sore to continue, she bit his shoulder until her teeth drew blood.

"Ouch! Telia. Teeth!" He sat back. She licked the blood off her lips, then off his wound. He said, "You've completely drained me of bodily fluids. I am surprised there's any blood left."

"Oh Matt. Matthew." She put her head on his stomach and gazed up at him. "I've known you since you were a child."

Matt said, "Yeah, we were practically just babies at school. Who would have thought we'd end up here?"

She said dreamily, "I want to eat. I want a big meal. Meat. Vegetables. Dessert. I want cake. No pie. Well, cake and pie. I want to get drunk. Coffee. And more fucking later, so much more."

Matt said, "I'll need to eat just to regain my strength. Aren't you sore? I'm sore."

She dismissed his concern. "Oh who can care about a little pain? It's just another sensation. It's a good pain. Maybe we can put some lotion on you or something."

Matt shrugged. "I guess that might help. I don't think we've done anything like this since we were in our twenties."

She said, "I do remember that. Oh! That was excellent. You were so good. To be so young and full of that urge, but I like this, too, more like embers of a fire."

He said, "Since you've been getting worked up by Samantha, it's been really interesting."

Telia brushed his cheek with her thumb and said, "I am Samantha."

Matt was concerned, but wasn't sure what Telia meant. "What?!" He became tense and anxious. "What happened?"

Telia soothed him, "Don't worry. I'm still Telia. Samantha's in here, too." She purred, "It's incredible."

He worried Telia was, perhaps, permanently injured. "Samantha? Telia? What have you done?"

"Relax, I'll leave when she wants me to go, but I just want to fuck more and taste food. I just wanted you too much to remain over there." She brushed her hand on his chest. He found it impossible to remain anxious. He was fascinated and he studied her face looking for any sign of Samantha's presence. She announced, "I actually smell and taste different, but otherwise, you wouldn't be able to tell."

"Now that you mention it, I recognize your scent Samantha. Telia, what's it like?"

"Right now, I feel like I'm glowing." She reported. She paused and considered the sensation. "It's like that dopey feeling of new love, but amplified. When we were having sex, I thought I was going to turn inside out. I can feel the movement of the electricity of all my nerves, and it feels _good_. Can you go get my makeup brush. It's in the bag on the sink."

He rolled off the bed and returned with the brush. She dusted it off with her hand. "Just use this on me. I hope I can take it."

He ran the brush along her body. She breathed in ragged gasps, "It's like that's happening inside me at the same time." She rolled onto her stomach. "Go along my spine. Down.... Keep going all the way. Oh! My! Gods!" She curled her hands into the blankets and pushed her face into the pillow. "Stop! Stop! I can't stand it. It's too good."

Telia panted, "Samantha, oh, it's too much. I need a rest." She looked back at Matt. "Matthew do you love me?"

He said, "Telia, I love you."

Telia narrowed her eyes at him. "It's Samantha that's asking."

He patted her butt gently, then flopped down onto the bed by her. "Yes. I do. Both of you, but Telia's my wife, and the mother of my child."

Telia propped herself on an elbow. "We, both of us, want to get pregnant. Samantha thinks we are."

"That's wonderful!" His voice bubbled with enthusiasm. "I thought we were too old, but that's exciting. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" He asked.

"Can't tell, yet." Telia shrugged her shoulders.

Matt asked, "Does Samantha know how to see Tracy, how to talk to her?"

Telia nodded and smiled. "Yes, we can. I can send her good dreams, too."

Matt asked, "Have you been watching me my whole life?"

Telia smiled ear to ear. "This is all a revelation to you, isn't it?"

"Are we related? Are you an old ancestor?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "I think I can explain better by describing a more recent situation that's really quite similar. There's a family of deer that live near your home. I've known them since your family moved there. I've taken a real liking to them, so I instruct them, help them when I can. They started to _understand_ me. I'll introduce you next time you cross over. Telia and I will go visit them tonight when we sleep. But your family is the same, just a much longer and more intimate association."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "I think you should dye it Samantha's color when Samantha's around."

They returned to the barn. Francis was doing pull ups from a crossbeam and Owen was taking a nap.

Francis dropped to the floor and jogged over to the flat panel display. "Check this out!" He said. He cued up a video.

Cain was being interviewed on N-Cubed. He stridently urged a full scale war in the Middle East claiming it was in the interest of national security. However, in the middle of his well worn diatribe he sobbed and said, "I had an Irish Setter as a boy! I loved that dog." He looked astonished. The reporter was embarrassed and attempted to bring Cain back to his train of thought. He snarled on camera and shouted, "Death! More Death!"

Telia laughed hysterically. "It worked! I can still be surprised after all! How did they explain that?"

Francis brought up the N-Cubed home page. The headline was, "Senator Cain Hospitalized After Suffering Stroke."

She slapped Owen's leg. "Wake up Owen!"

He opened one eye. "Samantha?"

"How could you tell?" She smiled.

"Long experience." He said dryly.

Telia said, "Francis you look pregnant with a plan."

He paced the room. "This new capability is huge. I think we need to act quickly and plant the idea that parts of the Brotherhood are moving to take over. We need to break the compartmentalization of the organization. The human traffickers are moving against the drug traffickers. The intelligence agencies are vying to topple the commander in chief, the financiers are seeking to topple the drug dealers, and so on. Add in some targeted assassinations, and voila."

Matt put his head in his hands. "I don't like this. It will kill a lot of people when it run its course, probably many innocent people will be caught in the carnage. The potential for this to spin out of control is enormous. Samantha, how do we know this beast isn't influencing Seth, too, or if all this isn't just another grubby deal?'

"I don't think it can influence Seth, in any case, we need to act based on our own best judgement regardless of what Seth's plans might be." Telia said.

Matt asked Francis, "Which of these groups you mention is the least violent, and has the least potential to kill innocent people?"

Francis said, "The finance people. They're tied into all the other groups, but they're bean counters."

Matt continued, "What if we target them initially? That might disrupt other operations, too. Then we begin targeted implosions of the more dangerous organizations."

## Chapter Seven

The chainsaw was loud even through the earmuffs and a spray of sawdust and chips bounced off Amy's face shield as she trimmed the branches from a downed maple tree while Robbie cut it into lengths and rolled them onto the trailer. She found the work very satisfying and really enjoyed the sweet smell of the wood and the power of the chainsaw.

Robbie was a good, if terse instructor on each of the chores she helped out with around the Farm, and he was also constantly nudging her to take initiative to do things herself and try new things out.

They returned with the load of firewood. Robbie drove the tractor while she sat on top of the pile like she'd been a lumberjack her whole life. He stopped before they got to door of the woodbarn. There was a small bandsaw sawmill in a shack that was attached to the back of the building. He said, "Hey, let's get this going this year."

She hopped down on the ground and followed him into the building. A bandsaw sawmill sat on a sawdust covered concrete slab.

"What is that thing?" she said. She had no idea what the saw and the jumble of metal supports could possibly be used for.

He pulled a couple of length of rough cut red oak timbers and knocked on them. "We haven't done this on the farm for a few years. Maybe we should build something."

Her eyes got big with recognition. "You _make_ the wood here with this thing? You could easily build like a whole building from all that wood out there! It seems a shame to just burn all of it."

He got a big kick out of her enthusiasm. She'd lived a sheltered, isolated life and almost everything they did on the farm was a complete novelty to her. She ate it up like she was starving for more experience. He said, "You're right about the firewood, but we usually only mill up the really prime trees that go over in a storm, the long straight ones. We can go find one after we unload this thing."

She asked, "Let's make something to trade."

Robbie nodded, "What do you need?"

"Clothes. I _like_ Tracy's clothes, but I feel a little like I'm trapped in high school. Plus I'm actually starting to gain some weight and they're getting snug."

He said, "It takes a while to prepare the wood so it's ready to make anything, but we've got some old boards stockpiled. Maybe we should mill some new stuff now, so you can see the whole process."

They piled up the logs in the shed. Robbie was freakishly strong, even though he looked like a normal, even slightly out of shape middle aged guy. He'd carry a stack of logs in while she struggled to move one at a time. When they were finished, she jumped in the seat and said, "I'll drive!"

"I'll ride the fender." He sat up behind her and they putted through the woods looking for a prime candidate. He tapped her on the shoulder and she stopped and idled the tractor down. They walked off the path to check it out.

She asked, "What kind of tree is this? I know one type now, Maple, so this will be two."

The black walnut snapped at the base during a windstorm, but it was hung up in nearby trees. Robbie said, "This is a walnut--it probably fell a few weeks ago."

"How do we get it down?" She asked.

"It looks like we can pick up the base with the front loader, then it will fall. Let me handle this, if you don't mind. Take notes, though!"

He drove the tractor near the base of the tree and worked the bucket underneath. He delicately lifted it and jogged the tree back in little steps. Finally the small branches holding it up snapped and the trunk thudded to the ground. Amy cheered, "Whooo!" She brought the chainsaws and safety gear down. He measured out 10 foot sections and notched them with the saw blade.

"Do you want to take a crack at running the big saw? It's really not that different from the other one."

"Holy shit, it's heavy, but I think I can do it." She felt some fear as she started the motor. The saw had a lot more power than the one she'd been using, but once she had it in the log, it was well balanced and she let the engine do all the work. Robbie knocked a wedge into the tree after she was about halfway through, and eventually the log was free. He rolled it out of the way with a log roller.

They got two ten foot sections loaded onto the trailer and she drove back to the mill. A few hours later they had several boards. The wood was a beautiful dark brown color swirled with almost black grain. Amy couldn't stop touching its surface. It was like the tree had a secret it was now sharing with she and Robbie for the first time.

Tears started rolling down her face. She put her head on her arm and sobbed on the walnut boards. Robbie rubbed her back and she turned around and cried in his arms. Robbie asked her, "Hey, what's going on?"

She wiped her eyes. "Man, I really don't know. It's just so beautiful. Something about it really hit me hard."

"I think I understand, a little anyway." He said.

They painted the ends of the boards with some white latex paint to prevent them from drying too quickly, then they stacked the boards in a kiln and strapped them into tight bundles. He closed the doors and flipped a switch. A fan started blowing air around the boards and a heater started warming up the enclosure. He smiled and said, "I built this thing when I was fifteen."

She nodded and bit her lower lip. He could tell she was forming a thought. "Robbie, your life is really cool. You help people and build things. I'm not sure what could be better."

"What would make life better right now is some food. I'm starving. That reminds me, Thanksgiving is coming up, let's figure out what Tracy is doing, maybe we'll do the whole spread."

## Chapter Eight

The week before Thanksgiving break was plodding by for Tracy. Unlike public school, where everyone was in class until the Friday before the break, the girls began disappearing from Tweedy Pines in the weeks before each holiday.

She asked Bethany, "Why are we still here?" and pulled her phone out.

She texted Robbie. "Come get me!!!!!!"

Bethany said, "I'm here for the duration. I like the quiet campus. Hey, you coming to the Madher Turkey Genocide?"

"I'll ask my Uncle. Thanksgiving on the Farm has always been so great, but without my parents there, it won't be the same." She sighed.

"I hope you can make it!"

When Robbie, Amy and Perry pulled into the parking lot at Tweedy Pines, they saw Tracy's red hair bouncing on her head as she sprinted across the field toward them. Once she got to the lot, she waved her hands over her head in excitement. Amy popped the door open and Tracy dove in onto her lap like she was making a getaway. She said, "Go! Go! Go!"

They got back to the Farm and Tracy rolled the window down and put her head out in the chill air. "I love this place."

She got out of the truck and danced around on the gravel. Amy beckoned her from Robbie's workshop, "Come see what we built!"

The smell of drying finish was still strong in the room. A couple new walnut bookshelves were standing in the middle of the room and some jewelry boxes were being assembled on the workbench.

Tracy asked, "Did you do these, Amy? They're really great."

Amy said, "I helped. I came up with the idea for the jewelry boxes. I'm learning, but Robbie's got all the skills."

Tracy hugged her hard, "Real people, doing real things! I love it."

Amy shrugged, "You want to know something really amazing? I never knew it was even possible for me to do these things. I really lived like a shadow in the world, before. It's sort of like I was never really fully born until I came up here."

Tracy looked at her and tried hard to understand. She scrunched up her face and asked, "Why do you think that is?"

Amy thought a while and said, "I still don't really know the answer to that question. I've been thinking about it a lot since I started to feel good. I'm realizing a lot of the little small talk that Robbie makes is full of clues and hints." She imitated his voice and mannerisms, rubbing an imaginary beard. "Amy, the sun shines on this field and makes the hay grow, we just do our bit."

Tracy laughed, "That was a good impression!"

Amy's face got serious. "My family was a lot different. I'm not sure if my parents really _knew_ anything. I imagine some ancestor did. We lived in a nice big house, but honestly, I have no idea where it came from."

Tracy's eyes got big and she slapped Amy's arm. "You should find out!"

Amy nodded. "I think you're right." She pointed at Tracy to emphasize, "Yeah, really, that'd help complete the picture. There are some boxes of pictures and letters in the attic back at my parents' place."

Tracy started tugging Amy's arm and led her back into the house. They found Robbie stoking a fire in the kitchen fireplace. Perry was lounging on the stone floor and Tracy sat on the hearth stones. She asked, "What are we doing on Turkey day? Bethany asked us to go to the Madher's house."

Robbie dug through a pile of mail on the counter. "I almost forgot about this." He handed her an envelope.

She opened it and found an invitation. She said, "That's fancy. We are invited to _Give_ _Thanks for a Bountiful Year_ at the Madher's home, blah, blah. They live in a castle, by the way."

Amy looked at the card. "Wow, that's a nice invitation. I've never been to a castle before."

Robbie said, "I leave it up to you guys to decide."

Tracy made a suggestion, "How about we go to the Madher's _then_ we go to Amy's."

Amy nodded, "That sounds good."

Robbie said, "Road trip with the girls! This will be fun."

A valet service took Robbie's keys and the driver sped off in the M1008 pickup. Robbie checked out the facade of the Madher's mansion and told Tracy, "You weren't kidding about a castle."

The grounds of the mansion were buzzing with people. Hundreds of people were in attendance and Robbie, Tracy, and Amy followed a throng of new arrivals to a ballroom at the back of the house. A gaggle of former pro athletes were holding court near the end of the buffet line and were surrounded by a crowd of admirers. Familiar faces from local TV wandered around, and Heather and Charlie Madher circulated among the crowd.

Bethany found them waiting in line. "You made it!" She was genuinely enthusiastic to see Tracy. "You guys don't have to wait in line, follow me."

They went through doors into the kitchen where a catering company was preparing trays. Bethany said, "Get it hot and fresh," she gave them all plates and they loaded up their food. She winked at them, "You wanna hang with me or mingle with the masses?"

They followed her into a quiet greenhouse. The warm humid smell of green things greeted them. Bethany announced, "This is my favorite place to be when I'm here. I love plants."

Robbie asked, "Do you have a green thumb?"

Bethany looked at her hand. "Dunno. The gardener looks after this."

Tracy said, "Bethany is a great singer."

Bethany rolled her eyes, "Oh, pshaw." She pretended to dismiss the compliment, then said, "Thanks, Tracy! She's got to listen to me all the time. It's good she likes it, otherwise she could smother me in my sleep!"

Bethany's phone buzzed. "This house is so big, my mom can't find me. Next she'll send a maid, but lemme text her." She groaned.

A few minutes later Heather greeted them all. She said, "You must be the famous Uncle Robbie." She shook his hand and kissed his cheek.

"Nice to meet you, Heather." he said.

She patted Amy's shoulder and asked, "I haven't had the pleasure to meet you. I really like your hair."

Tracy said, "This is our good friend Amy."

Amy was beaming, "I really liked that TV show, _Dark Alliance_."

Heather laughed, "Oh man! Blast from my past. You just took me back to when I was about your age. Oh! The stories I could tell." Everyone chuckled.

Heather's smile faded, and her face turned serious. She paused a moment then said, "Hey Robbie, can I talk to you a minute?"

He nodded and followed her into the greenhouse. She said, "First off, I want to tell you, I miss Telia. I was just getting to know her better." She sighed heavily.

Robbie nodded and said gravely, "It really was a big shock to us all."

Heather continued, "Telia and Matt were doing really important, ground breaking work. She showed me that gizmo--that big metal ball. I was wondering what happened to it. My husband and I would be really interested in helping to continue their work and legacy."

Robbie tried to hide any reaction, but his jaw stiffened slightly. He said, "Matt's co-researchers dismantled the reflector out of respect for Matt. As far as I know, all research has been shelved."

She looked at the floor for a few moments, then said. "What would it take to start the research again? It was one of the most incredible experiences I've had in my life, and frankly, I've had more than my fair share of incredible experiences."

Robbie hated to slam the door on any kind of project, but the reflector had been Matt's life's work, and he was conflicted about revealing anything, even incidentally. He thought a moment then finally said, "Here's my proposal. I'll confer with Matt's associates and let you know what they think."

She nodded. "That's fair. I really hate to push on this, but I need to ask one more thing: was it Matt's intellectual property? If so, maybe they don't really need to be involved."

Robbie was surprised. He'd pigeonholed her as just a pretty face and some arm candy for Charles Madher, but he started to wonder if he should cultivate the relationship. He tried to explain his position. "Heather, we, and when I say 'we' I mean my family and our network of friends. We don't work that way. When we do research, any kind of research, it's not done in the framework of corporate ownership for the sake of making _money_. That said, we don't just turn this work over to anyone. We choose to work with people based on relationships, trust, friendship, and a common cause."

Heather inspected Robbie's face. She'd encountered all sorts of people during her adult life: artists, intellectuals, nobel prize winners, actors and since she married Charlie, she'd become used to easily influencing people as they sought access to the money she controlled. However, Robbie and the Wells family were in a new category to her. She felt like she'd been riding the Madher family tectonic plate, and it just collided with another continent. She smiled warmly and said, "I respect that approach. I look forward to hearing back from you about it. Keep in touch." She gave him a peck on the cheek and left them to their food.

Tracy asked, "What was that about?"

Robbie said, "She's interested in some work your dad was doing."

Amy asked, "What work?"

Robbie said, "He was really interested in how the mind works and connects to the world. He discovered some new things. I can explain some of it, but he was way, way out there."

Amy nodded and swallowed a bite of stuffing. "Oh! Like the phone number trick."

Bethany was intrigued. "What is that?"

Amy laughed. "Let me see if I can do it." She sang Matt's phone number to them. They all blinked and slightly shook their head.

Bethany put her fingers on her temples. "I see it in my mind! Dude! That is so cool."

Robbie pointed at Amy, "Yeah! Exactly like that kind of thing, but even more out there. That memory trick was part of his initial research."

They finished their meals, but before a food coma set in, Robbie stood up and said, "Well, I hate to eat and Run, Bethany, but we need to hit the road. We're heading south like geese and we need to go pick up the dog."

Bethany sighed heavily and hugged Tracy and Amy and shook Robbie's hand. "Thanks for coming Trace. Have a nice rest of your break. I'll text you later."

Bethany led them to the front doors and Heather caught up as they waited for the valet to return with the car. They waved bye as Robbie drove away. Heather said to Bethany, "I love that family! We should hang out with them sometime, get away from all this fancy schmancy."

Bethany nodded, "No doubt! Tracy's cool. I'll ask her about it."

## Chapter Nine

Roger Burnham was a relatively new member of the Brotherhood, and American Funding was his first position in the organization. The Brotherhood provided his career a much needed boost. He'd been stuck as a VP at a regional Colorado bank for six years, but the Brotherhood moved him to a top spot almost immediately after he joined. Most of American Funding's revenues were generated from its money laundering operation. The company made loans to small businesses all over the United States, and those businesses paid the loans back with drug money.

Roger liked to get into the office before anybody else did. He felt it was his responsibility to be there first since he was the CEO, and that meant he needed to leave his house by 7:30AM to beat the morning rush. The rumble of the garage door marked the start of his day. He jogged down the steps into his three car garage and clicked the unlock button on his Porsche Cayenne.

He was mostly bald, and what remained of his salt and pepper hair was cropped close to his pudgy head. He usually wore a suit into the office, but since it was casual Friday, he was in khakis and a shiny green golf shirt.

He had a song stuck in his head and mumble sang it.

Turn the tables with our unity

They're neither moral nor majority

Wake up and smell the coffee

Or just say no to individuality

"Hey Roger!" A man's voice boomed out through the open garage door. Roger stumbled in his surprise and fright and almost dropped his coffee on the ground.

Roger said, "Jesus! What are you guys doing out there? Get inside!"

Three men were waiting for him. They strolled into the garage and Roger closed the door.

"What's going on, Mitch?" Roger asked in a loud whisper.

Mitch was a former basketball player in high school and for his two years in college. He was tall and even though he was in his late forties, he was still lean and muscular. He habitually wore a long black leather jacket and a black T-shirt and black jeans. A goatee and slicked back hair completed his look. His two associates walked over to the other side of the garage and turned on an air-compressor.

Roger eyed them nervously. "I said, what's going on here?"

"There's rumors going around that you're talking to the FBI."

Roger's eyes got big. "Who the hell is saying that? That's bullshit. I have as much to lose as any of you! Why would I?"

Mitch said, "You finance pukes think you're going to shove us out of the trade? It's always disgusted me to work with you paper shufflers. Fucking parasites."

Roger retorted, "Right. So much more noble to sell heroin to high schoolers. Give me a break, Mitch. This makes absolutely no sense. Why would I want to ruin a good thing?"

Mitch shrugged, "I dunno. People are always scratching and clawing to be on top. Got to defend our little patch of ground."

Roger was stuck between two of his cars. Mitch was blocking the garage door side and his two associates were blocking the house side. His heart started racing and he felt like he was going to lose control of his bowels or throw up.

"Mitch, this is crazy, what can I do to convince you it's a lie?"

Mitch said, "Come here Roger." He motioned for Roger to join him and subtly nodded to the two thugs. Roger took a step, and then the two men were on his back and hooked him under the armpits with a strong grip.

He dropped his briefcase and his steel coffee tumbler thudded on the concrete and the black fluid leaked out. The two men slammed Roger against the garage door. Roger pleaded, "I can get you guys millions, each. Millions! Untraceable."

Mitch's face hardened, "You assholes with your fucking digits. Millions. Five percent. Compound interest. Blah blah blah. It's not all _just business_. What about respect? Honor?" Mitch pulled an framing nailer from a pegboard on the garage wall and clicked the air hose on. It made a loud sniffing sound as some air escaped.

"Jesus! Mitch. What the fuck. Jesus!!!!" Roger screamed as the first nail went through his arm into the garage door.

Mitch worked quickly. The nails bashed through flesh and bone. It took a lot of nails to keep Roger stuck to the door, but mercifully, he passed out after the second one shot through his arm. Mitch finished him off with a nail to the head. Mitch muttered, "Asshole."

Roger's wife ran out into the garage and screamed. She remained by the house door and stared at the scene in terror.

Mitch was shaking with adrenaline but he managed to calm down in spite of the screams. He stopped his thugs from going after her and held up both hands and said calmly but firmly, "Lady, we got no argument here. Roger was under a lot of stress and decided to take his own life. We tried to stop him, but he just wouldn't listen. That's what you saw, too? Right? I mean you've got a beautiful home and a beautiful family. Your daughter Stacy, she's a pretty girl. It's a real shame he left youz all behind. You hear what I'm saying, right?"

She nodded and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, yeah... I hear it."

Mitch made a pistol shooting motion at her. "You're smart. Well, have a good day. Our condolences." They filed out the side door and piled into a black SUV and drove away.

## Chapter Ten

Matt and Telia's Thanksgiving meal with Francis, Owen, and Samantha was subdued. A light snow turned the ground to mottled green and white and the sky was a cold and austere blue. They had an excellent meal, but the celebration made each of them feel homesick.

In the days that followed, Matt, Owen, Francis, Samantha and Telia continued their work. Their careful and well timed persuasion touched off a war within the Brotherhood's structure between the drug cartels and the financial arm of the organization.

Francis collected news stories and Internet reports about the result of their activities. Seemingly unrelated events were actually joined together by their invisible hand. Financial executives were dying all around the world, and the cause of their death was invariably reported as suicide when in fact they were casualties of a war within the Brotherhood. The FBI and DEA were making record drug busts, and drug cartels came under assault from mercenaries working for the financial arm of the Brotherhood. Cartel gang violence erupted in Latin America and even in cities in the United States.

The ultimate goal, however, remained murky and distant. It was not clear what impact their efforts were having on the Beast, and the violence weighed heavily on them. Innocent people were invariably caught up in the destruction, and the carnage was slowly closing in on Wall Street. As a heavy snowfall blanketed the Lodge, the group prepared to unleash a financial tsunami.

Francis paced the floor of the barn. He was alternating between chewing his fingernails and drinking a tumbler that was full of whiskey and ice. After weeks of watching Matt, Telia, and Owen make the trip to the other side, Francis finally decided to take a turn.

Matt told him, "When you first cross over, the strangeness of the experience might just knock you back. If you can remain calm and focused you can stay over there, though."

Francis climbed into the center of the reflector and put the headset on and relaxed. He thought he knew what to expect, but when he closed his eyes and awoke in another world, he was amazed.

Samantha, Louis and Telia greeted him.

He said, "Alright. I feel like I really missed out by putting this off for so long! So is this really my own dream?"

Samantha kissed him on the lips and brushed her fingers through his wavy hair. "Yes, it's like we're all dreaming together." Her touch was like an electric arc that crackled along his entire spine.

He asked Samantha, "Can I, um, touch you?"

She nodded and he tentatively touched her face. She felt real to him. She appeared to be wearing a fluffy fur coat and a tight white sweater. She purred, "Don't stop there. Be bold!"

He ventured a hand underneath the coat. She felt hot, her body was warmer than a human's but her flesh was soft and firm and very human. He started getting lost in the sensation, but pulled himself together,and said, "That's nice. But, alright, let's get right to work. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to remain focused."

Samantha rolled her eyes, "Always with the grubby business!"

Francis felt her reach through him and in a moment she pulled them all to a bleak, sandy, windswept place. The sky was charcoal black, and the scene was lit with only a ghostly glow. He was astounded at the change in the scenery. "Where in the world is this?"

Telia answered, "It's really not a where in geographical terms, but this corresponds to Wall Street, more or less. Bleak as hell. Washington DC is the same."

Samantha said, "Arcadia's so nice because we're all there and Matt's breathed new life into it. So now there are streams, beaches, meadows, a sunny sky. However, the Beast is really strong in these bleak places. It's consumed the gods and souls of the people."

Francis was perplexed, "You know, I've been listening to you guys for weeks now. I see this, it is literally here in front of my eyes, well, my mind's eyes. But, how does it _work._ I mean, what's the mechanism that feeds the Beast?"

Samantha put her hand on the side of his head. "It's about the minds of all the people and things that connect them to this bleakness. Money, for example, countless people are devoting their entire being to the pursuit of _digits_. This feeds the Beast. Apparently, just as I nudged and coaxed Matt's family, the Beast does the same thing with others. Just as we're now working with Seth to defeat the Beast, Seth once worked with the Beast to displace me."

He nodded and said, "So how do we do our mission?"

Telia said, "We wait for the Beast to arrive to talk to his disciples. You see the shadows shimmering here on the sand? It's the Disciples, I think their human counterparts are in a conference room. If you concentrate on Jimmy Pearls, you'll actually see him."

Francis concentrated and a shimmering form appeared. Jimmy Pearls was a man in an expensive tailored suit with white coiffed hair. He exuded an easy manner and had a weirdly plump and youthful face for an older man. Jimmy piloted a vast and old Wall Street Investment Bank--PJ Gormans. Touching off a conflict between the drug cartels and the investment banks would create a tsunami in the global financial markets, and that's what they intended to do.

A shadow swarmed overhead, like a million black birds swirling in a dark sky. Telia, Samantha and Francis perceived a hissing sound as it flowed into the men. The shadows that marked the seated men jiggled and shifted as it whispered.

Francis could make out the syllables. It spoke to him directly. "It's all lies. You are being conned. These shadows are a trick of Samantha. She is the true snake. You were meant to be more than an errand boy and a servant." He felt cold, and anger flowed through him.

As the beast departed, he felt Samantha flow through him like a warm stream of honey, and he heard her whispers to the men in the conference room. He made out a few words, "Transfer cartel money."

He snapped back to the barn and normal consciousness.

He heard Matt through the headset. "Welcome back! You were over a long time."

Francis shook his head and looked at his hands and patted his arms and chest. Telia was sitting on the couch near the control panel. She breathed deeply and shook her head like she was coming up from a deep dive into a pool.

Telia said, "That was different. Something strange happened."

Francis jumped down the last few ladder steps to the floor. "It was very weird. I heard the Beast! I saw it too. It's really like a swarm of thousands of shadows, like reptilian scales."

Telia said, "I felt those whispers, but I couldn't make them out."

"Why could I understand it?" Francis rubbed his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "It said Samantha is trying to trick us." Everyone looked at Telia. She didn't seem concerned.

Matt asked, "Do you feel anything? Like when Samantha touches us, it's sort of like warm electricity."

Francis shrugged and said, "I don't know, maybe something. It was more like listening to a phone call than talking to a person."

Owen said, "Now it knows about us. I think we can assume that."

Francis said, "I agree, Owen. We really need to step things up. Maybe we need to take out the men in that room."

Matt asked, "Is it even feasible for us to do that? It's quite possible it doesn't really know anything about us at all. Maybe it just makes you hear things."

Owen stood up and walked around the room. "I think we need to act as if we've been compromised."

Francis nodded, "I think we need to assume the worst."

Matt put his fingers together in front of his face and pondered their options. "There's a difference between being exposed over there, where time and space aren't really significant, and being exposed over here, where we would be rolled up within hours of being discovered. I think acting directly against those men is more physically dangerous for us than battling the Beast on the other side."

Francis groaned and shook his hands. "Matt, I think the die has already been cast on this one. We might still have the initiative and might be able to shape events instead of trying to react when it's already too late. They're probably searching us out right now!"

Telia responded calmly, "It doesn't work like that, Francis. We can see them because we already know who they are, and how they're connected, plus Samantha's, our guide. What if the way you feel now--panicked, wanting to murder is the equivalent to how Samantha makes us feel--all horny and inquisitive?"

"Hmmmm." Francis stopped. "I started to feel this way over there."

Matt added, "Francis, maybe you're more susceptible to its influence than we are. We've had Samantha influencing my family for hundreds of years, apparently, so maybe we're shielded somehow."

Telia said, "Well, more years than that, I think."

Francis frowned and slumped into a chair. "Fuck my life! Why do y'all have a goddess in your life?" he said. He felt small and alone.

Telia sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped her arms around his head and hugged him to her breast. "I _am_ in your life, Francis. It's up to you to accept me or not."

He sighed and pushed her back. "Telia, Samantha, whatever, I mean why _them_ , why not my family?"

She said, "Francis, your family once had a Samantha of your own. She was taken from you or you left her. It is really just an accident of history that I'm still around and with the Wells family."

Francis put his head in his hands. "This is all so crazy. I thought I was prepared to experience it."

Owen patted him on the shoulder. "You did really well, Francis. You discovered new things that might be of vital importance in our struggle."

Francis nodded and said, "That is true."

Matt scribbled in his notebook. He emphatically pointed at Francis and Owen. "You're right, you're totally right Owen. We need more information about this thing, and apparently, Francis, you're the only one of us who can get it."

# EPISODE THREE -- Cold Break

Present Day

## Chapter One

Demetria ripped the covers off the bed. "Our people need us! Get up!" She clapped her hands. She threw a golden yellow dress over her head. She tossed Tracy a bundle of wildflowers that were bound with some rubber bands. "Help me with my hair, then I'll do yours."

Morgan got dressed. He carefully fed his cast through the sweatshirt then stepped into his boxers. Demetria tutted. "Morgan, you're a man of letters and knowledge, _and_ my defender, but you look like you could be living in a barrel!"

"Like Diogenes?" He smiled.

"He was an amazing man!" Her eyes grew large. "His name still lives. That's good."

Morgan put his cast hand to his head. "I can't believe it! Did you actually know him? I've been investigating this group with my friend Alfonse--we're calling them Club Diogenes. I have a gold coin that they made five hundred years ago. There's a picture of him on it."

Demetria sat in a rickety wooden chair in front of a mirror while Tracy threaded flowers into her braids. Demetria looked into the mirror and spoke to Morgan. "I heard stories about him when he was alive. I never met him, unfortunately. It was much harder to travel in those days. I wonder..." She tapped her chin and was deep in thought. The hair on Tracy and Morgan's necks stood up and they looked at eachother.

Morgan asked, "What was that?"

Demetria waved her hand, "Oh sorry! I was searching for him. You two can feel me move through the other world. I couldn't find him, though. He only lives on in his words and stories."

Tracy asked, "When you searched for him, was that like when I moved through you?"

She nodded, "Yes. It's quite similar."

"Can I do that, too?" Tracy wondered.

"You already did it, but I helped you." Demetria said. She groaned and stood up. "There's so much for us to do and so much for you to understand! Unfortunately, the initiation takes time."

Tracy took the seat, then Demetria began weaving purple and white wildflowers into Tracy's red hair. Demetria smiled nostalgically and said, "In the days when Diogenes was alive, the gods were as close to men and women as I am to you, now. That is how to produce people like Diogenes. Do you see?"

Tracy looked back at her in the mirror. "I am just starting to understand, that's why I'm here, now."

When she was finished with the flowers, Demetria said, "We have work to do. It's also a lesson, so pay heed."

Work on the farm was already in full swing when they walked down the steps of the converted barn. Amy saw them, trotted over and asked, "How did you do it? Is it a trick? I just noticed it this morning."

Demetria smiled sweetly and put an arm around her shoulders. "Show me what you're talking about."

Amy led them back to the field where Demetria had the girls sing. A miniature Ohio prairie of goldenrod, ironweed, and purple coneflower grew from the stubble field and blossomed overnight. She gestured at the field, "How's that possible? Did you truck it in or something?"

Demetria replied, "I felt this would happen, and these flowers are lovely, but once we engage in this dance, we have to pay close attention. If we did this daily, the whole field will bloom, but by spring, it would be too tired to be useful for crops. It will take a full season to show you the basics."

Demetria got on her knee and patted the ground. Amy took off her work gloves and knelt down next to her and touched the soil with her bare hand. Demetria put her hand on Amy's back and studied her face. Amy said, "I do notice the different feeling. I can't even put it into words, though."

Demetria said, "I would like to do this ceremony again, on the far side of this field. I want to show Tracy and Morgan how it works. I think as you each gain some understanding, you'll be able to help each other increase your understanding and will be able to teach others as well."

They stumped across the field. Demetria walked barefoot over the clumps of soil, and the girls, Amy, Tracy and Morgan followed her.

Demetria instructed them all, but directed her words and attention at Amy, Tracy and Morgan. "The field, these trees, they are alive and _aware_. Their mind is so different from ours, though, that we can only connect in a very basic way. Poetry is like a bridge that reaches part of the way across this connection, but our really deep understanding of it doesn't need words." She touched each of them on the chest. "The song completes this connection. You'll feel it."

Demetria had the girls sing. The harmony gave them all gooseflesh and they felt the energy flow. Amy looked at Tracy with disbelief on her face. She said, "Dude! Did you feel that?"

Tracy nodded. She felt she could touch the flow and put her hand out and moved it slowly through the air aiming her palm at the ground at the trees, the girls, the sky and at Demetria. Her eyes widened. She said, "Demetria, somehow it's _you_. I feel it."

The song ended and Demetria shrugged. "That's how it works. I think all of you will be able to do this, too."

Morgan laughed and gripped Demetria's shoulders. "Yoda, you are much better looking these days."

Demetria scrunched her nose. "What are you talking about?"

Morgan said, "For once, we have a thing to teach you!"

Tracy rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you mean _Star Wars_?"

Morgan said, "Hey, don't knock it. I'm going to bring my box set down here. We're going to watch it."

They spent the rest of the day talking with the people on the farm. Amy kept observing and noted how Demetria always left them smiling and feeling better. As day turned to dusk, Morgan and Tracy prepared for the long walk back to the Farm.

Demetria told Morgan, "You must come back next time to stay longer. It's too hard when you're away. I _need_ your company. These people need you, too."

He agreed. "I will be back to stay. I need to get a few things, but I'll be back in a day or two."

She gave Tracy a kiss. "Tracy, I need you too, but I know your life is at your wonderful farm. Next time you come, bring your friends. I want to show more people how we can live like this."

Tracy agreed. "I will!"

Amy hugged them both and waved bye, "Say hi to Robbie for me, I hope he can visit sometime soon!"

As darkness fell, they began the trek back home.

## Chapter Two

"Holy Moly, you're still up?" Chloe flopped onto the couch. Keith Marte was kicked back in his favorite lounge chair, sipping a beer and watching TV with the sound turned way down. He shut the set off.

"Same as you. Couldn't sleep." He said.

She sighed and said, "I think I am totally used to having Tracy around. It's weirdly too quiet, and I keep expecting her to walk through the door at any moment. I didn't know what I was missing being an only child!"

"I know what you mean. You two only-children make good sisters. Plus, if you're like me, it takes a while to wind down from big events."

"Yeah, that too, but I was just hoping to suppress that conversation and those thoughts." She said. She spun her hair in her fingers.

"I don't want to sound too much like an after school special here, but maybe suppressing that stuff isn't a good idea."

"Maybe therapy?" She asked.

He shrugged, "It can be helpful."

She paused a while, then put on a little girl voice. "Papa, can I ask you a question?"

He laughed, and said " _d'accord_."

She tapped her chin for a few seconds.

He said, "Any time, now...."

"I was just trying to formulate it... Am I a normal kid? Am I like a genetic experiment or something. Where's mom anyway?"

He made a "time out" motion with his hands. "Whoa! Where did this come from?"

She sat up and eyed him. "All my life, I've taken certain things for granted. I'm a good athlete, I'm smart, and you taught me a lot of skills."

Keith smiled goofily and said, "Plus you're modest."

She pointed at him in mock seriousness. "I am being serious. However, there's something that's different about me. When Yuri tried to kill me, it was like he was moving a thousand times slower than me. It was like I could have done my calculus homework, taken a shower, and texted Tracy a couple of times before he even moved."

Keith shrugged, "Adrenaline! When you're under that kind of stress, the body does amazing things. Maybe you make good use of it."

She said, "What about mom? Was there anything unusual about her?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "Honey, I see where you're going with this. Was Mom a Demetria? Is that what you're asking?"

She was suddenly embarrassed. "When you put it like that, it sounds crazy. And you're right. That's where I was going."

He put up a hand and said, "A couple of months ago, I would have said you _are_ crazy, but the things we've experienced lately... Well, I have a more open mind."

She asked, "Well, so what about her? I just don't even remember much."

Keith rubbed his chin and said, "Well, you know me, I'm not exactly prudent when it comes to... How to put it? Affairs of the heart?"

She looked sideways at him and deadpanned, "No kidding. Let's not dwell on that, though."

"I met your mom when I was 22, and even dumber than I am today. I won't bore you with the details of our courtship..."

She interjected, "More like disgust me!"

He laughed, "Right. Anyway, in LA, there are a lot of beautiful people who are just _there_. Maybe they're aspiring actors, writers, whatever. That was your mom. Somehow I fell into their scene. We quote, unquote dated for a week, and she wanted to get married, so we did."

She groaned. "Only a week! Geez. Dad!"

He drained the bottle and stood up. "You want one?"

Her eyes got big, "Daddy Daughter bonding through beer! Yes I do!"

He handed her a beer and they clinked their bottles together. She said, "Please go on. I need details, not gross details, but details. I mean was she like Demetria? I mean, I love Demetria, and she's really sweet, but she's so far outside the norm, basically everything she does is strange."

Keith thought about it. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't prove anything. That's like half the people I knew back in those days. Very eccentric, interesting people. An actress at the apartment complex where I lived in would just to the pool, totally nude, and tan. You want to know something really interesting, it's actually quite difficult to chat-up a beautiful nude woman. The Taliban's got it all twisted with the burka thing."

Chloe groaned at his chauvinism. She urged him on, "Well, so what happened?"

He said, "Well your mom got pregnant almost immediately, which was actually pretty nice. I think that's how we're really built to work. New love, the honeymoon period, pregnancy, it's all like this chemical bath of niceness. Then you were born. She was good to you and me, but..."

She said, "I knew a 'but' was coming."

Keith nodded, "...But, domestic life, well, monogamy wasn't for her, to put it nicely, so we tried a few different _arrangements_. I doubt you even remember. You were like two or three."

She sighed and said, "Well, as much as I don't want to hear it, I think it's crucial to the story. What were these 'arrangements'?"

His face turned bright red and he put his forehead in his hands. He said, "Remember, this was LA and we were young and foolish. Proper context is important. Also, it always felt wrong to me. I am a normal schmoe from a normal, semi-happy nuclear family." He took a big gulp of beer and continued. "I will leave out the details, but let's just say, one man wasn't enough. One woman wasn't enough for her."

Chloe's face went red and she thought about Tracy stripping her clothes off at Morgan's. She said, "Dad... Youth, it's what happens, I guess...."

He shrugged, "Well, you're right. She was, well, very interesting, but I couldn't take it, and with you there, it was just too weird. That's what broke us up."

She was angry, "Well, why'd she just leave _me_?"

Keith shrugged, "I don't know. I insisted she spend time with you, but she just drifted away. She missed out on so much, but like I said, she was never very domestic. She couldn't stand to be tied down. Maybe we should look her up."

Chloe said, "I've thought about that a lot over the years, of course."

Keith studied her face and asked, "Well, what is your conclusion? I am curious all the time what happened to her. I would like to know. I think it's even possible you could get her back into your life. Find out all these things first hand."

Chloe shrugged. "I guess I'll think about it. You know, there's another family option, too."

"What?" he said.

"Well, now Tracy's like my adopted sister. Robbie's like my adopted Uncle. Demetria's well, she's a little odd, but good, and I'm not sure exactly what she is to me. Why look for someone who abandoned me and not just be content with people who really love little old me for who I am?"

"Those are wise words." He saluted her and said, "But... Think about it anyway. It might be good to do it earlier rather than later in life. It probably wouldn't even take that long to find her."

She took a drink and was quiet a moment. She said, "OK. Let's do it."

## Chapter Three

Morgan and Tracy were far along in their walk before either of them spoke. Finally Morgan said, "Well, we both chose more crazy, right?"

She patted his shoulder and he saw her face smiling in the blue glow of the night sky. She still had flowers in her hair. She said, "Well, that's true, but, I was thinking about this for the past hour. It's only 'crazy' if you think what we're doing is a departure from a life we're going to return to. I don't think of it that way. I think that's wrong. _This_ is our life now."

He stopped in his tracks and considered for a moment and looked at her face. He grunted in agreement. "I hadn't really thought of it that way."

She continued, "That's what Demetria means when she says, you're all mixed and not distilled. She tries to burn off the inessential Morgan and Tracy. That's really why we all fucked. It's a sort of ritual."

"I'm glad you can see these things. I don't pick up on it as well, but when you get it, I get it, too."

She said, "Good. I don't think you embrace it fully, yet. You're still stuck, maybe." She grabbed his cock and put a hand on his chest. He tensed up. She said, "See, I knew it! The inessential Morgan part is still pretty strong."

He was confused, "What is the inessential Morgan?"

She said, "Man, this is cool. I actually _see_ it. Alright dude, right now, there are two Morgans. There's one at the Demetria end of this path, and another at the Chardon end. The Chardon one is a _boy_ who has a mom and dad with plans for him, a school that has plans for him, he worries about fucking me while I am dating Richard and so on. At the Demetria end, you're the consort of a goddess who can gaze into other worlds and fertilize the Earth with songs. When you're ironic as you so often are, that's the boy talking. When I grab your dick and you tense up, it's the boy that's worried about all the stuff on the Chardon end of this path."

"This might sound boyish," he said, "But how _should_ I respond to you?"

She put her arm around his shoulder and kissed him. She said. "I went into that other world with you. Did you go there?"

"Yes, but only when I was recovering from surgery and tripping balls on pain meds. I didn't go when we were all fucking. I take this consort job very seriously, and it requires concentration and attention to detail." He chuckled.

"Well, let's try again." She said and undid his pants and pushed him down onto the ground. "This time, I'm driving." She hiked her dress up and mounted him.

He complained, "Hey! I think if you want to go to other worlds, you're going to need to slow down, or well, I'll run out of fuel for travel."

She nodded, "Yeah, I watched how she manages you. Sorry, I was getting too eager." She slowed down and concentrated on the sensation of him filling her up. She cooed and brushed his chin. She whispered, "Do you feel that energy? Sort of warm and gooey and really, really good. I think we can follow it." She closed her eyes in bliss, but then blurted out, "You are getting too close!" and slapped him.

"Hey!" He said. "Don't do that, please."

"You have a job to do here!" She was surprisingly sharp with her tone, but then softened her face and said, "But I do love you too, so there's that. Sorry."

He watched her face as she started to reach across. She broke into a delirious smile. He felt her coming and he breathed and controlled himself as Demetria had taught. He felt a ripple of electricity course through his body, and as he came, he felt they were both in the meadow on the other side.

She laughed and leaned forward onto him. "Whew! You rocked my world. You literally just fucked me into another plane of consciousness, stud, but that was just a short trip."

He said, "I was there, too, just briefly."

She said, "Yep, I tried to drag you over. I will have to try this myself some time, but you did good work, and we will have to do this again.... and again, and again." She laughed.

He laughed, "You're going to kill old Morgan."

She said, "That's the idea!"

They got up and held hands as they walked along the hidden roads and trails that took them back to the Farm.

## Chapter Four

Tracy drove back to the Marte's condo in the morning. Keith went into the office early and Chloe was lounging around.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tracy announced.

Chloe jogged over and hugged her. "We missed you, really, we did. I actually did not sleep very well at all. So, if I'm a little zombie-esque today, that's why."

"That'll make two of us. I'm so tired. In two days we walked forty miles."

Chloe said, "I love the flowers in your hair, though, they're wilting a little bit. Nice colors."

Tracy said, "Can you pull them out?"

She sat on the floor while Chloe carefully undid Demetria's handiwork. Chloe asked, "So, what was it like down there?"

Tracy plopped on the couch and put her head in Chloe's lap. "Well, it was really intense and interesting, and strange, at least from my prior perspective. I think I was drawn down there. It's a farm with some cool people who live there, but of course being around Demetria is like rocket fuel, baby." She smiled giddily.

Chloe stretched and said, "I'm glad I'm so tired, because I want to ask you something completely crazy, and it's always easier to do that when loopy."

Tracy just nodded, "The crazier the better."

Chloe shrugged, "OK, here it goes. Am I one of _them_?"

Tracy studied her face. "You mean, like Demetria?"

Chloe was embarrassed and covered her face for a moment, then continued on, "I just wonder. Remember the shooting range?"

Tracy nodded and said. "Yeah, that really was impressive, but I bet there are lots of people that can do that."

Chloe sighed, "Well, you know I'm always saying Dad taught me this or that... Well, he took me to the range the first time, I already _knew_ how to shoot. I pretended like he taught me. Also I don't really do judo. I took judo classes, but I already knew all that, and what I do, well, it's my own thing."

Tracy pondered different possibilities. "So, you told me your Mom's a flake, and took off, right?"

Chloe patted Tracy's head. "Exactly. Dad's working his magic, now, trying to track her down. What if, she's one of them. Dad knocked her up. Nine months later, boom out pops a super baby."

Tracy rolled onto her side and looked up at her, and Chloe laughed, "Do you hear the ocean, cuz your ear's on my cooch."

Tracy laughed. "I guess being around Demetria warped my young impressionable mind."

Chloe's eyes got big. "Oh shit! No way! I need to hear about this."

Tracy smiled slyly and said, "I'll tell you, but first, I'm just going to do the Dana thing again. I'm getting better at it."

Chloe said, "Go for it."

Tracy put her palm on Chloe's heart and closed her eyes. She narrated the experience, "So with Morgan, I see a really confused, mixed jumble of things. He's divided and at odds with himself and his parents, even with me and Demetria. You, on the other hand are like a very solid, more singular thing. Very powerful, very graceful, too. I picture you as a lioness, but you are also so very gentle and sweet. When I do this with Demetria, it's more like there's a world inside her that starts sucking me in."

Chloe said, "Alright, Lady, now tell me all the sexy bits. What was _that_ like?"

Tracy said, "Ohhh. It was soooo good." She purred. "Really super pleasurable, but also she's always sort of working on you, teaching things, really just boom, mind blowing. Like being cracked open."

Chloe asked, "So how did Morgan, um, fit in?"

Tracy giggled. "Very well. Repeatedly."

Chloe guffawed, "Oh, Dude, I did not see _any_ of this coming. I hate to admit it, but I'm super jelly. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole sexual whirlwind thing, but you're on new turf and I'm not."

Tracy said, "I know. I was feeling that way too, from seeing Morgan with Demetria. I didn't really know what it was at the time, but I felt I had to just get going. I had no idea I'd end up on _this_ road, but now that I'm on it, I like it."

Chloe patted Tracy's head and said, "Pardon my parochial ways. I judge ye not, but how does Richard fit into all this?"

Tracy sighed. "Yeah, here's the thing, I hope I don't hurt his feelings, and I hope he can actually understand the situation. I'm going to tell him, actually, I am going to invite him down there and you too, Chica! A lot of those ideas, like being jealous and possessive end up seeming pretty superfluous."

"I might need to ponder that one. I like the idea of total sexual liberation in theory, but it scares me quite a bit for some reason. Maybe it's just difficult to decide to jump into that particular hot tub."

Tracy said, "I was pretty nervous at first, then it was fine, and actually really good and enlightening. It's not just about the fucking, it's all about the energy flow."

Chloe asked, "Let me know if this is too, well, personal, but did you do her, or did she just do stuff to you?"

Tracy's face turned red. "Oh, basically everything you can imagine with your dirty little mind happened."

Chloe's mouth opened, "Oh wow! No way. Geez. Well, that's really something. I'm actually getting a little worked up. You know what, I think I'll take a little trip down there with you next time."

Tracy patted Chloe's leg and sat up. "Good! I'm going to go take a shower."

Chloe said, "Alright, I'll make some brunch/lunch/breakfast. You want coffee?"

"Sounds good, no point napping now. I'm awake. Might as well try to fight sleep for the rest of the day."

Chloe added, "Oh by the way, Richard and Berto wanted to go up to the beach this afternoon. Richard's gonna surf."

"Oh great! I guess I get to tell him today!" Tracy called out from the bathroom.

## Chapter Five

People parked their cars close together even though the Edgewater parking lot was just about empty. The cars were like cows huddling for warmth as light snow whistled through the parking lot and the clouds encased the sky in steely gray. Even from the parking lot, the tumultuous noise of the waves was intense.

"Hear that dragon roar?" Richard shouted over the crash of the waves. He was grinning as he rubbed sand on the board wax. He zipped up his wetsuit and pulled it up over his ears.

"Yeah! How could I not?!" Chloe shouted back. "Is this the Cleveland surfing community?" She gestured at the cars in the lot. It was a motley collection, old Hondas, trucks, a delivery van, and Richard's Volvo station wagon.

"My hard as nails bros." Richard was beaming in spite of the driving wind and cold. Berto whistled and fist-bumped him.

Tracy and Chloe were huddled in winter jackets and they walked across the dark brown sand toward the shore. They helped push Berto through the sand. He was still sticking with his bald look, and he wore a white parka and a white hat. Richard jogged ahead of them and ducked into a tent that was set up in the middle of the beach.

Huge waves were exploding first against the distant break wall, then the line would start to break and tumble up onto the beach. The wind blasted flakes of snow and gritty dust across the sand. The "Cleveland Surf Club" banner was snapping in the wind. They went into the tent, which was surprisingly cozy. A few men and women were hanging out inside talking about the rides they were getting in what they called the Cauldron.

Richard fist bumped and arm bumped a few of the people. Tracy and Chloe huddled together by Berto and took in the scene.

Tracy said, "You people are all crazy!"

The crowd whooped in agreement.

Richard shouted. "We stare into the mouth of the dragon and ride it!" He took his board and ran through the sand. A few others zipped up and went out into the wind.

Berto said, "I really need to see this! Let's go."

They helped push him close to the water. They hid from the wind in a clump of trees. Snowflakes drifted past.

Chloe said, "Can you imagine getting in the water?"

Tracy shook her head no. And Berto said, "No way, Dude."

Chloe asked, "Which one is he?"

Berto said, "He's got that orange sun picture on the back of his wetsuit. There he is, see."

Richard was bobbing up and down in the chop. He was talking to a couple of the other surfers and they were gesturing with their hands to point out how the break was forming. The wind and direction of the waves went through cycles. Sometimes it was consistent and the surf was good, otherwise it turned into chaotic cold chop.

The waves started breaking again, this time, they were huge. The roar from the breakwall was very loud. Chloe had to shout, "There they go!"

Richard paddled and caught a wave. He stayed in the break, zig zagging back and forth. He had a long ride for the beach, then settled down onto the board again and paddled back out.

Tracy nodded in appreciation, "Very cool. That looks extremely difficult. Do you know how to do that, too, Chloe?" Tracy winked.

Chloe's face turned a little red. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm from California, remember?"

Berto said, "There he goes again. That one is huge. I've never seen waves like this on the Lake before."

Richard hopped up onto his board. The wave was over twelve feet tall. He was surprised at the acceleration and wobbled a little bit, but recovered.

"Whoooaaaa!" Chloe shouted and urged him to stay up. She cheered for him, "Go Richard!"

The wave was so large it sucked the water near the beach up along the crest, and the water unexpectedly turned shallow. His board bit into the gravel bottom and pitched him headlong onto a piece of driftwood that looked like a submerged hippopotamus. His forearm smacked the log with full force and broke the bone. The wave poured onto him with fury, spinning and twisting his body like a cloth doll and it dragged his head over the log.

"Shit! Richard!" Berto shouted out. He started pushing toward the water. Chloe sprinted down toward the waves, but other surfers already had him up and were pulling him in toward the shore line.

Tracy ran after Chloe and Berto struggled through the sand. Tracy had her phone out and started to dial 911.

"Are you taking me in a basket?" Richard asked. He was on his back and held both of his hands up in front of his chest and shivered. His broken arm was only comfortable in that position, any slight move from that position was excruciating. The dark brown sand clung to his wetsuit.

"Dude, that wave rang your bell." One of the other surfers said. He looked over at Tracy, "I think he's going to be OK, but yeah, we need an ambulance."

Tracy placed the call, then she groaned. It seemed to take forever for the call to go through. Finally, she said, "My friend has been in an accident at Edgewater Park. I think his arm is broken and he appears to have a concussion."

Richard mumbled, "Can you ask them to make it stop spinning. Call my parents, too. Shit my cellie's in the car. Number's in there." Richard spit water up.

Tracy said, "OK. OK. Great. I'll stay on the line." She announced, "They're on the way."

"Berto! You're all white, dude." Richard mumbled. "Can you get the Vo' home, bro?"

Tracy sat down next to him and said, "We've got it all covered, don't worry."

Richard mumbled again, like he couldn't remember the previous minute, "Can you ask them to make it stop spinning? Call my parents, too. Shit my cellie's in the car. Number's in there."

Berto said, "Hang in there buddy. It's all taken care of."

Tracy and Chloe helped Berto wheel back to the parking lot while the EMTs loaded Richard up into the back of the Yellow and Blue ambulance. "Where's he going?" Berto asked.

"Metro Trauma Unit." The EMT said.

"Can we follow you?" Chloe asked.

The EMT nodded curtly. "Um, I shouldn't say this, but yeah, you can try to keep up, but don't try too hard. If you get a ticket, that's your fault! When we lose you go to Metro Hospital. Signs are everywhere, you can't miss it."

They loaded Berto's wheelchair into the back of the Volvo and followed the ambulance. Chloe lost them after a light turned red and she had to stop. She smacked the wheel. Berto whistled and clucked his tongue. "Chill out, I know where it is."

He guided them to the hospital and made the call to Richard's parents and left a message.

"We've been making too many hospital visits lately!" Tracy said.

"Tell me about it!" Berto retorted. "I can't even stand the smell. Yuck."

About a half hour later, Richard's Mom entered through the emergency room sliding doors. Berto whistled and shouted, "Mrs. Golden!"

Richard's Mom was a tall thin woman with curly dirty blonde hair. She was wearing black tights and a sky-blue technical pullover. She had been out jogging when Berto called. She hugged them all and said, "You guys really handled this well, so mature! I'm going to go check him in officially. It'll probably take a while. Can you wait around?"

They all nodded and sat down in the waiting room. Families were clumped together. The faces of each of the groups told a different story, though they all seemed to be wearing the same bored, and anxious mask, there were just differing degrees of angst.

Tracy said, "I'm going to try something."

She stood up and focused her energy. She tried to radiate warmth and concern. She started with Richard's Mom.

Tracy stopped Mrs. Golden's hand from writing and she sat next to her. "Mrs. Golden, your son is really dear to me. You should have seen how enthusiastic he was out there and he challenged enormous waves with no fear. The other surfers pulled him out of the water immediately, and Berto took care of him."

She felt Mrs. Golden's heart lift and Tracy's did too. Mrs. Golden wiped a tear away. "Thank you Tracy! You are a little angel! You better not call me Mrs. Golden anymore, though. Call me Summer!"

Tracy stood up and walked around to all the families in the room. She asked about their loved ones, encouraged them and shouldered some of their pain. By the time she was done, the room seemed brighter. The families were all happier.

Chloe hugged her. "That was amazing. I watched the whole thing. You were like a ray of sunshine beaming around the room."

She answered, "It felt good." She put her hand on Berto's shoulder. "You did a really great job, Berto. Thanks for getting us here."

He beamed. "He's my bro, it's what we do. I'm gonna talk to Richard's mom."

Chloe bumped Tracy's arm. "Well, I guess you didn't have to tell him today."

Tracy shrugged, "Honestly, I'm not worried about it. I will tell him when it's the right time."

Chloe looked her up and down. She said, "You really are different, more in control. Me likey."

Summer Golden and Berto joined them again. Summer said, "I guess he's going to be here for a few hours, but not overnight, thank the gods! I don't know about you, but hospitals creep me out. An overnight stay is just the pits."

"No doubt!" Berto said.

Summer said, "If you guys want to hit the road, I'll let you know when we're home and you can swing by there tomorrow and do the whole car shuffle. I think Richard will be kind of out of it tonight. I can't thank you all enough. You are good friends!" She kissed each of them on the cheek and hugged them.

# EPISODE FOUR--Logs Trap the Sun

Three Years in the Past

## Chapter One

Amy, Robbie, and Tracy stood at the front door of Amy's house. Amy's hands were shaking as she put the key into the door and opened the lock. The door creaked open and they went inside. Perry's toenails clicked on the hardwood floors in the quiet of the deserted house.

Robbie looked around and said, "This is a nice house, Amy. It needs a little TLC, but it's really a great place."

Amy nodded. She was feeling oppressed and sucked back into her past. She said, "It's so dark in the entryway. Let's go in the sun room."

Their footsteps echoed from all the barren hard surfaces in the house and they made their way to a sun room. The sunlight filtered through late November clouds and cast a soft blue-ish white light through picture windows.

The back lawn was overgrown, and young locust trees had already grown tall and stout. Tracy said, "Oh wow! The river view is really nice, does it ever flood?"

Amy said, "No. I don't think so. It's always about the same."

Tracy asked, "Do river boats go by?"

Amy chuckled, "You mean like old timey paddle wheel boats?"

Tracy nodded and said, "Yeah, exactly!"

Amy invited her, "Watch for a while, you'll see some boats, probably no paddle wheelers, though." She hugged Tracy and Robbie and said, "I'm so glad you're here with me. This place weighs on my heart."

Tracy said, "I'm glad we're here, too. Do you want to go get those papers, I'll help you."

Robbie said, "I'll go check around the building and see if anything needs attention."

Amy and Tracy clumped up the staircase to the second floor then went up into the attic, which was an entire third story to the home. The attic was full of boxes and racks of clothes. Amy laughed. She said, "Tracy, I haven't told you much about my life before I came to the farm. I've been too embarrassed to. This stuff is here, only because I forgot it existed. Otherwise, I would have sold it and bought heroin."

Tracy had a vague idea what Amy was talking about, that heroin was drugs and that drugs are bad. She wanted to know more, "Why would you do that?"

Amy shrugged. She said, "I did it because I had nothing else to do, and some friends that were into it, then I got physically addicted to it. It's really that dumb and simple." Her face brightened. "It actually feels good to admit it to you. I'm not ashamed, because I'm not that girl anymore. Now, let's check this stuff out!"

Tracy and Amy started sorting things into piles: Stuff to donate, Stuff to sell, Stuff to keep. The family photo albums, going back a few generations, notebooks, journals and a few knick-knacks ended up in the stuff to keep pile. All the clothes went in the donate pile, except a pea coat that Amy gave to Tracy. Everything else went in the stuff to sell pile.

They were done in a couple of hours. Tracy looked at the result of their work and said, "Man, that's a lot of stuff."

Amy agreed. "I guess we've been here since the 1930's. That's close to a hundred years already! But, I'm the last of the Wilsons. Someone else can have this place, now."

They heard Robbie and Perry coming up the steps. Robbie said, "Wow! You guys were busy."

Robbie and Amy devised a plan for getting the stuff sold and for selling the house. By the time it was getting dark, the stuff to be sold was gone to various dealers, and the stuff to be donated was gone. They loaded up the photo albums and the notebooks and journals in the M1008 and drove down the road to Ripley. Robbie said, "Matt really liked the pie in this place."

They sat at a booth. Amy said, "I'll treat!" She was very happy to be leaving her old home and heading back to her new one. They had a classic diner meal, burgers and fries. Amy asked, "So how much do you think I'll be able to get for the house?"

Robbie shrugged and said, "This is a good chance to learn quite a bit about this particular game. So, depending on what you want to do, get the cash fast, or wait and be patient and get the most money you can. And that, in turn depends on what you want to do with the money."

She chewed and had a thoughtful look on her face. She finally said, "Well... What I've seen, you guys have all you need on the Farm, and since I've been there, I didn't actually need any money."

Robbie rubbed his beard, "On top of that, you actually have done a tremendous amount of work. Think about all the firewood and lumber we did already."

Amy was practically bursting with happy pride. "Gosh. Yeah." She looked at them both. "It really is completely amazing to me."

Robbie said, "You'll be able to do a whole lot more, too." He bumped his fist gently on the table and he looked off into the middle distance so Tracy and Amy could practically hear the cogs and wheels of his mind working. Tracy elbowed Amy in the side and chuckled.

Tracy said, "Here it comes."

Robbie laughed, "You are spoiling the drama!"

Tracy stuck her tongue out at him. Amy just watched and waited for him to talk.

Robbie put his hands on the table and said, "Amy, you're part of the family, now and really important to me and Tracy. You have a quick mind and pick new things up easily. I want to introduce you to more of our world. I think you belong with us."

Amy was touched. She said, "Thanks, it's really tough to express how much that means to me."

Tracy gave her a hug. Then Tracy's eyes opened wide. She pointed a french fry at Robbie and asked conspiratorially, "Uncle Robbie, I watched _The Godfather_ a few weeks ago, and I loved those movies. Are we like the Corleones?"

Robbie burst out laughing. He patted the table. "Well, in some ways yes, but maybe more like their mirror image or something. We basically do all the opposite things they do. Instead of being focused on just dumb honor, we're more about _knowing_. I admit, in some important ways, we're really similar."

Amy was intrigued. "I remember that movie. So how are you, I mean, 'we' similar?"

Robbie sighed, "It's hard to generalize. Well, in some ways we're outside the law. Our network includes some people who would be called criminals by mainstream folks."

Amy asked, "Like what?"

Robbie said, "Well, hackers, specific kinds of thieves, smugglers, and I hate to say this to you, since it might be a sensitive subject, some drug producers."

Amy scrunched up her nose, "Drugs... like what kind?"

Robbie said, "One guy grows weed. It's actually, really, mostly for medicinal purposes. Psychedelics, too. That guy was an associate of Matt for his out-there research." Robbie shrugged. "But, they are good, trustworthy people."

Tracy was stunned. "I did not know any of this."

Robbie said, "You actually met these people, sorry we keep you out of the loop when you're too young. It's not intentional."

Amy said, "Is this all secret?"

He wavered his hand back and forth. "In a sense. Well, the main thing is all these people in our network are friends, share common goals and ideas. Plus the idea of a 'secret', like _omerta_ in the Godfather carries a lot of implied baggage--like threats of violence to maintain it. So, it's a secret in the sense that these people all know their goals are generally at odds with quote 'society', and they treat our shared information accordingly. You two are both sort of learning the ropes, Tracy, you're still a youngin' absorbing life experience, and Amy you're fresh in your own way, right?"

Amy nodded, "Yeah. Totally. So interesting..."

Robbie inquired, "What is?"

Amy took a moment to formulate a thought. "I am like a little boat floating along on big currents. Before, I just ended up taking drugs and being a total load surrounded by leeches. Now, I got pulled into a nice clean sunny stream where the people do constructive things and are kind and thoughtful."

Robbie eyed her and said, "And now you feel an urge to set your own course?"

She nodded. "I think so. I mean, my situation now is so much better, but in some ways it's still similar."

Robbie agreed, "Yeah, well, how does this sound, what if we make an orbit of some of the people in the network, or maybe if you want to go off by yourself, you could do it, see different things people are doing and that will give you a broader point of view?"

Amy nodded emphatically. "That sounds awesome!"

Robbie asked Tracy, "When do you want to go back to Tweedy? Man it's such a shame you can't drive. I wonder if we can just forge a new birth certificate and get you a license early..."

Tracy put a hand over her mouth in mock shock. "Oh my!"

Amy laughed, "She looks way too young, Robbie. She'd never get away with it for long."

Tracy thought a moment and said, "Well, I got a text from Bethany. She wants to come over to the farm. I think I could get back to Tweedy, let's see," she counted on her fingers. "I guess in ten days."

The waitress brought their check and Robbie thanked her for the food and complimented the restaurant. He whispered to Amy, "Tip big! We always tip big!"

She looked at the bill and did some mental math and dropped a couple extra twenties on top. "That feels good!" She said and hugged herself.

## Chapter Two

The cameraman yawned and stretched. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans and had a headset and microphone on. He was also the owner and the producer of the company that streamed the corporate videos and shareholders meetings live, but still preferred to work in the trenches filming the events. His small company was successful, and the key to his success was filming and presenting the dull meetings with cinematic quality and presentation. His name was Peter, but at some point the nickname Gaucho stuck with him, and that's what his entire team called him.

People were piling into a conference room on the mezzanine level of the JJ Gorman corporate headquarters in Manhattan. He flipped the microphone up on top of his head and leaned over to the girl running the control board and asked, "Hey, are we all set?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm set to start streaming in five minutes."

He flipped the microphone down, "Did you all catch that? Ready to go live?"

They heard a series of "Yes" being pronounced over the headset.

He started to wander around the room, which was a large capacity stadium style auditorium with hundreds of seats and a stage at the bottom of a long flight of stairs. The backdrop of the stage was a dark reddish purple material. The company logo, a circle with a geometrical border surrounding a globe hung down on black cords and frames a podium.

The shareholders meetings were streamed live over the Internet and the feeds were supplied to news networks in real time. Generally, the meetings were completely dull. The highly produced, expertly filmed videos did very little to enhance their level of interest. Gaucho had been doing this gig for a few years now. He did his best to make the material visually interesting, but the topics were dull and dry and heavily scripted. The entire event was planned and choreographed.

A few minutes after the audience was seated and the meeting began, loud pops and muffled screams and shouts were coming from outside the auditorium. The doors banged open and people ran inside.

Gaucho said through the headset, "We need to cover this, ditch the script!"

"Roger that!" he heard Melanie say. "We're live and streaming, go, go!"

Gaucho jogged down the auditorium steps toward the chaos. He saw men in balaclavas and black military garb herding people into the auditorium. A few bodies were visible in the atrium.

A soothing, but mechanical female voice announced over the PA system. "Code Omega. Code Omega. Code Omega." Emergency lights popped on throughout the building.

Gaucho filmed the men enter the room. He was surprised when one of them put a hand on his shoulder. The man had a Spanish speaker's accent. "Follow me. You'll be fine. I hope you can film this whole thing."

Gaucho followed the man down to the stage. The dignitaries on the stage were being held at gunpoint by the paramilitaries. The man pulled a manilla folder from his jacket.

The man announced, "I am Commander Marcos. We are here today because these _men_ , if you can call them that, stole $2 billion from us. This company launders drug money for me with full knowledge and participation of the board of directors and CEO. I am going to present information not only of this activity, but of their other, much worse personal and business activities."

He drew a pistol and stalked around behind the members of the board of directors who were seated at a long table on the stage. A smile was visible through his balaclava. He gestured to Gaucho to come in closer.

Commander Marcos squeezed the chubby chin of Harold duMont. Marcos said, "This man, more like a demon in human clothing, likes raping boys. Don't you Harry?" duMont refused to look at the camera, but he said, "That's not true, and anything he makes me say is under duress."

Commander Marcos said, "Why speak when a picture is worth a thousand words?" He held a photo next to Harold's face. The man was caught on camera committing the crime. Gaucho zoomed in. Harold was angry, "Don't film this!"

Gaucho said, "Sorry, have to, buddy."

Marcos spoke to the Internet, "If you don't believe this photo, the film from which it was extracted is currently available for download, just search for 'Commander Marcos Video Hits', and you'll find it. I'm tweeting it now." He typed on his phone.

Usually only a few hundred people watched the investor conferences live, but once the news of the attack flashed around social media, millions tuned in. JJ Gorman's stock price was plunging and trading halted.

Marcos rattled off a list of similar crimes of the board of directors members, then he asked, "Where's Jimmy?"

The board members were afraid, but stoney faced. One of the women on the board was looking visibly ill. Marcos said to her, "It's so unfortunate for you, since you've only on this board for a couple of months. But, I know you left a trail of slime on your path to this job. Tell the audience, how much of _my_ money did you get personally?"

She didn't answer and just shook her head. He slapped her hard. "How much, bitch?"

She was crying. "Fifty." She said quietly.

Commander Marcos laughed hilariously. "Listen up sports fans, I'll ask her again. How much, in dollars?"

She said, "Fifty million dollars."

He said emphatically, "Did you ever wonder where all this money comes from for their yachts, houses, and judging by her, nice fake titties? Well, now you know. Do you think this lady is any different than me? Or is she any better than a guy robbing a liquor store? I sure as fuck don't."

He levelled the gun at her. "Where's Jimmy Pearls? He should be here, but I don't see him."

She cried out, "I don't know..."

BANG. Marcos shot her in the head and her corpse deflated and her head bounced off the table and flopped onto the floor. People in the auditorium screamed. Gaucho whispered, "Sweet Jesus."

Marcos pointed the gun at Harold. "Where, boy fucker?"

duMont said, "Fuck Yo....."

BANG.

"I guess I get ten more chances?" Marcos deadpanned into the camera.

A younger man on the board spoke up, "There's an emergency plan. He took an express elevator to the roof. There's a panic room up there. They're probably waiting for a helicopter." The man had a black suit, a white shirt and a red tie. His face was handsome and he had a square jaw and neatly styled thinning blond hair.

Marcos laughed, "Well, he won't get out that way!" Marcos gestured at his men, "Take this guy and we'll go find Jimmy." He gestured to Gaucho. "To the roof, hombre."

Gaucho said, "This won't be live."

Marcos said, "Well, get it on tape anyway. History in the making!"

Gaucho followed them to the express elevator. The man keyed them in and they all packed into the metal box.

Marcos said, "Now this man is smart. Why die in vain for this swine Jimmy Pearls? Maybe you stick around and pick up the pieces and get our money back. OK, Señor?"

"Sounds like a deal." The young man said. The elevator raced up toward the top floor of the building, when the doors opened, Marcos's men were already in control of the hallway and were banging away at a set of metal double doors.

"I brought the key!" Marcos said.

The young board member swiped a card on the door lock and it swung open. Jimmy's bodyguards opened fire and one of Marcos's men was hit and slumped back against the opposite wall clutching his throat as blood sprayed between his fingers. A couple of flash bang grenades went off in the room and the rest of Marcos's men stormed in and shot the bodyguards. Jimmy Pearls and his assistant held their hands up. Jimmy stepped behind her, but Marcos' men separated them.

Marcos said, "Jimmy Pearls! Purchaser of Presidents and Congressmen and common thief and pervert. There are too many crimes to list here, it's all on my website, at least the crimes I know about." BANG he shot Jimmy in the head and his body crumpled to the floor. His assistant, a young attractive lady, screamed. Marcos held up a hand, "You're safe miss."

He asked the young board member, "Can you get my fucking money?"

The man nodded emphatically. "Absolutely."

"Can you do it right now?" Marcos asked.

The man was very nervous. He finally said, "No it will take about three days."

"Make it $3 billion." Marcos said flatly.

"Uh, sure. I think that's fair. Restitution." He offered a hand.

Marcos shook his hand. "You know there is no reneging on this deal, right? If you do, it will be a really bad way to go for you."

"Understood." The young man said. He was relieved.

Marcos patted Gaucho on the back. "I like you. If you give me that camera, I'll get you $10 million tomorrow."

Gaucho sighed. He said, "I got such good footage."

Marcos laughed, "I liked this guy the moment I first saw him. He was not even slightly afraid. Do you have a card?"

Gaucho handed him a business card and gave him the camera.

"Adios." Marcos said. He and his men ran to the roof and boarded two helicopters. They were gone before the police began swarming through the building.

The young man on the board of directors shook Gaucho's hand and said, "Gaucho, right?"

"Yep. That's me."

The young man gestured over to Jimmy Pearls assistant. He said, "Monica, you might view this event as horrifying and want to wash your hands of the whole mess, maybe even report on what happened in here as if a truthful telling of the story would somehow purge the horror from your mind. Let me pose another option, this is a tremendous opportunity for all of us. Our actions were heroic, for example. I saved the rest of the board from certain death and I tried to keep the attackers away from this room, but did what I had to do to save your life..."

Gaucho and Monica both nodded as he went through the alternate reality version of the story that made them all heroes, and ultimately, made them all really wealthy.

## Chapter Three

Matt, Telia, Francis and Owen watched the live stream of the events at JJ Gorman's headquarters. Telia walked away when Commander Marcos started shooting board members. Matt felt sick and Francis and Owen watched with stony faces.

Francis phone was buzzing. He whispered, "It's Seth." Francis answered and put him on speaker.

"That was huge. The markets tanked. The circuit breakers kicked in twice! Now they're just closed. Watch how the feds and media start spinning this thing as terrorism, the whole drug money laundering story will be sidelined. Leak some information on key media people, Francis. Marcos's story will start to be seen as credible, then."

Francis said, "We'll do that."

Seth said, "Keep it up. Go bigger!" He hung up.

Matt rubbed his face. "Gaaak!" He shouted and shook his head. "So, our big accomplishment was people died, a whole lot of people just lost 25% of their life savings and will lose more tomorrow, and the next day. This is just mayhem, what good comes from this?"

The others were quiet. They had no answer. Francis got up from the couch and went over and stoked the fire. The logs crackled, and he felt the scorching heat on his face.

Francis said, "I'm with you Matt. I don't think it's getting to the root of the problem. It's probably counterproductive." He watched the black carbon husk of the logs turn scaley and gray and orange. He tapped his chin with a finger and gazed at the flames. He asked, "What happened when you tried to connect to the Sun?"

Matt answered, "You know how Samantha touches you and it feels like sparks, maybe a butterfly wing on your skin? The sun was more like a tsunami of energy ripping through my body. Instead of being conscious _in_ another place, it just blasted my consciousness away. I think I only really remember the initial moment."

Francis said, "Can we try to route that energy into the beast? Or how about dispersing it, or dampening it somehow. Kind of like carrying a flame across into the other side."

Matt shrugged. "I really don't know. We can try some experiments and see what happens."

Telia spoke up, "If Matt connects to it again maybe I can try to do something with the energy."

"What if it's harmful? It sounds like it could be!" Francis worried.

"Well it didn't kill me the first time. Maybe we can give it a shot, just be ready to cut it off if I really have a bad physical reaction. I'll wear the heart monitor and all that jazz."

They all walked over to the barn. Matt downed a shot of whiskey and climbed up into the chair. He said, "Let's just do this. Let me know when you're ready Samantha!"

Telia said, "OK. Give it a few seconds after I close my eyes."

Telia and Samantha were standing by the mountain stream when the normal background hum of the Sun became a roaring note. They saw the sun on the horizon, huge and white and glowing.

Telia said, "Oh my god!"

Samantha started to glow incandescent white, and Telia saw her own skin begin to emit the light. Then they all snapped back to normal consciousness. Matt was holding his head in his hands and sitting slumped over in the chair. His blonde-red hair was matted with sweat and his sweater was soaked through. He took it off and tossed it down onto the floor.

Telia shouted, "Matt!" She ran toward the ladder.

He held up a hand. He croaked, "I'm alright. It's just very tiring. I'm extremely thirsty."

Francis said, "His heart rate jumped to 182 beats per minute. It was like that for about 5 minutes, then I stopped the test."

Telia said, "Well, I can tap into that energy, but, I'm not sure it's really safe for Telia's body. Maybe my vacation in the material plane needs to end."

Telia sighed, "Yes, I suppose so. I don't know if that was healthy for me, let alone the baby."

Francis chuckled, "I can finally tell who's talking. The eyes change ever so slightly."

Telia hugged him. "I love you Francis." She hugged Owen and gave him a big kiss. "Owen, you've been a tireless champion." She climbed up the ladder and sat on Matt's lap. "Dear Matthew. You'll see me in your dreams, now. Hopefully, when this is all done, maybe Telia will want me back."

Matt managed to raise his head and kissed her and said, "Bye Sam, we'll see you soon. Thanks for everything."

Telia shook her head and said, "Wow, just like that, she's gone. I feel extremely depressed and achy already. I hope my withdrawal isn't like poor Amy's!"

Matt said, "It could be a harsh ride for all of us. She energized everyone."

## Chapter Four

Heather and Bethany Madher stopped by the Wells Farm on the first day snow actually accumulated on the ground. Heather drove her Range Rover and she and Bethany wore brand new "farm" outfits--all flannel, denim, and stylish work boots. Tracy gave them the tour of the house and Robbie eventually caught up with them.

Heather gave him a kiss on the cheek and gushed about the house. "This place, now this is warm, cozy, human. I feel like a bird on display sometimes in Charlie's mansion."

"The place is like a museum to all things Madher, well the idea of the Madhers, not the real Madhers." Bethany added.

"Yeah, well, it is a little like that. It's sort of an institutional building. It took me a while to really figure it out." Heather said.

Bethany scrunched up her nose. "What do you mean, Mom?"

"Oh, we're not really just a family, we're a big thing. Like a company." Heather said. "The house is sort of like another corporate headquarters or something."

"Ick." Bethany said simply.

Heather shrugged. "It's got pros and cons. It took some getting used to. I'm not _from money_ as they say."

Tracy asked, "Where's your family from?"

Heather said, "We're actually from Cleveland also. I grew up on the West side, way out there. Sort of the West side version of here. My dad was a professional, an Engineer actually. My mom was the artist of the family. She sang and danced."

Robbie said, "It seems like you combined both talents."

Heather shrugged. "Well, I'm not into the numbers as much as Dad was, but I do alright. I like the ideas."

"I looked you up online after we visited for Thanksgiving. Bethany, did you know your mom has six patents?"

Bethany shook her head, no. "Mom, WTF? That's really impressive and you never mention it."

Heather put a hand to her eyes in embarrassment. "Oh man. I dunno if anyone should be too impressed by those. Here's how it works: on TV sets we are bored, so bored so often and people always shoot the shit. A guy I was dating at the time was all into technology, venture capital, etc... So I tossed a few ideas out there. A few months later, a bunch of patents. Nothing ever came of them."

Robbie asked, "So what do you do now? It seems like you are into helping fund different projects."

She put a hand on Robbie's shoulder and looked at the girls. "Why don't you two run along? I know we'll bore you to tears."

Tracy said, "I'll show you around more, Bethany." The girls left to go look at the house and yard.

Heather said, "Yeah, we do a lot of that. The Madher family has a positively enormous pile of money to play with, and we like to invest in good ideas and good people. I tend to be interested in the more wildly speculative stuff. That's why I am curious about Matt's invention."

Robbie led her into the library. He said, "There are a couple problems, Heather." He pulled Matt's notes off the bookshelf and put Johnny's drawings on the table. There were also some photos of the construction process. He laid the stuff out on the table. "First, the original invention has been dismantled. My brother is more of an artist than an engineer, and the engineer on the project is basically a genius and didn't need any notes or very detailed plans."

She started smirking and laughed, "Robbie, I'm only laughing because of the paradoxical statement I'm about to make: Geniuses are a dime a dozen. Well, they are when you have enough money. Well, that's overstating it, but still, you get the point, anything one person did, another person can do, right? No magic here."

He nodded, "Yeah, I agree with that premise. The other problem is--it was my brother's life's work and well, it just isn't right to do it."

She pursed her lips and examined his face. "Wouldn't it be honoring their memory to continue his life's work?"

He shook his head, no. "Well, like I said, he was more of an artist, maybe more of a writer or a painter type than an engineer. It would be like hiring a ghost painter to finish a partially completed van Gogh, or taking Ernest Hemingway's notes and publishing a new book under his name."

Heather smiled warmly, "Do you have any booze? I could go for a martini about now."

"Sure! He said. How do you take it?"

She made bedroom eyes at him and hissed, "Dirty!"

He laughed. "Oh man, I haven't been around a bonafide actress for a while." He mixed the martini and grabbed a beer for himself. They sat down in the library again.

"I completely love and adore this room."

Robbie looked around, "Yeah, it's the work of generations, really."

"It has soul." She said. She sipped her drink. "Robbie, this is going to sound totally crass."

He laughed, "Believe me, I'm not shy."

Heather looked around. "Alright, so how much would it cost for those plans and the notebooks?"

His face turned serious. "Heather, I really like you, and I'd like to work with you, but I can't. They're not for sale."

Heather said, "Well picture this instead, imagine you, Tracy, even your friend Amy, all plugged into the top tier. Tracy could be in movies, on TV if she wanted. You could do whatever you want." She took a pause and sipped the martini and sucked the olive off the toothpick, and said, "And you could do _who_ you want. And we could advance Matt and Telia's amazing work."

Robbie sighed a heavy sigh. "No." He said simply.

She drained the glass. She was shocked to be turned down by anyone about anything especially when she flirted with a man. "How about another?" She held the empty glass out.

Robbie mixed a second Martini and tried to change the subject. "So what does your family do for Christmas?"

She sipped the Martini and regrouped. "Robbie. I love you guys, but I'm like a little terrier when it comes to pursuing something this important. I apologize in advance!"

"Fair enough. I'll think about this a little bit more, but I won't make any promises, I hope you can understand my position. We're still adjusting to this situation."

Heather looked horrified. She recognized how crass she was being and apologized. "Holy shit, Robbie! Holy shit! I've been a total pig. I've been totally, totally insensitive. I just felt this compulsion. I hope you can forgive me."

He waved it off, "Oh, no problem at all. I appreciate your passion."

"Good! I am dropping it. If you ever want to talk about it, you can call me any time. I'll go track those girls down, now." She downed the rest of the glass then went to look for the girls. Robbie watched her leave and put the books away again.

## Chapter Five

Matt greeted Samantha and Louis by the stream. Samantha kissed Matt and put her forehead on his. She complained, "Oh! It's just not the same over here, is it?"

"Telia said after the baby's born you can visit any time. There's some withdrawal symptoms she's dealing with."

Samantha said, "Mint tea and chili extract."

"Mixed together?" Matt asked.

She nodded. "Yes. That's the stuff."

He said, "So, what's the plan of attack?"

She groaned and looked at Louis. "Oh drat. Louis, it's just such a let down being back here again, and now, going back to _work_. I feel like I should be punching my time card!"

Louis shrugged and said, "It was nice to be real again. We used to do it more, and for much longer stretches. Frankly, we got carried away sometimes, it's a little like a drug."

Samantha smiled dreamily, "We'll have to start again. But, like Telia's experiencing pain, we do too, it's just not as messy. Anyway, let's do this job, at least it will be very exciting, plus it's me and you, Matt. That is very fitting."

Matt smiled and brushed her hair away from her face. "Samantha, have I known you for a long time, I mean _me_."

"No. It's more complicated than that. You're unique, but this very situation has happened several times, and my loves, they're all really similar. Pardon this comparison, but it's sort of like a human and his pet dogs. They're all different, but all composed of the same essential dogness."

Matt laughed at the comparison. He asked, "Are you ready to go fight the Beast?"

"Yes, let's kick some snake ass." She laughed at her own joke.

Louis chuckled, too, "Now that's a good one."

Matt felt her reach through him and in an instant they were in another barren, windswept landscape that corresponded to Washington DC. Shadows shimmered and moved across the desolate mindscape. The dark gray leaden sky roiled like cream poured in coffee in a black and white movie.

"I'll signal them when we're ready, then I'll be connected to the Sun."

They heard the Beast's now familiar hissing wailing call and the form swarmed through the air over their heads. Samantha kissed Matt's cheek and whispered, "Do it now."

He managed to tap his finger in the real world, but maintained his focus. While the reflector shifted positioned he marvelled at Owen's skill. "It's amazing he can talk when he's over heee....."

Matt made the connection to the Sun. The dark roiling sky started to turn blue. Matt's mind disappeared and Samantha saw his body turn white and incandescent. Samantha then became enveloped in white light and it poured from her eyes. The vibration of the sun began to overwhelm the hissing mindless screech of the Beast.

It reacted and turned at her. She saw it had thousands of pairs of light blue eyes all blinking and squinting at the light. She could see the outline of the reflector, the Occitan Cross glowing. She shouted primal syllables that roughly translated to, "Die Foul Serpent." The light arced across to the Beast and some of the black shapes that formed its body crackled and sparked like a transformer on a telephone pole exploding.

Grass began to appear on the ground. Evergreen trees erupted into the air and the Sun's song grew deafening, an all consuming titanic roar. The Beast fled, then Matt vanished from the field and Samantha crumpled over. She was exhausted and pained at his absence. She sobbed and tears rolled down her cheeks onto the grass.

In the control room, Francis called up the ladder to him, "Matt! Matt!" he clambered up. Matt had been connected to the Sun for five minutes. His heart rate was returning to normal and he was breathing, but he was unconscious and slumped over in the chair. Francis shook him gently. Matt's hair was soaked, like he'd been swimming. His clothing was all soaked with sweat.

Francis called down to Telia and Owen and said, "He's still breathing. I think he's OK. He's out like a light. I'll just stay up here with him."

Telia climbed up, and joined Francis on the platform. She ran her fingers through Matt's hair. Owen climbed up and looked at him. "Samantha said she attacked the Beast and it fled. She thinks they hurt it. She's in a lot of pain, herself."

A few minutes later Matt stirred. "Oh man.... Water..."

Telia handed him a bottle and threw a towel over his shoulders. He was shivering.

He said, "Dehydrated." He shivered convulsively and drank the water. He sipped it at first, then gulped the entire bottle down. "More! Add salt, too." he said in a hoarse voice.

Owen handed another two bottles up. Matt guzzled them down, then leaned back in the chair. Matt said, "I wish I could tell you what happened, but I don't remember anything." He stood up and started down the ladder. Francis helped him down, then they helped him to the couch.

Telia draped a blanket over him and sat on the floor next to him. Francis was riveted to his laptop screen flipping through social media feeds and news feeds to see if there was any real world consequence to their actions.

Francis played a couple of videos in his news feed. He chuckled and said, "It could be a coincidence, but people on the National Mall just started singing and dancing spontaneously." His eyes got big. "People just started walking out of offices all over DC." He laughed. "No fucking way!" He brought up a video on the big screen.

"This is from ten minutes ago. This is a group of people who in Washington who were disgusted with JJ Gorman. They're cutting up credit cards and ripping up credit card bills." He played the video.

Owen cheered. "We're hitting them hard from two sides!"

Matt sat up. He laughed and hooted. "Now this is good stuff. More of this, that's what we need!"

Francis said, "I don't know if you can take more of it!"

Matt said, "This time kicked my ass, but it's just like I went running on a hot day, maybe a marathon, yeah, but still I'm OK. I'll recover quickly."

Telia stroked his hair and asked, "Well, how many marathons could you do back to back?"

He shrugged, "Let's see how I feel tomorrow."

Francis started laughing he started jumping up and down with excitement. "Oh this one is too good!" He showed the stream from the Capitol on the flat screen. It was a live feed of the floor of the Senate. The camera was just pointing at a fixed location, apparently nobody was there to man the camera. A small group of Senators were rending their shirts and howling, weeping and wailing. One of the Senators, an older woman from California was babbling in rhyme and rocking back and forth. She was saying, "Cronies need to get them monies. If cronies don't get many monies, neither will I."

Francis flipped through the news channels. N-Cubed couldn't make contact with any of their reporters in Washington. The story was similar on the other networks.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Francis shouted out. He showed an image on the flat screen. "Does that face look familiar?" An artist had painted an enormous mural on the sidewalk near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. A group of people gathered around the artist's rendition of Samantha with her eyes glowing white and bolts of energy slashing the side of the snake.

Matt said, "Holy shit!"

Telia started crying. "Oh! That's amazing."

Matt put his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, she said to drink mint tea with chili extract."

Telia put his head on Matt's shoulder. "That sounds totally gross, but I'll go give that a shot."

## Chapter Six

Robbie and Amy dropped Tracy off at Tweedy Pines, then started on a road trip. They drove south, away from the gloomy skies of Northeast Ohio.

Robbie scratched his beard and thought out loud, "Matt and Telia were in the antique business--if you wanted, you could get that going again."

She scrunched up her nose. "Nah. Not my thing. I really liked the work you and I were doing." She made gripping and grabbing motions with her hands. "Making things. Doing things. I can't imagine sitting around selling stuff."

Robbie thought for a minute. "Gotcha." His phone started buzzing repeatedly. He put it on the seat by Amy and asked, "Can you check those out?"

She said, "A bunch of texts from Johnny."

Robbie said, "Go ahead and read them."

She laughed, "Lots of pictures. None dirty, though!"

"Well, if Dana sends some, that can be a different story! Then she'll claim it was an 'accident', then send another like five minutes later." He laughed.

Amy read one of the texts with a slightly mechanical flat tone, "Markets crash on JJ Gorman Terrorist attack."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah, I noticed that."

Her tone changed, she was very interested. She zoomed in on one of the images. "Hey this is really, really interesting. That statue in the woods, someone painted a big mural of the woman. Her eyes are glowing and she's blasting this big black snaky looking thing with light. There's a glowing man in the background of the image and he's in a sort of weird looking cross." She panned around and zoomed in on different parts of the mural.

Robbie had gooseflesh. He asked, "Anything else?"

"Oh yeah! A ton of stories. People leaving offices en masse in DC. Here's a good one, people shredding credit card statements. Um.... People breaking out in song on the National Mall."

Robbie said, "Wow! That's all very weird. Very interesting. Can you call him back and put it on speaker?"

"Hey Robbie!" Johnny answered. "I wonder what the fuck is going on?"

Amy said, "Hey Johnny, it's me Amy and Perry's here too. We're road trippin'."

Johnny said, "Nice! Good to hear from you Amy, how's it going?"

"Good. Good! Really good." Amy smiled.

Robbie said, "Can you add any interpretation to what's going on?"

Johnny said, "Well, something really intriguing, right. So obviously there's some kind of conflict within the Brotherhood. That drug cartel guy claimed the bank stole $2B of his cash. Seems like all out war between those two groups."

Robbie nodded and said, "Yup, I agree."

Johnny continued, "Well, the picture of the woman in the mural, that's probably Samantha. So somehow that artist, and maybe several other people in the area actually had this same vision of her. You see that glowing man?"

Amy said, "Yeah in the cross?"

Johnny breathed audibly, his voice was shaking. "I think that's Matt. The very first thing he tried was pointing the reflector at the Sun, and well, that glowing cross in the picture, that's the reflector, The Occitan Cross. So, maybe if you point the thing at the Sun, Samantha can do something like what's pictured in the mural."

Robbie whistled and said, "Wow! Holy shit! So maybe somehow they're actually causing those things to happen."

"I think that's not so far fetched." Johnny said. "Anyway, I'll keep you updated as the situation develops."

Robbie asked, "Any info on the artist of the mural?"

Johnny said, "Yeah, he's an African American man, his name is mentioned in the story--Daniel Jackson."

"Can you get his address? Maybe email him. I'd love to talk to him. We'll start working our way toward DC, just in case it pans out."

"Gotcha. I'll be in touch."

Robbie drummed the steering wheel and hooted. "My big brother, saving the world. That's really amazing!"

Amy was grinning ear to ear. "Where are we heading next?"

Robbie said, "East, I guess. I know a couple of places we can stop along the way. Maybe that'll give Johnny some time to find the artist."

After some time passed, Amy asked, "Why don't you guys grow vegetables, corn, stuff like that?"

"We've done that on a small scale before, just for our own use. My mom was an avid gardener. The main business used to be the sawmill and lumber. Now, it's really not much of a working farm. Really more like a hobby farm."

"Yeah, my mom used to have a garden. I really liked that. I helped out when I was a kid." Amy said. She put her feet up on the dashboard and scratched Perry behind the ears.

"I have friends who own a farm that's along the way more or less. Can you look up Peggy Martin. I'm pretty sure she's in there."

Amy scrolled through Robbie's contact list. She said, "Holy shit, Robbie. How do you remember who's who? You have a massive list of people."

He laughed, "I actually don't most of the time. If you ask me, 'Do you know an organic gardener'? I'll remember Peg, but otherwise, unless she calls me, I forget. Can you email her?"

Amy said, "Sure. What should I write?"

Robbie shrugged. "Are you around? This is Robbie Wells. I'd like to show off your farm. Be there soon."

Amy keyed it in and added, "Sincerely, Robbie."

"I hope she's there. Even if she's not home, we can stop by. It's about a four hour trip through some nice countryside in south western PA."

Amy said, "This is really a beautiful way to live."

## Chapter Seven

A group of men gathered around a conference room table in rental office in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The office served as a shared meeting spot for freelancers of all kinds, graphic design people, web programmers, and occasionally members of the Brotherhood, in this case, all Disciples of the Beast. The men represented various elements of the "deep state", the network of the Brotherhood that was woven into every element of the United States Federal Government. The six men at the table were the nexus of the intelligence, military, and financial arms of the government and corporate america.

The room was ideal for the purpose, it was an inner conference room and had no exterior walls or windows. The room was swept for transmitting devices. No notes were kept and no electronic devices were allowed inside. The doors were manned by armed guards.

Mort Headly was the de facto leader of the group. He was nominally a mid level analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, but had an enormous group of Brothers who reported to him. Additionally, he was a Disciple and had served the Beast for much of his adult life. It had spoken to him at length since Samantha launched the attack.

He addressed the other five men. "Something extraordinary has happened. You've all seen it. It's something that could shake the very foundation of America, destroy the established order. This threat must be eliminated."

"Are you talking about the cartel war with the bankers?" Elliot Peal asked.

Mort sat back in the office chair. It squeaked as his weight shifted. "No," he said after a lengthy pause. "Our patron has been attacked."

"What?" Peal asked. He was incredulous. None of the men was aware of the other side. To them, it seemed the Beast whispered directly in their ears. They had no inkling of the complicated relationship between the worlds.

Mort said, "Eight hundred years ago, in southern France, in what's now Provence, our Lord came under attack by men with a similar technology."

Elliot was flummoxed, "Technology? What technology 800 years ago? A fucking catapult? How is it even possible to attack He Who Is All."

The men all murmured, "All Praise Him..."

Mort said, "In my mind's eye, I saw a dim vision of this device. It's like a metal ball, like a geodesic dome. Unfortunately, that's all I know."

Elliot asked, "How big is this device?"

Mort shrugged, "I don't know for certain. It is big enough for a man to be inside of it at its center. We need to find this thing and destroy it, otherwise we'll witness more of this chaos! We could all lose our positions if things continue on this trajectory."

One of the men, an Army Colonel named Pepper Richards with short cropped brown and gray hair pounded the table with his fist. "An entire base emptied out yesterday. Men, women, soldiers and civilians, enlisted and officers just _left_. They just walked away. This was thousands of people."

Elliot said, "Without the revenue from drug money laundering, the investment banks are going to collapse."

Mort shouted, "Devote _all_ resources to this search. Get the word out through the media. Whoever is directing this attack is a terrorist, a threat to national security!"

Elliot chuckled and said, "Let's bring back 'seditionist'. Don't you all think terrorist is played out?"

## Chapter Eight

"Robbie Wells!!" Peggy had long brown curly hair and wore round dark rimmed glasses. She was fuller figured and curvy and was nearly as tall as Robbie. She wore a purple and blue dress and was wearing sandals with long gray wool socks. "Who's this fella?" She patted Perry on the head and he licked her chin. She laughed and stood up. Amy waved hello. Peggy gave her a knowing wink, "Robbie used to lick me like that."

Robbie laughed and gave her a hug. "It's been way too long! Peggy, this is my friend Amy."

Peggy eyed both of them. "Friend?" she asked suspiciously.

Amy said conspiratorially, "It's complicated."

Peggy put her arm around Amy's shoulders. "Oh Hun, don't make it complicated! Robbie, are you still a free range man?"

He nodded, "I am, but I have settled down a lot since our youth. Peggy, Amy is interested in farming."

Peggy's eyes got big, "Oh, has the farming bug bit you?"

Amy had her hands in the pockets of her barn coat. She shrugged and said, "I hope so, but I don't really know. I'm sort of dipping a toe into different things and seeing what I want to do with the rest of my life."

Peggy said, "That's wonderful! Let me show you 'round."

They toured the farm. It was on a small plot of land in the gently rolling hills of south western Pennsylvania near the Ohio border. The early December landscape was muted shades of yellows and light browns and the trees were skeletal and barbed wire fences bordered the property, dark lines of wire were strung between white gray locust posts. A chip and tar road wound through the landscape between farms.

Peggy said, "Farming's simple in principle, but there are millions of details to stay on top of all the time. If you want to learn, the best thing to do, in my opinion, is just work somewhere as an apprentice for a season or two. Then if you're ready to dive in, then dive!"

Amy asked, "Do you grow organic produce?"

Peggy nodded. "Yeah, vegetables and herbs, plus we do chicken and eggs. We have some horses, donkeys, goats and an old dog or two."

Amy beamed, "Oh! I love goats! We used to have them at home. Um, would it be possible to apprentice here?"

"Of course! For sure. This time of year is really slow. There's not a whole lot going on yet. But things pick up quickly around February. If you want to check in with me in a month or two, we can work something out." Peggy squeezed Amy's arm.

Amy breathed out in a whoosh. "Wow! That's great. I will."

Peggy punched Robbie in the shoulder. "Robbie, you two seem pretty cute together."

Robbie's face turned red. "Well, thanks for everything, Peggy. We need to get back on the road. We were on the way to Washington."

"You're like a whirlwind!" Peggy said to him and kissed him on the side of the face. She looked at Amy and said, "He's a force of nature."

## Chapter Nine

Daniel Jackson lived in a shotgun shack in Lincoln Heights in Washington DC. His front porch overlooked the rolling green expanse of a cemetery. The wood siding of the house was painted white, and the windows and doors were all trimmed in black. The lawn was tidy, and was surrounded by a waist high chain link fence. The lawn was peppered with small statues and carvings, bird feeders and birdbaths.

Daniel beckoned them through the gate. He walked down to shake their hands. "Want a cold one?" He asked and saw Perry waiting in the truck. "You want to bring your dog in here? That's fine with me."

Perry started running around the yard and Amy and Robbie joined Daniel on the porch. Daniel was in his mid thirties. He was a big man, a little overweight, but tall, and moved with a relaxed ease. His hair was close cropped and he was clean shaven. He had a boyish face and a quick smile.

Daniel eyed Robbie, and said, "I was totally intrigued by your email and that picture of the statue. That blew my mind."

Robbie took a sip of the beer. He said, "We were intrigued by the mural. Can you tell me how it all happened?"

"Sure!" Daniel said. "It was the most amazing thing. I was getting ready for work. I'm a house painter. I was loading up the van to head to a job, then I start hearing this hum." Daniel started singing the note. "I thought it was coming from outside, maybe down the block, so I walked out on the road and looked. Nothing. It starts to get louder, like a roar. I started to feel all goosebumpy. My hair was all standing on end. Then I'm _there_."

"There? Where?" Amy asked.

"At first, it was a desert. I saw two people standing there in this desolate place and this big black form, sort of like a river of shadows was billowing around. The woman kissed the man, She was a real beauty. The man started glowing, at first just like a yellow flickering light, then his skin became white like a light bulb and there was this cross shape around him, and then _she_ started glowing, too, more like fiery red, with white light pouring out of her eyes."

Amy gasped. She asked, "Were you afraid?"

He shook his head emphatically, no. "No! Not at all. It was really beautiful. All this light and warmth, and it felt good. I wanted to go be near them. I could see I was glowing, too. I noticed other people there. The sky started to turn blue and the desert transformed. Grass was there, trees, birds."

Robbie was getting gooseflesh. He whispered, "Totally amazing, so what happened next?"

"She shouted something, it sounded like 'Ick Vie Soweron!' I couldn't understand it. Then she blasted this creature. Light sort of crackled out of her hands and it fled." He wiped a tear away. "The glowing man disappeared, and the light dimmed, but it was still a blue sky. I ran over to the woman. She was kneeling on the ground and just sobbing."

Amy wiped her eye. "What does she look like?"

Daniel smiled wistfully. "She was wearing a sort of short coat, well it's there in the drawings I've been doing." He handed her a sketchbook. "She was really glad I was there. I helped her stand up. She gave me a hug and knew my name. She said I might see her in my dreams. Then I sort of snapped out of it."

Amy flipped through the pictures. "These are really awesome!"

Daniel smiled in appreciation, "Thanks, Amy."

Robbie asked, "So why did you do the mural?"

Daniel pointed emphatically. "That's really the crazy thing. So, I notice people down the block are just going outside. I started asking did you see it? Nobody did, they just wanted to be out. I could just feel something happened, something big, so I decide to go to the Mall and paint the scene to see if anyone else saw it."

Robbie asked, "Did they?"

Daniel nodded emphatically. "So I started painting and an audience forms. Most of the people are just curious, but a few people are saying they saw it too, just a random group of people, men and women, old, young, a Japanese guy, is saying he saw it, too. He helped with the mural. Then people on the Mall were singing, making songs up. Dancing. Running around naked. Sort of like a mini music festival."

Amy asked, "So when did the people start coming out of offices?"

Daniel laughed a deep bass laugh. "That was awesome! Maybe within the hour. Just thousands of people were streaming out of their offices. They were talking and hanging out. It was complete beautiful anarchy. They weren't angry, pissed off about work or anything, just realizing they had better things to do with their life."

Robbie asked, "What about the police, the park service?"

"I saw this lady copy strip off her uniform and run around the park in her undies. There was no hassle." Daniel held up his hands and said, "Let me turn the tables, if I might, and ask some questions."

Robbie said, "Sure!"

"Who is this lady?"

Robbie said, "Her name is Samantha. As far as I understand it, she's basically a wisdom or knowledge _goddess._ But, that word is so loaded I hate using it. I mean, you actually met her and saw her, right. She hugged you. You know more about her than I do."

Daniel considered a moment. "Samantha... Not omniscient, nor distant, really pretty _human_. How do you know her? This statue looks pretty old. So is this something that happened to your, maybe, grandfather?"

Robbie shrugged. "I don't really know. When I was growing up, I just thought it was a lawn ornament! My family has a lot of books, though, where she's mentioned. It's a very, very long story."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and said, "Hey, speaking of books, we're doing a graphic novel based on this experience, that is, me and two other guys who were at the Mall."

Robbie patted Daniel's shoulder. "If you want any support, don't hesitate. Maybe you guys can head up to our farm sometime? You're welcome any time."

"I'll do that! I would love to see that statue in person."

"Yeah, you might enjoy reading what we've got, although, I don't want to get in the way of your muse. If you've got a direct connection to her, maybe go with that." Robbie suggested.

"It's all good. I'm totally fascinated. This is my life, now!" Daniel picked up the sketchbook and started drawing Robbie and Amy. He asked, "What's your dog's name."

Amy said, "Perry."

# EPISODE FIVE -- More Money More Problems

Present Day

## Chapter One

Morgan and his mom and dad gathered in the family room. Morgan felt surprisingly calm and talked in a matter of fact tone of voice. "Mom, Dad, in the past few weeks, lots of interesting and really life changing things have taken place, and I want to follow this road. I know this might be hard to understand, but I really can't go back to my old life, school, working at the garage, so I'm going to move down to Amy's farm and live there."

His Mom June nodded. She was slightly sad, since it felt like the end of something. She said, "Morgan, you're an amazing boy, well, now a young man. You have to live _your_ life. We did our best to get you this far, but now you're going to make your own decisions. We'll be here for you though."

Morgan's father thought for a long time before he said anything. He was spinning through lots of different scenarios in his mind. Finally he threw his hands up and said, "Morgan, I actually do understand a little bit what you're going through. Things have happened that took you to a really unusual place. I'm not _totally_ sure why leaving school is necessary, but if you change your mind in the future, you can do something else. Hell, if I was 17 again, I'd do things totally different, and if I was you, I'd follow that dream, too." He patted his wife's hand and actually smiled at his son.

Morgan was completely surprised at the support. "Wow, thanks. It means a lot that you see where I'm coming from."

His mom said, "Let's have a family dinner tonight like we used to."

Morgan nodded and said, "I'd like that, I guess I'll leave tomorrow."

## Chapter Two

Quite a bit of Keith's professional career as a private investigator involved staring off into space and thinking about what other people were doing and why they were doing it. He spent a lot of time over the years looking at the spartan, drab accommodations of his offices. The walls of his current office were institutional blue-gray and the carpet was once light blue, but was so scuffed and dirty and threadbare that is was a brownish gray. A framed print hung from the wall over an antique credenza. Fresh flowers were the only spot of light and color in the room. Keith's eyes kept flitting from the flowers to the print. The print was of a painting of a dog that saved a girl from drowning in the ocean. It was painted by a British artist named Landseer.

He was dwelling on how to find his ex wife. Her name was Stacy Anne Patterson, which was an annoyingly common combination of names, and he now wondered if it was an alias, which would make the search much harder, though not impossible. Likewise, he knew very little about her background. She basically arrived in his life from nowhere, and returned there.

He was having some luck finding mutual friends they had back in Los Angeles, but so far hadn't found any threads that connected to her. He mumbled to himself, "Maybe I can get her face on milk containers."

Years ago, Chloe scanned a bunch of their old family photos. He opened one of the pictures that had a good, clear shot of Stacy's face and he cropped it down to just her head and shoulders, then did an image search. He scrolled through the results. There she was, she'd been in a few made for TV movies, and "C" grade horror movies. She had been working under the name of Patricia Molyneaux since they split up.

He studied the images that were available. He wasn't totally sure the woman was Stacy. The makeup and airbrushing of the images obscured any moles and freckles and her hairstyle and color were different in each. He left a voicemail with her agent. Keith spoke carefully, and clearly in an even conversational tone. "Hello, I happened across a picture of Patricia Molyneaux. I think she might be my ex wife, Stacy Patterson. If you can pass a message along, I'd appreciate it. Our daughter Chloe is interested in meeting her mother. Chloe is doing very well, and is just curious about her family roots. If Patricia prefers, I can put her directly in touch with Chloe. Thanks."

He thought it was a long shot, but so far, it was the only lead he had.

## Chapter Three

Since the night of the homecoming dance, Robbie worried that the farm was still under surveillance. He assumed all their mail was being checked, that all their phone calls and emails were being tracked and logged. Some force was trying to get its hands on Matt's notes, but he didn't know why. He assumed Heather Madher was involved, but didn't really know how.

He thought about burning all the materials, but decided not to. Hiding them was essentially useless, too. He pondered the possibility of publishing the materials on the Internet. He decided he needed to think about it. He texted Tracy. "Hey, I need to talk to you. Can you come home?" Then he decided to go clear the trees around Samantha's statue and open it up to the eastern horizon.

He drove the tractor over to the spot in the woods where the statue stood. The years in the shade of the trees left the stone covered with lichens. He decided to pressure wash and polish it.

He cleared away an arc of scrubby maples and underbrush, but left the really large trees alone. In a couple of hours he had a decent sized clearing and was satisfied the morning sun would hit the statue, but it was no longer possible to get an unobstructed view of the horizon from the spot since developments had gone in around the farm. It didn't feel right to leave the statue staring at the back of McMansions.

Tracy waved at him and he heard her muffled, "Hey!" through his earmuffs. He took off his hardhat and gloves and sat down on the statue's base.

He asked Tracy, "Do you think we should move her? I think she would like a clear view of the horizon."

Tracy studied the statue's face, and shrugged. "I don't really know."

Robbie said, "I think we should put her in the middle of the hay field. That's the best view of the horizon..." He paused a minute, then added, "Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Fire away." Tracy said.

"Demetria said she was supposed to steal Matt's notes. Heather Madher knew about his work, too. I'm starting to wonder if she was involved in trying to steal the books. As far as I know, she's the only other person who really knew about it."

Tracy pursed her lips. "That's weird. Why would she try to steal them from us?"

Robbie sighed. "Well, she was almost obsessed with the plans. She offered me a lot of money for them years ago. Maybe she was on a mission to get them from us."

Tracy plopped down on a stump and gave him a skeptical look. "That's really crazy."

He said, "I've got a couple jobs for you. First, I want you to think about what we should do with the notes. Should we burn them? Hide them? Publish them on the Internet? Maybe do something else..."

She nodded and said, "OK. I need to think about that for a while."

He agreed, "Of course! Actually, here's how we usually handle this kind of thing, a few of us mull this problem over and we text or email or chat back and forth. This is a really big problem and it's really poorly defined so it needs a lot of effort. I'm going to pursue this with Johnny, too. He'll see what he can dig up on Heather. We need to know how she's connected."

Tracy started to smile. She was finally one of them. "I'm going to pursue a different angle on this."

Robbie was smiling in return. In her eyes, she saw Matt's searching expression. He asked, "What angle?"

"I'm going to try to contact Samantha and ask her." She said matter of factly.

Robbie raised an eyebrow. He nodded thoughtfully. "I think that's a good idea. I'm pretty sure that's why I came over here, to commune with her in my own way. I am going to move the statue and polish it up. Do you want to help?"

"Sure!" She said. "Let me go change into something more appropriate for farm work!" She turned around to jog back toward the house.

Robbie said, "Hey wait! One other thing, your birthday's rolling around and there's some other stuff we need to discuss."

"What else?" She asked.

Robbie said, "When your Mom and Dad left, they put me in charge of some money for you. You and I need to talk all that through. It's actually pretty complicated and possibly fairly boring for both of us, so maybe later tonight."

She was curious, "Money? How much are you talking about?"

"I've worried about telling you about this for a long time. I realize you're level headed and responsible, but well, this kind of dough could go to your head." He said.

"Well, how much?"

Robbie answered, "It started off as $10 million more or less."

She whistled and said, "Holy shit! Why did you make me sell all the stuff in the attic?! There were some days when I didn't even have money for food!"

He put up both hands. "If you just had it super easy, you'd have no idea what $10 million even means, right?"

She sighed, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Lessons learned. So you said it started of as $10 million, is there more or less, now?"

He groaned, then said. "Well, I'm not even sure what the total is today, but probably more. It wasn't just $10 million in cash. There's cash and some other assets. Plus, I've been plowing the money into promoting people and businesses that do good work. That's where I've been most of the times I was away. I am hoping you can get involved and take it over completely when you want to."

Tracy thought for a while. She finally said, "I remember Bethany Madher complaining about her dad's money, which I assume is a whole lot more than $10 million. She said it turned him into nothing but a walking pile of digits. I don't want to become that. I've just really started living my own life!"

Robbie rubbed his beard and said, "Here's the other thing, the money was given to us by the Brotherhood when Matt and Telia left."

Tracy scrunched up her nose and said, "That's very strange. Man, I really don't know what to think. My mind is completely blown."

He said, "Yeah, sorry. I would have told you sooner, but I didn't really know if you were ready."

She shrugged and said, "I really wasn't. I'm probably still not. Is it weird that I don't think this is good news? It actually makes me feel a little sick."

He gave her a big hug. "I'm glad you don't think it's good news, but don't feel sick! I've tried to be responsible with the dough and just do good things with it. You can do that too. You can give it all away if you want."

She waved the troublesome thoughts away and said, "Let's talk about it later. I am going to go change! Let's move her." She smacked Samantha's ass and jogged away.

Robbie said, "On your way back to the house, find a spot for her. Mark it with a shovel."

Tracy walked around in the hay field looking for a perfect spot. She wanted Samantha to be visible from the house and the road and also to have a clear view of the horizon. She found a little hillock and was satisfied it would work. She rammed the shovel in the ground, then jumped up and down and waved at Robbie across the expanse of the field. He texted her a smiley face.

It took them the rest of the day to load the statue on a trailer and carefully drive to the new location. Robbie oriented the statue so Samantha's arms and face were aligned correctly. Then, Tracy blasted the surface of the statue with a pressure washer. The statue changed from a mottled gray green to deep green and pink. Robbie buffed it with polishing compound so the surface had a smooth, shiny appearance. By the time the sun was setting, they were done.

As they inspected their handiwork, Robbie said, "We'll be able to check the winter solstice alignment pretty soon!"

Tracy said, "I feel we should build a path to the road so people could come and look at her."

## Chapter Four

The coffee shop had a nice view of the square. Chloe and Tracy sipped mochas and watched the people go by the picture window. Tracy took out a little black notebook and said, "My dad used to scribble in a notebook all the time. I always thought it was funny, now I know why he did it. It's like having an extra brain."

Chloe tapped her head and said, "I like to keep things clear. Did you know I meditate?"

"I wondered about that. I've seen you. Does it work?"

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, it took a while to get into it and figure out how to make it work for me. This morning, for example, I thought about your new problems."

Tracy smiled, "My problems? That's sweet."

Chloe fluttered her eyelashes, "I am sweet." They both laughed. She continued, "My two cents is publish the stuff on the Internet."

Tracy nodded thoughtfully, "I really like that idea, too. What about potential drawbacks?"

Chloe shrugged, "I think it's pretty simple. This is a valuable secret. Secrets are only valuable because of the limited number of people who know them and control them. Presumably whoever tried to break in wants to keep this secret and wield the power for themselves. I say fuck that person and publish it."

Tracy cooed, "Oooh. I like your decisiveness. You always go straight to the point. What if the information is actually dangerous, like plans for a nuclear bomb or a gun?"

"I thought about that angle, too. If your daddy discovered this thing, someone else will, too." Chloe said in a matter of fact tone. She took a sip of her mocha. "As far as I can tell, keeping them secret really only endangers you and Robbie, and maybe me and my dad too."

Tracy considered what Chloe said. "I can't argue with any of that." She spoke in a pseudo queenly accent, "I shall present this to the council!" She texted Robbie and Johnny.

Her phone buzzed a few times with replies. Chloe asked, "What'd they say?" She leaned over to look.

Tracy narrated, "Johnny sent a thumbs up and said, my thoughts exactly, that was Matt's original plan."

Chloe asked, "What about Uncle Robbie?"

"He said let's consider it one more day, but he's in general agreement." Tracy smiled. "So now, I guess that's one less problem."

Chloe looked out the window and scowled, "Well, another problem is about to walk through the door."

Monica Merchant flipped her long blond hair out of her face and walked into the coffee shop. She saw Chloe and stiffened. Monica was afraid of Chloe, but managed to mask it with anger and feigned annoyance. Tracy patted Chloe's arm and said, "This whole feud is nonsense, Chica! We're way better than this!" She waved over to Monica and said, "Hey Monica, come join us!"

Monica said sharply, "As if!"

Tracy followed Monica over to the counter and offered, "Hey Monica, I think we all got off on a bad foot, and frankly it's beneath us. You're too good for that and so are we. Maybe we won't be best buds, but I'd like it to be pleasant to run into you out on the streets."

Monica considered it for a minute. Her face remained hard. She asked, "Why didn't you visit Richard yet?"

Tracy said, "Maybe I'll go over there today, want to go?"

Monica asked, "Is _she_ going too?"

Tracy shrugged, "Chloe? I don't know, probably, we've got a lot to do this afternoon so we won't stay long."

Monica's face softened a bit and she said, "Well, thanks for the olive branch, Tracy, but I'll pass on the trip to Richard's. That'd be too awkward for words." She took her drink and walked over to Chloe. "Hey, I am sorry about messing up your car. Sometimes I can be crazy. That was stupid and totally uncalled for. I'm glad you got it repainted. It looks really cool, now."

Chloe regarded her with suspicion but decided Monica was being sincere, and finally said, "Apology accepted."

Monica waved through the picture window as she walked over to her car.

Chloe smiled at Tracy and said, "Look at you, peacemaker! I am impressed, and frankly, I am much less irked at Monica. In fact, I'm irk free."

"There's another problem solved! We're on a roll." Tracy took a big sip of her Mocha and said, "Here's my todo list: go see Richard, go to see Demetria, attempt to have otherworldly experience and contact Samantha. You wanna partake?"

Chloe tapped the side of her mocha mug thoughtfully. "Is the 40 mile walk really necessary?"

Tracy shrugged. "You know what, I don't think so. There's a park that's most of the way there. If we drove there and walked a few miles, I think it'd maintain the same secrecy, plus we'd see if someone was following."

"Alright. Let's do it." She said. Her voice wavered a bit and she cleared her throat.

## Chapter Five

Keith found a note on the counter from Chloe, "Going to D's Farm, back mañana. Using 'other' phones! -C&T XOXOX"

He held the note in his hand and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He was about to turn on the TV for some background noise, but before he clicked the power button on the remote, the mindless ritual of it really stung him. Soon he'd be an empty nester, and this oppressively quiet condo would be his experience every evening. For years, Chloe had been at the center of his life, and he hadn't really thought about what he'd do next. "Shit..." He muttered to the empty room as the weight of it started to set in. He shook his head to clear the thought, then sorted through the mail, and glanced at the front page of The Maple Leaf.

There was a photo of Rich Simons being sworn in, replacing Judge Ralph. Keith laughed ruefully. He took a six pack out of the fridge and drove toward the Wells Farm to see if anyone was around. There was nobody else he could commiserate with.

The scream of a table saw cutting wood was coming from the shop. Keith waited for a pause in the noise to go through the door.

Robbie was wearing a dust mask and carrying a newly ripped board to a work bench. He nodded at Keith and set the board down, then tossed the mask on the bench top. He said, "Hey Keith! Come on in."

Robbie's shop was stocked with vintage reconditioned power tools and a wall of hand tools, shiny wrenches, antique hand planes, chisels and hammers all mounted on plywood. Projects in various states of completion sat around the shop on benches. The floor of the shop was concrete that had been polished to a glossy finish in spots from years of shoe treads. One corner of the shop was an office/man cave with a leather arm chair and an office chair. Robbie plopped down in the office chair and took a beer from the six pack and popped it open on the desk corner.

Keith said, "I apologize if I'm interrupting anything. I really came over here because the girls left me high and dry for the evening, oh and this story! I couldn't just sit around in the house and rant at the walls." He handed Robbie the paper.

Robbie chuckled. "Oh shit! That's how it works. You play ball, you get 'ahead' in life. It's pretty rare to have the complete behind the scenes view of the whole charade! Uniquely galling!"

Keith sighed, "Yeah, I can't really blame Rich, though. He actually _tried_ really hard to do the right thing, but it was like swimming upstream." Keith took a sip of beer and rubbed his chin, then said, "Which leads me to another point, how can I help out more in your family's enterprise?"

Robbie raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I'm really glad you asked! Johnny, Dana, David Mathis and I do a lot of work to coordinate our, for lack of a better word, intelligence operations. From my perspective you'd really be able to help out with that and drive it."

Keith considered for a few seconds and said, "I'm starting to understand a little bit of how you operate, but I need to ask some really basic questions before I'd jump in with both feet."

Robbie kicked back and said, "Fire away!"

"What do you do for money? I mean, I have bills."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah. I totally understand, I think that's the hardest thing to convey to people who weren't brought up in this. I think it requires a pretty long winded explanation." He took a drink.

"Sure, go ahead and explain, I'm all ears."

Robbie collected his thoughts for a while to figure out where to start. He finally said, "You're a small business owner. The entity you own is registered with the state. You do some type of bookkeeping so you can represent your earnings to the state so it can collect taxes and fees. You have a mortgage, which means you sold your future earnings to a bank to produce the digits required to buy your condo. You're really plugged into a system of debt and accounting, aka _finance_."

Keith considered the statement and couldn't find any fault, so he nodded. "That's about right. So is everyone else!"

Robbie continued, " _Almost_ everyone else. There's a whole separate economy. As far as I can tell, it's been around forever, but over the past hundred years more or less, it's gone incognito because finance has really invaded almost every aspect of people's lives. Within our network, the things that replace the bankers are communication and cooperation."

Keith was skeptical. He couldn't wrap his head around the concept. He said, "But you _own_ this house, right? Isn't that what makes this possible for you."

Robbie nodded and he pointed at Keith, "I think I need to give you a really concrete example so you can see how this works. There's an old couple, friends of my family. They're in Parkman, the house is starting to get a little run down and they can't take care of the property. Do you want it?"

"Wow!" Keith slapped his knee. "Man. That's wild, really? I could _have_ their house. No mortgage? How many times does something like that come up?"

"Yeah. We do this type of thing every day, maybe not a house everyday, but there's always something going on." Robbie shrugged. "Think about this, for over a hundred years people in my family's circle, literally thousands of people, haven't paid a nickel of interest to a bank. All that wealth has continued to accumulate."

Keith whistled in appreciation as it started to dawn on him. "Holy shit! Yeah, I often think about all the money I've thrown away on interest: student loans, car loans, home loans. If I had all that back, I'd be a rich man!" He was still skeptical though. He held up a finger and said, "Alright, but let me play devil's advocate here. Who puts _you_ in charge of that information, or of handing the house to me?"

"It doesn't really work like that. I'm not in charge of anything, it's extremely informal, if you get more involved you'll get the picture quickly. Let me show you the email that let me know about the house." He turned around and opened up a mail message and let Keith read it.

Keith muttered, "Know anyone who could take care of the farm? Getting too old, want to move to Florida. Marvin."

Robbie said, "I hear about this, pass the information along through our network. Eventually someone likes the situation, and Marvin and Ethel like them, and they make a deal. It's really that simple."

"A deal? Would they want money?" Keith asked.

Robbie shrugged. "I'm not sure what they want exactly, if you wanted the house, you'd work it out with them. David Mathis takes this to the extreme. As far as I know he has no bank account, and he's lived entirely in this network since he was 17! He's the freest man I've ever met."

Keith shook his finger, "Okay, well, what about this, what if people in this network cheat. Like what if I took their house, but reneged on the deal."

Robbie shrugged, "It happens. It's not utopia. Trust, relationships, common goals are really important, and usually people cooperate and work together, because, well, why not? But when it comes to disputes, there's no courts, lawyers, law involved. Well, we are the law. It's a group of really independent, smart people. They don't put up with shit."

Keith chewed on the ideas for a while. "I find it totally intriguing, but I'm an old dog, so I'm slow to learn the new tricks! I'll keep thinking about it though."

"Do you mind if we talk shop?" Robbie asked.

"No problem, what's going on?"

Robbie scratched his beard, "Well, a few years ago, after Matt and Telia disappeared, a woman, actually a fairly famous actress Heather Madher, was really interested, actually aggressively interested, in continuing Matt's work."

Keith's face lit up, "I loved that show... What was it? _Dark Alliance_... How interesting. Do you think she was somehow connected to the Sheriff and the Judge or that cult in Hudson?"

Robbie furrowed his brow and said, "Even if she weren't directly involved, she's probably the source of the information, so somehow she's probably connected to the Brotherhood. Her daughter was Tracy's roomie in boarding school. It just seems so hard to believe Heather would endanger us."

Keith laughed. "Unfortunately, nine times out of ten, the explanation which makes logical sense, but we refuse to believe because it makes no sense from a sane, decent point of view, is actually what happens. Do you want to hear how I got shot? It's a similar situation. I actually bled because of my naivete."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah, I've wondered about that."

"I was working on an embezzlement case for an evangelical church in Brentwood. That's a ritzy neighborhood just outside of Nashville. I guess it's like a nouveau riche version Gates Mills or Waite Hill. Ostensibly, I'm tracking this woman down to recover funds and to prosecute her. I mean, it's a church, these assholes are talking about Justice, Jesus, the ten commandments and holy, holy, holy stuff every day. Turns out they wanted me to track her down because everyone was embezzling from the church and she had the records and was blackmailing the Reverend. So he and his wife found a hit man, some asshole they hired off the Internet, to kill her. I got caught in the crossfire, we had a shoot out. The hitman died, all those church assholes went to jail."

Robbie guffawed. "That's an amazing story, and point taken. So let's assume the worst about Heather."

Keith said, "Exactly. In retrospect, I _knew_ something was fishy right at the beginning, but I kept thinking, nah, these are church folk, how bad could it be? Chloe and I got into deep shit at that cult freak show in Hudson for the same reason. Assume the worst, then be pleasantly surprised, that's how I try to play it, now."

Robbie drained the last of the bottle and opened another, then said, "I keep wondering why would they need the notes and plans? Matt and Telia showed the reflector to her, they were thinking about mass producing them, so they wanted the Madhers to be investors. Heather's a smart woman. Let's assume they started building a reflector based on what she remembered. "

Keith was puzzled, "What about the network? Why didn't Matt and Telia use that? Why'd they get her involved in the first place?"

Robbie shrugged and said, "Yeah, I don't really know. I never asked about that... Maybe they thought it would be quicker to tap into a big pile of money like the Madhers instead of doing all the leg work and convincing it would take to get the network to do it. Plus Heather's influential with a mass of people, she's like PBR while we're more like artisanal beer!" He held up the bottle.

Keith considered a moment, trying to figure out a likely scenario. "So maybe the Madhers built a reflector, but it doesn't work, and they don't know the secret sauce."

"That's my thought too." Robbie said. "Now Tracy, Chloe, Johnny and Dana are thinking we should just publish the plans online."

Keith raised his eyebrows. "Chloe?"

Robbie said, "Yeah, she and Tracy were kicking the idea around. I'm starting to get Tracy a little more involved in the thinking and planning and she asked Chloe."

Keith nodded thoughtfully. "Well, let's say the Madhers built this gizmo and want to use it for nefarious purposes. Helping them out by publishing the plans might not be a good idea."

Robbie sighed. "Yeah, I worry about that, also. Tracy and Chloe made the point that like a gun or a nuclear bomb, if one person can build it, another can eventually, so why not take the 'arm everyone' route and publish them?"

Keith smiled, "Those are smart girls! I find it hard to argue with that, but man, it would be nice to know if the Madhers built one of these things, right?"

"It sure would!"

Keith said, "I will look into it."

## Chapter Six

Chloe locked up her car and she and Tracy shouldered their packs.

"I left a note in the window--night birdwatching. I hope that'll keep the park from towing my car!" Chloe said.

They took one of the park trails until they were near the Cuyahoga River, then headed south toward Elysian Farm. The twenty mile overnight trip was cut down to just under four miles, just about an hour of brisk walking.

The nights were starting to get seasonably cold, down into the thirties consistently, but still Chardon hadn't been blasted with the inevitable lake effect snowstorm. Tracy considered the twists and turns of the trail in the woods and the farm roads through open fields and said, "Dude, once it snows, no more walking!"

In the quiet of the wintery night, in the dark woods, Chloe felt the need to be quiet. She whispered, "Personally, I can't wait to experience the snow. Dad said we can get three feet in a single night! That'd be amazing. In Nashville when they get an inch of snow, the place shuts down."

Tracy laughed at her own urge to be quiet in the night. She said in a normal tone of voice, "Hey! I don't think we have to whisper. I like the snow until about March, then I can't stand it! We have a neighbor that makes cross country ski trails through the woods. Maybe this year I'll go, too."

Chloe pretended to be cross country skiing. "I'd like to try that, too! That, that, is something I do not know how to do. Very exciting."

Tracy put her arm around Chloe. "Finally! One thing you're not an expert at! Now I am excited for the snow, too."

As they approached the farm, they heard a tingling of guitar, laughing, and happy voices. They picked up their pace and went into the field. A gathering of people were huddled together in the birch grove. There was a big bonfire away from the trees. Morgan waved them over to the fire.

Tracy and Chloe gave him a hug. Tracy said, "Hey, it seems like there are more people here!"

Morgan smiled and nodded, "Yeah, neighbors like to stop by at night, too. I've been here a few days. Each night Amy's been having this little party in a different spot, but this one is my favorite. We're really keeping the ground company. So weird to say it out loud!"

He led them to the grove. Demetria was standing on the eastern side of the ring. The fire light was illuminating her smiling face, and half was still in shadow. She was wearing a golden floral print dress and a thick, fluffy white jacket with a faux fur lined hood. Her hair was garlanded in the remaining fresh fall flowers.

Demetria's face brightened when she saw them and she cradled their faces in her hands and kissed them. She was delighted that Chloe made the trip. "It is so good to see you again, sisters! Everyone this is Chloe Marte, she saved my life!"

The people in the crowd embraced her or shook her hand or kissed her face. Tracy could feel the energy in the air. It practically crackled and flowed like a warm breeze. Chloe just felt giddy almost to the point of dizziness and time seemed to slow to a standstill. Demetria led her to a short sandstone slab table and gestured for her to sit on a velvety black blanket that was draped over the surface. A couple of girls started weaving white flowers into her jet black hair. Then they started to sing.

Tracy watched the gathering and was surprised as Morgan joined in the song. She took his arm and put her head on his shoulder. When the song concluded, Chloe wiped a tear from her eye. The guitar player started banging out a rhythm guitar chord progression and the people started to dance.

Chloe rejoined Tracy and Morgan. She said, "Wow! That was intense and unexpected. Ya know, I was actually a little apprehensive about coming here. It's like a different world, but maybe it's a better version of the normal one. I'm just going to go with the flow." She jumped into the dance and the guitarist picked up the beat and started to play a theme for her.

Amy danced with her. They stood back to back and wriggled down to the ground, then back up again. Chloe laughed at the weird sensation and beckoned Tracy to join in. The three of them did the same move. The rest of the crowd was loving it.

By the time the crowd dispersed and people wandered away to sleep, or to go home, Chloe and Tracy were a little tipsy from drinking and from the surfeit of positive energy. The sky was mostly cloudy, and the white half moon occasionally peaked through and illuminated a glowing white patch of clouds.

Tracy, Chloe, Morgan and Demetria started walking across the field toward Demetria's room. Chloe asked, "Do you do this every night?"

Morgan nodded, "Yes. Life's quite a bit different here. During the day, people work, really not that long, then in the afternoon, I'm talking like 2 or 3 in the afternoon they're done. They get into their hobbies, hang out and talk, go traveling, whatever. At night, we usually have dinner, then later, this. Makes me wonder why people live any other way, really."

Chloe nodded in appreciation. "Seems pretty simple."

Demetria said, "It really is. It's up to us to keep things moving, though. There's this rhythm of the day, of the seasons that actually requires tending to."

"What happens if it's not tended?" Chloe asked.

"When you were dancing, there was a guitarist playing. The dance kept going until he broke a string. Then we all stopped until he fixed it. Same sort of thing, just a different more complicated scale." Demetria took her hand. She sighed a little sigh and said, "Also it requires the right mix of people for them to remain happy.Truly, there's only so much we can do, just do our best to keep it going."

Chloe stopped in her tracks and pulled Demetria around to look at her. She asked, "Demetria, am I one of you?"

Demetria was puzzled. "What do you mean? We are sisters, Chloe."

Chloe repeated, "I mean, am I one of you, from the other side?"

Demetria studied her. "There's something about you that _is_ different. We will explore it. Come." She led them back to her room with a more insistent stride. She put a hand on Morgan's chest and said, "Can you sleep elsewhere Morgan?"

He nodded and waved goodnight to the girls.

Demetria beckoned Chloe to sit down on the bed. She pulled out a jar of oil and Tracy turned the lights out and lit some candles.

Chloe asked, "What's in the jar?"

Demetria smiled sweetly at her. "Chloe, we are going over to the meadow. This helps. It's oil and some herbs."

Tracy said, "It feels very good, don't worry about it."

"Alright. I'm your putty." She slipped out of her clothes and flopped onto the bed. Tracy and Demetria started rubbing the oil into her skin. Chloe snickered, "Hey that tickles." She relaxed and felt like she was floating. "Mmmm. That's good. Oh!" She purred. "Now, that doesn't tickle. I like that. Keep that up. Are there just four hands, or like eight. Wow...." She felt a ripple of electricity slide down her spine and she saw a meadow with wildflowers blooming.

Demetria was scratching behind the ears of a large, languid lioness. Chloe patted the lion's side and the animal rolled onto her back like an enormous dog.

Demetria said, "I've never seen this happen. I think the lion is with you."

Tracy patted the lion's chest and pressed her face against the fur. She said, "So warm. She smells like you." She laughed.

Chloe scrunched up her nose, "How do you know what I smell like?"

Tracy confessed, "I live in your house! I smell your pillows. You've got a distinctive scent."

Chloe guffawed. "I am going to sniff your pits when we're done!"

"Why wait?" Tracy put her armpit in Chloe's face.

Chloe breathed in. "Is it weird I find that really sexy?" Chloe chuckled.

Demetria sniffed Chloe's head and neck. "No, it's not. Scents are really powerful. You'll notice when we go back that other people will start responding to you more strongly."

Chloe inhaled Demetria's aroma and said, "Wow. That makes my head swim."

Tracy said, "Demetria, I want to talk to Samantha."

Just then, Samantha appeared out of the woods and looked around. "Oh my! I haven't been here in such a long time."

Demetria stood up and bowed slightly. "Samantha!" They embraced. They spoke a language that neither Chloe nor Tracy understood. Demetria and Samantha kissed and Samantha brushed a tear away from Demetria's cheek.

Samantha's hair now had a distinct gray streak and her eyes were slightly tired and her left hand was stiff. She hugged Tracy and Chloe and kissed them both.

"I fear there's not enough time or pleasantries. Tracy, your father needs you."

Tracy became anxious, "Dad?!" Tracy snapped back to regular consciousness. "Shoot..." she sighed at the inconvenience of extra-dimensional travel.

Chloe and Demetria were embracing next to her and still both had their eyes closed and Tracy could see the eyeballs moving beneath the lids. Tracy became almost sick with worry about her parents, but just waited for them to wake up.

Chloe sat up and gasped and said, "Holy shit!"

Demetria sat up and stretched languidly. She threw her arms around Chloe's waist and held onto her. She said, "That was really very interesting. I didn't know I could discover something new after all these years. You are a puzzle!"

Tracy asked, "What did Samantha say?"

Demetria patted Tracy's thigh. "She wants you to build another device, she called it a reflector. Your father is lost on the other side."

Tracy said, "What? What does that mean?" She stood up. "I have to go. I have to go." she said.

Chloe hopped up, "I'm coming with."

Demetria pouted a little. She finally stood up as the girls were about ready to leave. "Don't fret, Tracy! I am sad you two must run. Come back as soon as you can."

The girls picked up their bags and set out at a brisk pace.

Chloe said, "I wonder what it means to be lost on the other side? They were chatting after you left, speaking maybe Greek? I couldn't understand a word they said."

Tracy said, "I don't know. I don't know."

Chloe grabbed Tracy's arm and stopped. "Wait. Dude you are freaking out. Just stop... Breathe."

Tracy shook her hands and breathed deeply. She said, "Yeah, I do that sometimes. Robbie calls it 'spaz mode'. My mind starts racing. I am totally fixated on getting back home. I have this little figurine my dad gave me. I feel like I need that thing."

Chloe asked, "Can you jog?"

Tracy started jogging. Her pack was bouncing on her back and slowing her down. They stopped and Chloe took both packs, then they started up again. By the time they got back to the car, Tracy was exhausted. Chloe whipped the car around in a J-turn and tore down the road toward the Farm.

Chloe said, "Sorry about your dad, but I need to vent. That was a truly incredible experience. I am now understanding what you were talking about before."

Tracy was glad to have the small talk distraction, "I know, right?"

"Did you know I'm a virgin? I mean, never had intercourse with a guy." Chloe said plainly.

Tracy said, "No! I did not. I was until just recently. For some reason, I thought you were more experienced."

"This sounds _really_ weird to say, but man, I really want some dick." Chloe laughed.

Tracy laughed a long time and wiped her eyes. "Chica, you just made me realize something!"

"What?"

"Demetria's like a total paradox. She took you to an ethereal other worldly realm through your pussy, not through meditation or fasting. She basically loves the earth. I mean literally. She'd fuck it if she could figure out how to. She's very _complete_. Body _and_ soul. She doesn't act like she needs to starve one to feed the other."

Chloe nodded. "I get it, yeah, I see that."

Tracy smiled. "So if my dad is over there, that's ok. I mean that's actually a really good thing. Not only is he alive, well, he's basically immortal. Like Demetria."

"Are we, too?" Chloe whispered.

"Quite possibly." Tracy said.

"Would an immortal being say 'holy fuck'?" Chloe said in mock reverence.

Tracy laughed hysterically. She took out her phone and typed out a text, then said, "Hey, Chloe?"

Chloe let the pregnant pause gestate. "What?"

"You wanted dick. Would you settle for Golden Dick?"

Chloe's face turned red. "I don't know... That could be weird."

Tracy said, "I mean, me and you and Richard. Kind of kills two birds with one stone, too. I mean, right?" She shrugged.

Chloe laughed wickedly, "More like poke two birds with one bone?" Then she sighed and said, "Alright, alright. I'm succumbing to peer pressure. Is he up to it?"

Tracy rolled her eyes, "Are you kidding? Of course."

"Are we going to his house?" Chloe asked.

'Yeah, he actually lives in their pool house. It's like a little apartment."

## Chapter Seven

Keith was a little buzzed from drinking with Robbie when he got back home. He was hoping to see the girls, but Chloe's car was still gone. He checked his watch. It was 10PM, but there was no chance he'd be able to sleep, so he started a new case file. He devised a system over the years--Blue 3" binder, new file of notes on the computer, a name for the case. Usually Chloe named the cases, so he texted her, but there was no reply.

He tapped his chin with a pencil. "Blah! Of course, Madher's little helper." But he thought twice about using a proper name, an easily identifiable name, and called it "Heather's Little Helper." He started a property search. "Holy shit! It'd be easier to make a list of what they don't own. Geez."

One address piqued his interest. He texted Robbie and Johnny. "What was reflector warehouse addy?"

Johnny replied, "It was 33 Oxbow Road."

Keith chuckled. He texted back. "Guess who owns it now?"

Robbie replied, "No f'ing way."

Keith wrote back, "I'll check it out tomorrow. Girls there?"

Robbie responded. "Nope. Probably still at D's."

Keith wrote a note in the file. "December 18, 2014 -- Madher family owns warehouse where reflector was built."

He kicked back on the couch and read articles about the Madhers for a few hours. In the mid 1800's they arrived in Cleveland from Boston and established a shipping company. The company grew with the age of industrialization, mostly shipping raw materials, like coking coal and iron ore. Since then, it appeared their main business was being "investors". He dug a little deeper, and found conspiracy theories swirling around the family: rumors of involvement in political assassinations and organized crime.

He found an out of print book, "The Madher Family: Secrets and Lies". He ordered a copy for himself and sent the link to Robbie and Johnny. The idea of actually waiting two days to get a book irked him. It made him wonder why the Wells archives weren't online. He texted the whole crew including Tracy and Chloe, "Crazy idea: If were planning to publish the reflector plans online, why not the whole library?"

Johnny added, "Yeah Robbie? In paper form vulnerable. Cf. Library of Alexandria."

Keith Googled the reference. He mumbled, "Library of Alexandria burned in 391 AD by Christian Zealots."

Robbie wrote back, "Big topic!!! No opposition from me! Let's think it through. Hear Tracy out on it. She has index in brain."

## Chapter Eight

"Alright... I am completely drained, ladies. No mas!" Richard flopped back onto the bed.

"Thank you for your service." Chloe said and patted his sweaty chest.

Tracy scrolled through her phone, "Duty calls! To the batcave!" She hopped out of bed and started to get dressed.

Richard yawned, "It is too late for duty! You guys can sleep over. I'd love to see the look on mom's face if we all go over for some pancakes in la mañana."

Chloe smirked, "I bet she'd be proud!" She stepped into her clothes.

Richard smiled and said, "I feel used! You guys running out like this."

Tracy laughed, "I bet you'll survive the experience unscathed!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

They went out into the cold night air. Chloe held her arms up and let the cold dry air swirl around her. "That feels so good!"

They sped back to the Wells farm. The lights were still on in Robbie's workshop. Smoke was curling up out of the chimney of the shop's woodstove.

Tracy said to Chloe, "Robbie's in the workshop, I think. I'm going to run inside and get that little sparrow hawk figurine. I'll be out in a minute."

Chloe walked into the shop. Robbie was lounging on a couch with his feet kicked up on the coffee table. She said, "You're still awake!"

Robbie shrugged. "I blame your dad!" He sat up on the couch and smiled. "When you guys do overnight trips, the parents don't sleep. It rubs off on me, I guess."

Chloe sat on a big sycamore plank. She stroked its surface. "This is really nice!" she smiled.

Robbie said, "I've been thinking about what to do with all that sycamore. There is a big stack just like that one out in the wood barn."

Tracy jogged into the shop and flopped down in the armchair. She held the sparrow hawk figurine in her lap. She announced, "I met with Samantha. She said Dad's lost on the other side and we need to build a new reflector. I also had, well, I guess you'd call it a religious experience."

Robbie held up a hand. "Wait! I'm going to go get some more beer."

Tracy turned the sparrow hawk over in her hands while Robbie ran over to the small fridge. He popped the beers open and handed one to Chloe and Tracy.

Tracy said, "We've been looking at this _whole thing_ ass backwards." She gestured all around her head to emphasize she meant _everything_. "Imagine you're from the other side. Coming _here_ to this plane is a lot like dying, while dying is like being born on the other side."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah, I get that."

Tracy turned the sparrow hawk over in her hands and then said, "What if we're _from_ the other side. I think Chloe definitely is. We went over there and she has a pet lioness, or she is one or something. Maybe that part of ourselves is like a pet, a familiar. We have a relationship with it, but it can't speak. Though we all live this dual existence, our family regarded this essential part of ourselves with suspicion and even hostility."

Robbie rubbed his beard. He said, "Ever since Matt went over there, our perspective on it has been shifting."

Tracy nodded, "We keep learning more. We forgot so much."

He asked the two girls, "What are your thoughts on publishing the plans? We are starting to think the Madhers built their own reflector, but we think it's not fully operational. Keith is going to go investigate tomorrow."

Tracy considered a moment. She looked at Chloe, then Robbie. "We must destroy theirs. Our task is to connect the worlds and bring this knowledge to people so they can use it for their own benefit, to find their own Samantha or Demetria. The Madhers want power. They want to keep people in the dark."

Robbie sat back on the couch. Chloe was pacing the floor of the shop. Chloe said, "I'm going to go check that place out with my dad."

Robbie asked, "Now?"

Chloe's eyes were bright, and her face was practically radiant. "Yes. Now." She walked out to the car and drove away into the night.

Tracy texted Johnny. "We need to build a new reflector! Get up here!"

Robbie said, "No sleep for the weary!"

# EPISODE SIX -- Blown Away

Three Years in the Past

## Chapter One

Daniel Jackson was whistling Beethoven's _Ode to Joy_ and heading up the sidewalk toward home. The dusky evening was unseasonably warm. He had a bag of groceries in one hand and had his sketchpad under his other arm. He noticed flashing lights of police cars on his street close to his house. He crossed the road and went into the cemetery to get a better look from a safe distance. Police, two black SUVs with United States Coast Guard insignia, and one white car with Department of Homeland Security were pulled onto the sidewalk in front of his house.

"What the fuck?" he whispered. He could see they were carrying out materials from his house, journals, notebooks, his computer, sketch pads. He walked briskly away across the cemetery. He felt a flash of anger and frustration. He pulled a pear out of the grocery bag and dumped the rest in the garbage. He flipped through the sketch pad and tore out pictures that showed real world people, like Amy and Robbie. He shredded them and tossed the strips into different garbage cans. He ducked into a thrift shop and bought a black hoodie and a hat and sunglasses. He sat down on a table in front of a cafe and copied a list of his contacts onto a sheet of paper.

He gave the cell phone to a young man, then walked away down the block, not exactly sure what he'd do next. His feet and a couple of bus trips carried him back to the National Mall. The festive atmosphere continued. He saw the bright lights of TV cameras near the reflecting pool. A stage had been set up and a band was playing. He could just hear the amplified voice of the singer and an occasional crash of a cymbal.

Daniel smiled and sat down on a park bench and took in the whole scene. Young men and women were lounging around all over the grass. Things were still good, but the sense of a turned tide, of a revolution in the making was gone.

He noticed men in twos and threes were walking briskly along the sidewalk toward the TV lights. Daniel took note of their shoes, all dark black lugged soled shoes. The men were all physically fit, clean cut, and wore black shirts and a black baseball cap. If he were able to see infra-red, he would have seen a shiny diamond on the front and back of the ballcaps and on their black shirts.

He watched the men work their way through the crowd. Two of the men closest to him approached two girls laying on a blanket. One of the girls was a blonde, the other was African American. They were both wearing shorts and T-shirts and were barefoot, enjoying the evening air and the music. The girls were complaining that the men were getting their blanket dirty. One of the men grabbed the blond girl under the armpits, and the other man ripped off her shorts and started to rape her.

Screams erupted around them, then all over on the Mall. A group of men and women ran to help the blonde, but a couple of the would be helpers dropped to the ground. Their heads exploded into a cloud of red mist as an unseen sniper began picking people off. Chaos erupted and people ran in all directions. The cameras caught the scene live. Daniel ran away from the park.

## Chapter Two

Matt suffered more from channeling the sun's power than he initially realized. When he urinated in the toilet he saw floating globs of blood swirl in the water. He was disturbed by his body's response, but there was nothing he could do except hope he'd improve, so he flushed and waited for clear water to completely refill the bowl so Telia wouldn't accidentally discover the full extent of his injuries.

Matt still felt incredibly tired, like he'd just had a serious bout of flu. Telia had been trying to nurse him back to health using every family remedy she could remember and Samantha suggested some palliatives, but nothing really helped. He had an irresistible urge to be in the sunlight and tried to absorb the weak December rays from a chair that was near the big picture windows of the Lodge.

The group took to gathering around him in the afternoon. Much of their previous work had been undone as the weeks went by. In spite of a lobbying effort by Seth, and fury from the public, new draconian credit card collections laws sailed through a banker owned House and Senate and were signed into law by the banker owned President. A few of the prominent protesters on the National Mall turned up dead and were being badmouthed and discredited every day on cable and network news programs. Dozens of other people who had been identified in photos went to jail, branded as "seditionists". The word was being rammed into the popular mind through repetition.

The financial implosion of JJ Gorman stopped, then reversed when the Federal Government began issuing 100 year treasury bonds. Gorman was granted the sole franchise for selling them and also began offering 100 year mortgages for homes, and began issuing 20 year car loans. A new program called S-Lever, allowed people to combine their student loans, auto loans, and home loans into one lifetime loan that discharged upon death. People who were delinquent on payments were required to clean city streets or donate blood every month, and were forced to live in new debtor's camps.

Cadres of financial talking heads cheered the programs. They cited the bravery of the Secretary of Treasury in pushing the 100 year notes. They lauded the new legislation as the start of a new epoch, a new golden age of finance that heralded an economic boom that would be ignited by lower loan payments. The financial markets rallied on the news.

Seth called the Lodge over a secure video link. Francis put his laptop where they all could see the screen. Seth had dark rings around his eyes. He was despondent. "I thought we had them on the run. You guys did great, but the response to the damage was really rapid. I still think we should pursue the current strategy as far as we can take it, but unfortunately we're running out of time." He sighed.

Telia asked, "Why, what changed?"

"They're actively looking for you, now." Seth shrugged. "It's just a matter of time until they find you. Could be days. Could be hours. Francis, get ready to shut it all down when you need to."

Francis held his head in his hands. "Shit." He mumbled.

Matt said, "I'm just way too weak to try to attack again."

Owen said resolutely, "I will do it."

Telia gasped, "No! Owen, it almost killed Matt and you're twenty years older."

He shrugged and smiled. "Telia, it's really alright. I'm ready for it."

Matt shook his head. "No way! Suicide is not on the agenda." He coughed.

Francis held up a hand and interrupted them. "Guys, if we're discovered, we have a plan to follow. Matt and Telia, you get in the tunnel, then I'll blow this whole place up. There's actually enough ANFO buried underneath these buildings to turn the Lodge and the reflector into confetti."

Telia was aghast. "No! What the fuck?! Francis what will _you_ do after that?"

He said. "I'll try to get away. You guys should be safe in the tunnel. It'll be completely buried. Someone will come get you when it's safe." He breathed out heavily to steady himself. He spoke with firm resolve and added, "None of us can be caught alive. We do not want to be taken alive, understand? It would be horrible."

Telia threw up in the waste basket. "Sorry. sorry..." She whispered and wiped her mouth. She took the can out into the kitchen and cleaned it and herself up. They could hear her sobbing.

Owen stood up and headed for the barn. He turned back to them and asked, "Are you all coming?" Then he descended the stairs and headed down the hallway. Matt grimaced and stood up and followed him.

Matt said glumly, "We're going over there, Tee."

She sobbed and groaned. She managed to say, "I can't. I can't..."

Francis and Matt walked after Owen.

Owen climbed into the reflector. He said, "Don't disconnect me. Tell Telia I am going back home. I think she'll understand."

Francis nodded grimly. "OK. Let that fucker have it, Owen!"

Owen asked, "Can you bring me a big glass of water?"

Francis poured a tall glass with no ice and gave it to Owen. He took a swallow and said, "Thank you very much Francis. It's been a pleasure to meet you. Maybe I'll see you again someday."

Francis patted his shoulder and stepped down the ladder. Owen was relaxed and smiling. He went to the other side. He was by the mountain stream and Samantha took both of his hands. Owen said, "Hello Samantha, I'm relocating today!"

Samantha said, "You've prepared for this for a long time. I think you're ready."

Owen smiled, "And what a way to make the passage! Powered by the roar of the sun."

She closed her eyes and they were back in the mental territory that corresponded to Washington DC. The life they'd restored in their previous attack had receded. The trees were blasted and charred, and bare and the grass had mostly given way to sand again.

Samantha began speaking in her ancient tongue. "Foul serpent. I feel your fear! Vicious devourer, the time has come for you to be split and your flesh rendered to ash."

The swarming shadow passed overhead again. It tumbled and rolled through the sky like a black billowing cloud of reptile scales. Its hissing screeching voice chilled them both. "You are discovered by my servants. But it is not too late for you, Owen. You could be a king in my world instead of a pauper and servant to this cunt. If you go back now, I will finally eat Samantha and I will reward you with a crown."

Owen motioned to Francis to direct the reflector at the Sun. The glow emanating from him was a distinct red, not the brilliant white that Matt emitted, but still the trees were restored and the grass swarmed across the field. Samantha began radiating a red glow and she blasted the serpent again. The light arced from her hands and it steadily intensified, from red, to orange, then became whiter and more intense.

The damage she inflicted likewise intensified. The Beast began writhing, and it was unable to flee. Owen was holding the creature in place with his mind, but his body was enduring incredible strain. The heart rate monitor had been pegged at 175 beats per minute for twenty minutes, and sweat was pouring out of him. Owen made one last effort to kill it. A portion of the serpent exploded in a shower of white light and sparks, then Owen collapsed onto the ground next to Samantha. She crumpled over next to him and the Beast let out a screeching cry.

Owen's body slid down in the chair and its lifeless arm knocked the water glass over and it fell headfirst from the platform. Matt shouted, "Let's keep it going!" Adrenaline surged and he clambered up the platform and sat in the chair.

"Matt! Don't!" Francis called out.

Matt closed his eyes and felt the power of the sun's roar surge through him.

Samantha saw Matt appear as a blinding flash of white light. A gold and yellow metallic mirage of the Occitan cross rippled around him. She could make out a glimmering vision of the interior of the barn and saw Francis looking up at Matt. With Matt's arrival, the sky turned from dull gray to dark blue and fluffy white cumulus clouds bloomed overhead. Birds sang. Samantha struggled to her feet and helped Owen stand. They all began to glow with white light that was tinged with flowing red curtains. Owen and Samantha launched new attacks on the Beast. Its tail fell off in a shower of sparks and it began to split open. It screeched in agony.

Matt's heart rate pegged at 200 beats per minute. Francis muttered, "Holy shit..." He yelled, "Telia get in here!"

Alarms sounded all throughout the Lodge and the barn. Telia ran through the tunnel and emerged into the barn. She shouted, "What is that sound?"

Francis said, "They're coming for us!"

They heard the thunder of helicopter blades, then multiple thumps of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles launching from around the Lodge. Trails of smoke corkscrewed toward the helicopter. A heavily armed detail of Seth's personal guard were stationed in the woods all around the Lodge and they were going to protect the place from any attacker.

United States special forces were conducting the raid on what they believed to be a seditionist cell. They'd been directed to launch the attack by the Disciple of the Beast Colonel Pepper Richards. They assumed the people in the Lodge were a group of lightly armed civilians, so when the missiles erupted from the canopy of trees the pilot was shocked. He barely had a moment to react.

He banked the helicopter hard left, but a warhead exploded near the rear of the aircraft and snapped the driveshaft to the rear propeller. The helicopter started spinning wildly toward the barn. Men were ejected from the open sides of the chopper and plunged to their deaths through the treetops. The helicopter bounced off the roof and broke in half, and the blades shattered against the structure.

Inside the barn, the impact was as loud as a canon going off. Telia was stunned by it and fell to the ground. A beam in the ceiling cracked and collapsed onto the reflector and warped the ball of metal and knocked Matt to the floor ten feet below.

Francis sprinted to his side and grabbed him under the arms. He shouted at Telia, "Get in the tunnel! Move!"

He dragged Matt down the stairs into the middle of the tunnel. Telia followed them and sat next to Matt and looked bewildered and afraid. Francis said, "There's food and water and lights." he pointed at a closet in the middle of the tunnel. "I'm going to blow it all up. Bye, Telia."

Francis sprinted back up the stairs to the control panel. He opened a hidden compartment beneath the panel with shaking hands. He could hear heavy automatic weapons going off near the road and in the woods. Ground troops were now moving in. There was another explosion as an Abrams-M1 tank lobbed a shell at the Lodge.

Moments later, the M1 erupted in a geyser of flames and its turret flipped through the air as it was rocked by a TOW missile. Francis found the detonator button and pressed it, then sprinted out of the barn. The tone of the alarms changed from a rising "whoop whoop whoop" to a sustained high pitched squeal. Francis followed a set of leg holes in the snow away from the sound of gunfire and once he was on a rocky slope, he clambered up the side of the steep hill as quickly as he could. He hyperventilated with the effort.

Ground troops were running in toward the buildings and the screeching siren started beeping rapidly until the ANFO went off. Telia felt the shock wave ripple through the Earth and she bounced on the floor as the Earth vibrated with the massive release of energy. It became completely dark in the tunnel as both sides collapsed and sealed them in.

The men who were exposed to the pressure wave and shrapnel were killed instantly. The Lodge disintegrated into a cloud of dirt, wood splinters, pulverized foundation stones, and glass. The heavy beams of the barn floor shattered, and erupted through the roof and the reflector was torn into a thousand pieces. The computers and records were all annihilated.

The command vehicle for the raid was parked on the road about a mile from the Lodge. Colonel Pepper Richards stood next to the Humvee and listened to crackling, terse announcements over the radio. He felt the shock wave and heard the rumbling roar of the explosion. He opened his mouth to equalize the pressure.

He looked at his hard faced lieutenant and said, "Shit son, they weren't messing around! Let's go see if anything's left."

They drove up the road toward the carnage. The battle was mostly over. Bodies littered the snowy woods around the compound. Injured men were being tended to. Gunfire popped off here and there. None of Seth's men allowed themselves to be captured alive.

The carcass of the tank smouldered in the middle of the drive and blocked the way to the Lodge, so they got out and went the rest of the way on foot. Trees that ringed the Lodge were smashed down onto the snowy ground.

The charge beneath the Lodge was large enough to excavate a smoking blackened crater in the ground. Nothing was left of the structure except chunks of stone from the fireplace. The barn was shredded into splintered flaming pieces of wood and bits of the reflector were scattered all around.

The Colonel said, "Have the men gather up these bits of metal, and see if there are any records, notes, or electronics that survived. Do a sweep of the area and make sure nobody escaped."

Francis found a cave near the top of the hill and crawled inside. A black bear was curled up into a large slumbering ball of fur and winter fat. Francis could hear voices outside, so he gingerly climbed over the bear and curled up next to her. Francis felt the bear stir and put a huge paw on his shoulder. Her breath whistled in her nose. Francis strained with all his might to hear what was going on outside, but the voices were muffled and indistinct. A flashlight briefly illuminated the cave's ceiling then it was dark again.

Francis remained curled up in a ball for hours until darkness fell, then he ventured outside. It was snowing heavily and a cold wind was blowing. He could see men with lights were still moving around the Lodge site. He circled along the hill until he had a clearer view of what was going on. Men were loading debris onto flatbed trucks. He returned to the cave and sat down out of the cold wind near the bear. The small cave was surprisingly warm compared to the outside. He was relatively underdressed for the winter, with just a pair of pants and a bulky sweater, but at least he had hiking boots on.

He dozed off overnight and when morning came, he shoved some snow away from the mouth of the cave and went outside. All the men were gone, but he didn't dare venture down toward the Lodge. He assumed at least one or two people were watching it. He worked his way along the ridge for miles toward a few tourist cabins that were clustered around a small, deep, mountain lake.

The water looked cold, foreboding and black in contrast to the piles of new white snow that covered the landscape. An old Subaru Outback was parked in the driveway. The car had Indiana plates and Francis said, "No way!" The family had a Valparaiso Vikings sticker in the window.

He knocked on the cabin door. A middle aged woman opened it cautiously. She was surprised to see him standing there huddling in the cold. She was wearing a sweater and blue sweatpants. Her hair was blonde with lots of gray strands. She had gold rimmed glasses, and she pushed them back on her nose in surprise.

"Oh my!" she said, "Get in here! How'd you end up out there in those clothes!?"

Francis happily went into the warmth of the cabin. A few teenagers were playing a video game. He could smell bacon cooking. Francis said, "I noticed your Vikings sticker. I'm actually from Valparaiso. I'm Francis, by the way, I just got _totally_ lost in the woods. I'm up here for work. Do you mind if I use your phone. I lost my cell phone!"

The woman was pleasantly surprised, "Oh my god, small world! We're up here to do some skiing. We come every year. What's your last name?"

"Mouseler." he said.

"Ohhhh! Are you related to Betty Mouseler?"

Francis's face lit up. "That's my mom! What are the odds?! No way!"

"We were in high school together, like 1000 years ago! My name's Clara. Used to be Clara Clark, now Pettite." She laughed. "Oh my god, yeah, make yourself at home. Want some breakfast?"

They sat down to breakfast. Francis relaxed, basically everything was out of his hands now. He asked her, "How long will you guys stick around here?"

"Why do you ask?" She said.

"I could use a lift to the nearest town, or really wherever. I can arrange transportation for myself, but it'd be a little easier to find a hotel and regroup."

She smiled. "You must have gotten really lost!" She patted his arm and said, "But that's your business." She winked at him then called over to the boys, "Hey Mark!"

One of her boys said, "Yeah what, Ma?"

"Can you give Francis a lift over to Lake Placid?" She asked sweetly.

"Ma! I'm right in the middle of a game."

Francis offered, "This will sound a little tacky, but my employer is really generous. I have an extremely flexible expense account. If you boys want some new skis for example, we could get some."

Her face turned red. She laughed, "Oh my god! That's totally unnecessary. Mark, get your ass in gear, now. The game can wait!"

Mark was a willowy blonde teenage boy with curly blond hair. He jumped into his boots and threw a puffy winter vest on. He tapped Francis's shoulder and said, "Let's go, Dude!"

Clara shook her finger, "Manners! What did I tell you about calling people dude?"

Francis waved it off, "Call me whatever you want! I'll tell my mom I ran into you. Maybe I'll actually head back home today. It's been a long time!"

She hugged him. "Christmas is coming up soon! You should."

## Chapter Three

Daniel Jackson awoke with a gasp. He was completely disoriented. "Shit!" he looked around for his sketchpad, but he wasn't in his bedroom, he was sleeping on a blanket on the ground, under a tarp in a makeshift camp that was across the street from a small stucco walled church. The people in the camp were a strange mix--men, women, families from all backgrounds. They were people who had been blasted from their previous life by the strange events of the past weeks. They all were seeking some new way to live.

Energy breezed through the camp like the scent of flowering trees in the spring. People around the camp were starting to sing. A woman with a powerful voice started to belt out an improvised hymn. Daniel followed the sound. He recognized the woman's face, he'd seen it on the side of city busses over the summer. She was an opera singer with a world class voice, but here she was in this camp in a vacant lot. Daniel was drawn into the circle around her. She was standing on a stack of railroad ties and dirt that were once a ramp into a building that no longer existed. She channeled her vivid memory of the Samantha's battle with the snake into song:

Creeping darkness came,

A dragon with forty thousand scales;

Each a tongue whispering lies to shadow men;

They whose black souls are dead;

They who drag the living into death and darkness;

Then three were clothed in light,

And paid the price

To set us free!

The circle of people was swaying together and humming, feeling the song. Daniel shouted out, "I saw it! I saw it too! Her name is Samantha, Samantha of the Red Hair."

People in the crowd murmured the name and looked to him. He climbed up next to the singer and spoke with passion. "I've seen her twice. Once a few weeks ago, then again last night. Her name is Samantha. She is a goddess of wisdom, of knowledge, of seeking. She's come to do battle with the foul serpent. I was at the National Mall yesterday when military men came and murdered and raped. They are in service of the Beast. They don't know they are enslaved! We didn't know we were enslaved! We feed it with violence, with fear, and with money! We need to break its grip on us all!"

A man in his mid forties who had once been a banking lobbyist was still wearing slacks from a suit, but he had discarded his dress shirt in favor of a T-Shirt and was wearing a red barn coat. He shaved his black hair down to stubble on his scalp and he wore a red wool knit cap. He shouted, "Their money feeds it! My name is Peachey O'Neil, I was a lobbyist for Wall Street banks. I've seen my bosses conferring with this creature. When Samantha fought it, I saw them, their shadows, and saw the snake talking with them!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Preach it brother! Preach!"

Peachy continued, "I left work that day and never went back! I've been wandering, like you all."

Daniel was almost frantic. He said, "I'm an artist. I want to paint the scene!"

A man in a black shirt joined them. He spoke to Daniel, "Come paint on the walls of my church!"

The gathered throng followed them to the spartan, one story stucco building with a large white cross atop the spanish tiled roof. The reverend spoke to the gathering as Daniel began painting the exterior, "I once loved Christ and in my heart I scorned other faiths, but then I shared this same vision, of a man, bathed in pure light haloed by a cross, the Occitan Cross, and I saw Samantha of the Red Hair. She kissed me! I felt her divine energy flow through me. There are gods and they are among us! Praise Samantha! Seek your divine companions! Seek wisdom!"

The crowd whooped and cheered and began singing. Daniel was in ecstasy. He shouted, "I need more colors!" People in the crowd ran off to go find more paint. The others sang and watched. When they recognized scenes they smiled, or wept.

Helicopters regularly buzzed overhead. Television stations were broadcasting scenes of people spontaneously abandoning their humdrum day to day routines. Parties were breaking out all over. Again, rather than bedlam and chaos breaking out, people were in a joyful mood, as the winter solstice approached, they were eager for a change.

As Daniel's mural wrapped its way around the church, elsewhere in the city, another crew of artists were creating an enormous pointillist image of Samantha's face by plastering construction paper to a parking lot.

A story was breaking on N-Cubed. Half of the United States congress went into a coma. The news reader, an attractive brunette in a skin tight red dress, started laughing in the middle of the story and said, "I'm not sure how anyone could tell, am I right?! Fuck this professional liar gig..." She stood up and walked off set. The network cut to a commercial, then went off the air.

## Chapter Four

Robbie's phone started vibrating every few seconds. He and Amy were back at the Wells farm. They were steadily selling off all the firewood they'd stacked in the woodshed for the season as Christmas approached. He was helping to load up a pickup truck with a couple of ricks of wood. He excused himself and read through the messages from Dana.

He pumped a fist in excitement and said, "Yes!" then stifled the smile and doubled his efforts loading the truck.

The customer was a man in his early fifties with long hair and a beard. He asked, "Hey man, good news?"

Robbie said, "Sorry, just got some news reports in from Washington DC. Just some crazy stuff going on." he offered non-committally. He didn't know the customer very well.

The man nodded emphatically. "No kidding! I think it's pretty exciting. DC is a total rat pit. It's about time people woke up. I love how they're just walking off the job. That attack on the Mall, the MSM's saying it's the work of 'seditionists'. I guess that's the new terrorist right. What a load of horse shit."

Robbie shook the man's hand and closed the pickup tailgate. "Have a great holiday."

He grabbed Amy's hand and did a little waltz around the interior of the woodshed, then dipped her. She looked into his eyes waiting for a kiss, but he just pulled her back up. She shook it off and asked, "What happened?"

He handed her his phone and said, "Matt did it again. I was getting really bummed about all the bullshit laws and emergency measures. It was like the bad guys wiped out all our gains overnight, but Matt fought back."

She smiled as she read through the list, but the light started to fade from her eyes. "Oh shit!" she looked at him.

"What's it say?" Robbie asked apprehensively.

Amy read the latest headline out loud, "Thousands Feared Dead in Mass Poisoning in Nation's Capital. Seditionists suspected." She opened the story and read it to him. "A powerful hallucinogen has been released into the water supply of the nation's capital today. Thousands are dead or in critical condition from the toxic effects of the drug. Thousands more experienced powerful delusions. Police and the national guard are coordinating the response."

Robbie picked up an oak log and threw it against the wall of the barn. It broke the planks and thudded heavily onto the floor. He shouted "Those rat fuckers!"

She put a hand on his arm. "Chill!"

He sat on a pile of wood chips on the floor of the shed and held his head in his hands. "It's so frustrating!" he said sharply. "It's hard to express how frustrating it is. We've chipped away at this thing for _years_. Really centuries, but always, when a crack starts to appear, it's patched over, usually with a lot of blood of innocent people who have no fucking clue what's happening. It's so evil. They just killed all those people to keep power. On the bright side, it's even possible the story is completely fake."

She sat next to him and hugged him around the shoulders. She said, "You do more good for people in a week than most do in a lifetime. You take it completely for granted. I know I can't understand the depth of your frustration, but don't forget the good stuff too."

He held her hand. "Thanks. I really would like to concentrate on the good, simple stuff that makes life better in tangible ways. I think I need a break from the battles!"

She smiled, "Let's go surprise Tracy and just have a totally mellow, craft-o-rama Christmas."

He stood up and helped her up. Their eyes locked as he held both her hands. He said, "Maybe one of these days I'll make an honest woman out of you!" Then he spun on his heel and headed toward the truck. She laughed and followed him and hopped into the passenger's seat.

"We're grimy enough from working to make a good impression at Tweedy Pines." She said with a smile.

They pulled into the parking lot and Robbie rubbed his beard. "We'll have to text her, and she'll come running. There's absolutely no chance for us to perform embarrassing antics."

Amy texted Tracy and said, "Well, maybe she's in class and we'll be able to go in there and pick her up. I think I'll leave a trail of sawdust." She swatted some wood shavings off her coat.

They started walking toward the buildings on campus. Robbie threw his hands up. He said, "Oh! See. No chance at all." Tracy was running out of the dorm with her backpack on.

She threw her arms around both of them. "Let's go!'

Tracy sat in the middle of the bench seat. Her voice had dropped a half octave since they last picked her up. She said, "We are learning about the solar wheel in my math class. The prof's going into great and gory detail about the geometry of the sunrise and sunset and the constellations. It's really interesting. The winter solstice is coming up soon."

Robbie laughed, "Do you have a cold? What's with the Sarah Vaughan impression?"

Amy smiled and hugged Tracy around the shoulders and said, "I thought more Fiona Apple."

Tracy smacked Robbie's shoulder and wriggled out of Amy's grip. "Hey people! I'm sensitive about this."

"We're just pulling your leg. I think your new voice sounds dignified, even refined." Robbie gestured theatrically, holding out a cupped hand to a pretend audience.

"Yeah, I've always been squeaky." Amy said. "I'd like to have a deeper voice. More authoritative."

Tracy sat back in the seat and flipped her hair, "Whateva. It is what it is. Anyway, we should celebrate the solstice with a yule log."

Robbie nodded. "That's a good idea! It's been a few years since we've done that. Definitely some real eggnog too."

Tracy said, "My math prof thinks the yule log tradition is from an ancient greek story, the anointing of Demophon and all that's connected to the solar cycle, also egyptian myths, and the christian ones, too. Really interesting."

Robbie's face lit up. "You know what, the library has an enormous section on Greek mythology. We can look at that stuff over the break."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure. That'd be cool."

## Chapter Five

Francis took his young driver Mark Pettite on a shopping spree in Lake Placid in spite of his mom's objections. Francis needed clothes for himself, anyway, and a new phone. They bought new skis for Mark and a new ski jacket for Clara. Francis thanked him for the ride and waved goodbye. He watched the car drive out of sight down Main Street of Lake Placid. Winter was in the air, and big fluffy isolated flakes drifted down to the ground. The people in town were on vacation, every face he saw was smiling and a feeling of festivity filled the air. He wrote a terse email to Seth, "Taking a break. Let me know M&T condition." When he clicked "SEND", he sloughed off his worries. There was nothing more he could do except hope they made it.

He called his parents house. He'd been incommunicado since they moved to the Lodge. "Hi Mom! Sorry I've been out of touch for a long time. I was working on a secret project and couldn't even write a letter."

"Francis!" She exclaimed. "It is so good to hear from you. We were starting to worry."

He laughed, "Sorry! Oh, by the way, I met a woman, Clara Clark. She knew you in high school. I ran into her out here in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York!"

His mother laughed. "Oh my god. I remember her. Well, I remember the name anyway. It is a small world! Are you coming home for Christmas?"

"Yeah!" He said enthusiastically. "It's been such a long time! It's completely ridiculous how long it's been. I'm getting a car today. I'll probably be there tomorrow afternoon."

He found a cafe with a nice view of the town and the mountains in the distance and ordered a tourist town expensive beer and lunch. He ignored all the reports streaming into his phone and finally shut it off. He'd done his bit, and was ready for a break. He felt really chatty and social so he moved to the bar and started making small talk with the vacationers.

The rental car company delivered his vehicle right to the cafe. He hadn't driven a car in months, and the sensation felt really strange and good. He laughed at the power at his disposal. The novelty of the sensation made even the mundane compact car a joy to drive and he decided to indulge heavily in the road trip experience. He stopped at an ice cream stand and bought an extra large chocolate malt, then continued on his way. The road was clear and the snowbanks were already piled high on either side of the pinkish black ribbon of mountain asphalt. He cranked up "Carry on My Wayward Son" and headed out of town and made the long trip out of the mountains on the winding two lane road.

## Chapter Six

"Matt! Matt!" Telia whispered in the dark, she found him with her hands, then turned on her cell phone screen and gently shook his shoulder. He was still breathing but unconscious, and appeared to be mostly unhurt. She opened the closet and found it stocked with supplies and lots of batteries and two battery powered lanterns. Both ends of the tunnel had collapsed completely so only about 10 feet remained clear of dirt and debris. She could hear a muted rumbling of trucks and vehicles, and in a panic she decided to shut off her cell phone and remove the battery. She checked Matt's pockets for his phone and did the same with his. All she could do, now was wait and try to make them both more comfortable.

The closet had a folded up thick wool pad for the floor and a self-inflating air mattress, plus several blankets. She took a moment to admire Francis' planning skills. As she unloaded the bedding to the floor, she discovered a loaded revolver underneath the blankets. She considered what Francis said about getting captured and shook her head to banish the thought. She left the gun in the closet on the shelf.

The hours passed and the rumbling of trucks continued sporadically. Telia lounged on the makeshift bed and looked up at the wood ceiling. She tried meditating and reaching out to Samantha and the other side, but nothing happened. She only saw the black of her eyelids. She sighed and remembered that Owen had once used a copper mirror. She sorted through all the items in the closet, but found nothing suitable.

A couple of extremely quiet days passed. Telia spent the time stretching, or pacing what was left of the tunnel, doing calisthenics, or tending to Matt, who just appeared to sleep, and only occasionally stir.

As she reckoned the third day passed, she decided to go to sleep, not because she was tired, but because there was nothing else she could do. She turned the lanterns down to a night light setting and curled up next to Matt. She managed to drift off.

Telia had a vivid dream. Samantha bathed herself in the mountain stream. Her hand was injured, and she'd aged noticeably. She was preoccupied and did not notice Telia. When Telia tried to speak to her, she woke up and said, "Samantha," out loud into the dark tunnel.

She checked Matt. His breathing was regular and his pulse was normal, but he was still out. Twelve feet above her head, two bored soldiers made a circuit of the wreckage. The hard faced Lieutenant who was Colonel Pepper Richard's man on the ground had transformed in the days after the raid. He'd once been an ambitious man, hell bent on a career in the military, but since they raided the Lodge he completely lost interest.

His name was Tim Lynch. He grew up in Charleston, West Virginia and had been a football star in high school. He joined the military and ended up in the Rangers, then moved to a top secret squad that only reported to the Colonel. His focus and drive made him one of the Colonel's favorites, but in the past few days he became irritated with the current assignment. They were left behind to watch the debris.

He said sarcastically to the other two men with him, "It still is blown the fuck up!" It was a complete departure from his normal, all business hard-ass demeanor.

They were shocked and looked at eachother. Rodriguez cautiously ventured, "I bet it will still be blown up tomorrow." He put his gun against a tree and took his helmet off. Tim also put his helmet on a branch and dropped his rifle on the ground.

Todd Patterson looked at the both of them and took his helmet off. He asked, "Do you guys want to make a snowman? I've had this crazy urge to make a fucking snowman. This place is beautiful and Christmas is coming up. There needs to be a fucking snowman right fucking now!"

Tim's face lit up. "Fuck yeah!"

They found a good patch of clean snow, then started rolling it up. The snow was nice and wet and perfect for packing and the three of them managed to roll a four foot diameter ball. "Shit that's heavy!" Todd strained against the wet snow.

Rodriguez said, "Alright, let's do the next one."

A few hours later they had an immense snowman. They put a helmet on his head, and made his face from rocks and pine cones, and made arms from pine boughs. Then they all stepped back and checked their work. Tim smiled. "Dudes, that's nice."

Todd said, "We used to do this all the time when I was a kid. Reminds me of home..." his voice trailed off.

They looked at each other. Finally Tim smiled and said, "Fuck this fucking job."

Rodriguez said, "I'm thinking the same thing. Fuck this."

Todd whooped, "I'm going home. Let's get the fuck outta here."

The three of them hiked down the drive to a black sedan with military plates. They hopped in the car and took off.

A few hours later a flat black Russian heavy lift helicopter with no markings landed in the field. A team of men set up a canopy over the location of the tunnel. They started drilling through the soft layer of soil above the tunnel with an auger. They slid a piece of large diameter corrugated plastic pipe down after the auger. They stopped when they heard the bit crunching against timbers. One of the men dropped down the tube head first and drilled a series of holes through the timbers. He yelled out, "Mister and Misses Wells? We're Seth's men. Are you in there?"

He heard a muffled response from Telia. "Yes. I'm here. Matt's unconscious."

He said, "Step as far away from this spot as you can."

The other men reeled him back up the tube, then they began dropping a steel ball on the weakened tunnel roof. Each impact splintered the weakened beams, and on the third attempt the perforated section of the ceiling dropped into the tunnel. Telia looked up at them and waved.

In another half hour they were out of the tunnel. The men lowered bundles of explosives down the tube. They used the canopy to shield Matt and Telia from any prying eyes in the sky. They carried Matt on a blanket back to the chopper. When they were safely in the air, they remotely detonated the charge and the tunnel collapsed completely.

The man talked to her through a pair of headphones she wore to protect her ears from the noise of the blades. "We're taking you to another safe house. We'll land in about an hour, then you'll go by car."

She asked, "What happened to Francis? Is he alright?"

The man nodded, "He made it. He's taking a break for Christmas. I imagine you'll hear from him soon enough."

She was so relieved. She gripped Matt's hand and just tried to enjoy the scenery of the snowy mountains. She said, "It's really beautiful from up here!"

The man's face had been all business since she saw him, but he cracked a smile and looked out the window. "It really is!"

## Chapter Seven

Daniel's mural completely covered the walls of the stucco church. Another man had carved a statue of Samantha with her arms upraised, and Daniel painted the statue to match his vision. Samantha's hair was dark red and she was wearing a red jacket. They cut the cross on the roof so its arms were equal length, and Daniel painted it yellow and white, and they installed a bank of lights to illuminate the cross and the statue in brilliant light.

The church became the focal point for people who were fleeing their old lives. Order emerged from the initial chaos of the camp. Freed from hours of pointless tasks in cubicles and offices around the nation's capital, people began applying their minds to solving their daily problems and the camp became a clean, orderly place that was buzzing with ideas.

In the evenings they congregated around the church to discuss the meaning of what they'd witnessed and to plan what to do next. The front steps of the building became a stage. The reverend's mind was on fire with thoughts and he shared them with the crowd in the evenings as the sun approached the western horizon.

He carried a large ornate bible onto the steps and addressed the crowd. "For so long, we've labored under the notion that this book is a history book. This idea has warped the mind of millions of people. People once believed the only path to so called salvation was through the church, an institution of man. That created the foundation for a mass society, and a mass of people who were cut off from the light! We were so easily led astray." He gestured to the roof and the glowing cross and the statue of Samantha. He thumped the bible. His pudgy face was earnest. His round gold rimmed glasses were shining in the light. He thumped the bible again and said, "This is a work of fiction, of beautiful metaphors. It is almost entirely misunderstood." The crowd murmured. A man in the front row was swaying back and forth and he shouted, "Preach it brother!"

The reverend continued, "These metaphors are meant to be understood from the point of view of our _souls_. They are about the soul's journey. What _we_ all felt, the thing that compelled us to this spot was the awakening of our soul. Just as the sun embraces the earth, and becomes vegetation, and causes life, and causes, well, everything, our soul embraces our flesh. The two together are whole. Just as the motion of Earth around the sun causes the seasons, all is governed by cycles, of ebb and flow, increase and decrease... It's actually so very simple..."

A woman in the crowd in her early thirties with dark brown curly hair and caramel skin was a new arrival to the camp. She shouted, "Let me speak! It's urgent."

The crowd parted and she climbed onto the stairs and faced them. Her voice was laden with desperation, "My name is Landa, I'm actually, well _was_ a police officer. I was sent here to infiltrate your camp. There are many other police and federal agents among you. If they find no evidence of so called sedition, they'll create it. Unfortunately, this place won't be safe for long. They fear your beliefs. You are a threat to their system of death. Your beliefs, if they spread, will destroy it. Since you are gathered here in a mass, your destruction will be used as a symbol."

Daniel climbed onto the stage and embraced her. He said, "Thank you." He faced the crowd and announced, "I believe her. I believe she is correct. I feel the Beast is regaining its strength. It has not been destroyed, merely hurt. Its servants in our world will nurse it back to health with death, despair, and lives wasted." He stumbled and fell on a knee. He gasped. The crowd grew completely silent.

He saw Samantha in a pine forest. She was leaning on Owen. She wore a red dress with a pattern of gold stars. "Daniel," She whispered to him, "They are preparing to bring the Beast into your world. It will need many hosts. This is not a sign of strength, but a sign of desperation. It is dangerous for you to stay there. You must disperse. Your work must continue. Do you see the men in the audience who cast a shadow in this world? Those men should not join you."

Peachey ran onto the stage and helped Daniel. He announced, "I saw it too. I saw her speak to you."

Daniel nodded. He announced. "The Beast is coming to our plane. This is not something to fear, rather, it is a sign of desperation. We must disperse so our work can continue. I can identify the agents!" He asked Landa, "Can you show the people your shoes?" He started laughing.

She laughed in response and took her black leather, lugged soled shoes off and held them up. She said, "The infiltrators are wearing these."

The crowd pulled away from other men and women in the crowd. Daniel said, "Some of them are OK, you and you." He pointed at a young man who was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, and a young looking blond woman, and said, "Those two are clean. The others, are servants of the Beast, just ignore them."

Peachey smacked Daniel's shoulder and said, "Let's go west."

They started walking. The crowd was slowly dispersing and heading off in different directions. Daniel and Peachey took in the site of the Occitan cross and the statue of Samantha one last time, then picked up their pace and went West, a few others fell in with them.

By the time N-Cubed arrived to cover the destruction of the camp, only a handful of people were still camped out. Similarly, the network was down to a skeleton crew of reporters who were willing to recite the stories on air.

An intern had been promoted to report on the incident. He dutifully read the script while the cameraman filmed and made snarky comments. The intern's skinny face was illuminated by the camera's spotlight. "I'm here in a seditionist camp where hundreds of people gathered to participate in an occult ritual."

The camera man laughed and he swept the lens across the nearly empty lot, he called out, "Yeah look at those hundreds of people!" He zoomed in and out rapidly.

"On the line with us today is Sedition Task Force Chief Walter Gray. Chief Gray, what can you tell us about this group?"

They heard Walter Gray's voice through their ear piece. He read in a monotone, "In recent days, the nation's capital was threatened by a plot to undermine our way of life. The seditionists fled after their plot failed, and moved to makeshift camps around the city, spreading anarchy and disease. Our quick actions to restore order have caused them to disperse."

The cameraman got bored and filmed the statue of Samantha and the murals. The intern tried to get back into the shot. The cameraman said, "Look at all this. It's really beautiful. Incredible."

A bulldozer lumbered down the street. "Oh fuck no!" The cameraman said. He walked over to the bulldozer operator and shined the light on his face. "Are you really going to wreck this building?"

The bulldozer operator sighed. He was a heavyset white man with a biker beard. He took off his hardhat and said, "Dude, it's just my fucking job."

The intern got into the shot again and continued reading the script. "The task force has ordered the destruction of this seditionist cult headquarters."

The cameraman heard Walter Gray's voice reading from another script, "These seditionist cults lured unsuspecting people into their fold, and this shrine is a danger to the community because of the dangerous hallucinogenic chemical contamination."

The bulldozer drove toward the building. The cameraman sprinted ahead of it and carefully documented the entire mural, then stepped back and kept the camera focused on the statue of Samantha until he heard the bulldozer crunching into the back of the building. Then he pointed the camera at the moon for a while.

The intern grabbed his arm and said, "You're missing the shot."

The cameraman shoved him and said, "Fuck off you 'tween bitch. I'm leaving." He threw the heavy camera at the intern who stepped out of the way. The camera hit the ground and the signal back to the network was lost.

## Chapter Eight

Amy, Tracy and Robbie had a big meal, turkey, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and cranberry sauce, then they made a batch of eggnog. They took cups of the 'nog outside and looked for a suitable log. A very light snow started, and isolated flakes drifted to the ground.

The largest fireplace in the house could hold a six foot log, but Robbie thought the ends wouldn't burn, so they stuck with something shorter. He carried a big piece of maple wood into the house and Tracy prepared a nest of kindling and branches and smaller split logs to hold it. She looked to Robbie to light it.

He gestured to her and Amy, "You guys do it."

Tracy said, "I think we're supposed to throw some eggnog on it once it's going--that's like the anointing."

Robbie shrugged, "OK, I guess let it really get roaring, right?"

Amy and Tracy lit either end of the pile of kindling and in a few seconds the log was surrounded in orange white flames.

Amy and Robbie sat together on a big leather couch and Tracy flopped down in front of the fire on a fluffy rug.

Robbie asked, "Aren't you gonna anoint it?"

Tracy threw the contents of her mug on the log. The alcohol burned off, then the remaining fluid sizzled and popped and charred in the heat. She trotted back into the kitchen to get more.

Robbie said, "Don't drink too much! You _don't_ want to get sick on eggnog."

Amy said, "Sounds like you speak from experience."

He nodded and laughed, "Yes! When I was a young man. I remember it like yesterday. Ick."

"Yet you still drink it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Just once a year, it's a tradition." He laughed.

Tracy sat with them on the couch and kicked her feet up on the coffee table. They contemplated the log burning for a long time in silent contentment. Tracy put her hand to her head and said, "I think I actually get it."

Amy asked, "Get what?"

"Alright the sun _becomes_ the log. We burn it to set Him free, well, symbolically. It's the new solar year." She explained.

Rubbed grunted in appreciation. "That seems about right."

Amy nodded. "That's very interesting." She lounged back on Robbie's lap.

Tracy eyed them suspiciously, "Are you two a couple?"

Robbie looked to Amy to explain. She said, "Well... No. Later this winter I'm going to apprentice at a farm in Pennsylvania, and get started with my new life. We'll figure it out eventually."

## Chapter Nine

Telia and Matt spent a couple of days shuffling from car to truck to car in an elaborate shell game that moved them across the country, this time to Alaska and another cabin with a view of the Pacific Ocean. It was nestled in tall old pine trees and was only accessible by plane or boat or a very long hike up the coast.

A doctor spent a couple of days testing Matt, but she couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He was in a coma, but was in stable physical condition with no apparent major injuries. Telia avoided telling her anything about the reflector or his journeys to the other side.

The doctor sat with Telia and had a cup of tea. She was an Indian woman, with chestnut skin and black straight hair. She was used to treating people at the cabin with all sorts of injuries, weird illnesses, and bizarre symptoms, usually with no questions asked, and minimal background, but Matt left her flummoxed.

She said, "As far as I can tell, he's healthy. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him physically and there's no brain damage apparent. I looked and looked. All we can do at this point is tend to him."

Telia said, "Like a plant..." and sighed.

The doctor patted her shoulder and said, "The brain is mysterious. He might wake up tomorrow, or a week from now. I can't see any reason he won't. In the mean time, a nurse will be here later today and she'll help you take care of him."

Telia rubbed her eyes and asked, "Then what?"

The doctor shrugged, "Not my department, sorry. I wish I could help you. But the way this works for me: I get a call, hop on a seaplane and do my thing here and try not to learn anything about the people I treat. If you're still here in a couple of weeks, I'll come back for another exam."

Telia asked, "What about me, are the twins OK?"

The doctor smiled, "Yes you're doing well and the babies are strong and healthy. Everything looks good."

Telia nodded, "Thank you very much. It's a relief to know we're all basically alright."

The doctor donned a dark wool peacoat and hat and left on the seaplane. Telia watched it buzz away from the dock, gather speed, then take to the air and head south. She went over and kissed Matt on the forehead, then gently knocked on his head with her knuckles. "Anybody home?" He didn't stir.

Somehow, Owen's copper mirror had caught up with her on their way across the country. It was a simple rectangular piece of hammered and polished copper. It had an ebony frame that was tooled with intricate geometric patterns that were now worn and rounded by hundreds of years of hands rubbing them. The copper surface was a dull, orange yellow color, and wasn't a specular surface like a bathroom mirror, but had been hammered and smoothed and polished so she couldn't see her own reflection, yet the surface was shiny like a rippled pond surface. It was hypnotic to stare at.

She finally had a chance to put it to use now that she was alone. She sat on the floor of the candle lit bedroom and focused on her breath and tried to go into a deep meditative state. She fixed her gaze on the mirror and let her eyes wander over the dimly reflective surface, but all she saw was copper.

She flopped onto the bed and puzzled about over why she couldn't cross over. She thought about Owen's experience--he was in young love when he first used the mirror. So she turned her mind to Samantha and the incredible erotic charge she could produce. She conjured up the desire to feel her touch again, then gazed into the mirror.

A fuzzy image materialized in the copper. Telia heard Samantha speak, "This will take a lot of practice, don't get frustrated it gets eas...i...er..." Then she was gone. She was relieved to have an outlet for her restless mind. After taking a break, then making a few more attempts she was able hold a sustained conversation.

Samantha stood with her on a shoreline. Everything was dark green and damp. Samantha hugged her, the warmth of her embrace was very comforting. They sat down on a rock, she was stiff and clearly hurt.

Telia sat next to her and asked, "What happened? I've been on the run for days now! Matt is completely out of it. Francis survived, but alas Owen did not."

Samantha's eyes brightened. "I'm very glad you and Francis made it, and in fact, Owen _did_ survive." She closed her eyes and smiled. "He's over here. So is Matt." Telia felt Samantha's concern.

"Oh! Where is he?!" Telia was shocked.

Samantha leaned on her. Telia could feel her stiff arm. She asked, "Could I enter you again? It would help me recover."

"Could it hurt the babies?"

Samantha's eyes brightened, "Babies? You mean twins? That's very special! No, I think it will not hurt anything."

"Yes, then. The loneliness is really terrible." Telia sighed.

Samantha squeezed her, "This time will be different, though, I don't think it will feel as enjoyable."

Telia put her forehead against Samantha's, and she felt her presence, then was just staring at a piece of copper. "Owww!" she held her arm. It felt cold and ached to the bone.

"Sorry!" she heard Samantha in her mind. "That happened during the battle. I was exhausted from Owen's effort, then Matt joined, which made me even more tired, and finally when the reflector ruptured, it hurt me."

Telia walked over by Matt she spoke out loud to the room to address Samantha. "What happened to Matt?"

"When the reflector split apart, I think Matt did not know where he was, he was disoriented. I was too weak to assist him, then the Beast took him."

Telia was anxious, "Took him? How?"

Samantha tried to soothe Telia. "Don't be alarmed! I believe he is alright. I can feel him on the other side."

Telia wondered out loud, "How can we get him back?"

Samantha said, "Well, for now, the connection is not as strong. Maybe you will see him in your dreams. We will need to figure out how to get him back here, I think." Telia patted his chest.

# EPISODE SEVEN -- The Other, Other Side

Present Day

## Chapter One

Christmas at the Madher's house was different than their Thanksgiving, which was celebrated in the traditional American fashion. On a typical Christmas, the regular household staff went on break over a month long holiday, and Bethany and Heather would spend the holiday with Heather's family, which gathered in St. Augustine, Florida every season. This year, that routine changed. Most of the regular staff went home, except a young latina maid, and Heather and Bethany remained in the mansion. Her parents were in an unusually good mood, but for some inexplicable reason Bethany was uneasy and sullen.

She joined her mom and dad in one of the few cozy rooms in the mansion. The marble and stone were beneath warm wood, and a gas fireplace contributed a cheery glow. Heather asked Bethany, "What's with you kid? You seem bummed."

Bethany glanced at both of them and shrugged. "I don't even know. Just bothered by something. Maybe it's just the change in the normal x-mas routine."

Heather leaned on Charlie's shoulder and he absentmindedly kissed her hair. Heather said, "Your father and I accomplished something amazing."

Bethany suppressed the desire to roll her eyes. Her mom made this type of announcement all the time, usually the amazing accomplishment was cutting a check while other people did the actual amazing thing. This seemed different. Bethany was curious, "What?"

Charlie patted Heather's shoulder and said, "Bethany, I know you think we're boring, that all we do is pile up money, but that's not true. There's much more to us and to this place than meets the eye. There's more to the world than meets the eye."

Bethany sighed and said, "To be honest, I think the money prevents you from living a real life. It even warps my life."

He nodded. "I can understand that. I felt the same way when I was your age."

Bethany was surprised. She couldn't remember a time in her life when her father actually engaged her. She ventured, "Really? Why didn't you do something else?"

He sighed and said, "Well, duty, mainly, and habit certainly, but really, the thing that changed my perspective more than anything was _knowledge_. I came to really understand the world and saw our place in it." He spoke firmly and with resolve.

Bethany was intrigued. "What knowledge? I mean, what did you learn that changed your mind?"

He laughed and said, "Magic."

She was so startled at his response that her mouth gaped. Heather laughed at her expression. "Wha... What do you mean, Magic? Like card tricks?"

He smiled knowingly. "No," he said, "we can control cosmic forces and make them do our bidding. They conform to our wishes and will. That's what really built all this." He waved around to the mansion and continued, "It is the _mind_ in control. What you perceive as very dull is in fact quite exciting."

Bethany was incredulous, "Do you believe this mom?"

Heather nodded and laughed, "That's how we met. I was in LA and fell in with this group of seekers, people who were experimenting with all kinds of stuff. Rituals, seances, ouija, meditation. I knew there was something real there, but mostly it was poseurs, and people looking for a leg up in their career, but I was really into it, so I kept digging past all the bullshit. Believe me, it's 99.9% bullshit."

Charlie took up the story, "My father taught me the real stuff, I taught Heather, then she unexpectedly took us to a new level. Believe it or not, our nation _runs_ on magic, really The Empire runs on magic. Almost everything you thought you knew about how the world works is wrong."

Bethany was just too stunned to even formulate a question or response.

Heather stretched her hands over to Bethany and said, "We know you're a smart, incredibly talented girl with an independent mind, but your education is missing this entire _world_ of knowledge."

Bethany stammered, "So... so... so wwwhat does this really even mean? I just don't even know what to sa... say."

Heather poured her a big glass of red wine. Bethany took a gulp. Heather sat next to her and patted her back.

Charlie said, "It's way too much to take in one evening and frankly, words don't do it justice. Thankfully we can now just _show_ you."

"Show me? How?" Bethany asked.

Heather took her hand and they all went down to the garage. Charlie drove them over to the warehouse. Snowflakes drifted in front of the car and Charlie had to stop for a family of deer that carefully crossed the road. He smiled and gently tapped the horn. "C'mon girls!" He urged them. Then continued down the road.

Bethany started to relax. She was extremely happy her father was driving. Even though the things her parents were saying were totally bizarre, seeing them together, holding hands and just going somewhere like a normal family instead of being chauffeured was soothing. He parked the car next to the warehouse. A single bright blue-white light illuminated the red brick wall over the dark gray door.

Charlie typed a code on his phone, and the door of the warehouse buzzed. They went inside and it locked behind them. The interior of the building had been painted white, and was now scrupulously clean and well lit. A small control room overlooked a giant black ball in the room's center. A lounge with couches and a coffee table and an elegant Persian rug was situated in one of the corners of the room. They sat on the couches.

Bethany asked, "What is this?"

Heather said, "Do you remember Tracy's parents?"

"Of course, Matt and Telia. They were nice." She replied.

Heather said, "Matt discovered this design." She gestured at the ball. "They showed it to me, but then they died in a car accident."

"What is it? I mean what does it do? Is it like free energy or something?" Bethany got up and walked over to the device.

Heather followed her. She put her hand on the side of the reflector. "It allows us to see things differently. See the whole picture, really."

"How?" Bethany wondered.

Heather led her to a platform on the side of the ball. It took them up to 10 feet above the floor. A wood walkway led inside. There was a C shaped chair, almost like a dentist chair in the center of the ball. It's interior walls were paneled with gray plastic and it was lit with dimmable LED strips encircling the chair. She patted the seat and Bethany sat down.

Heather said, "Just sit here and relax and defocus your mind, then you'll start to feel things and see them. We'll be outside. Take your time."

Bethany sat in the chair and the lights dimmed. She felt suddenly tired and she closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

Soon, she was standing in a stone building, she recognized the faces of men who were standing there from the family photos and from the stained glass windows of chapel, but there were others she didn't recognize. The scene was in gray and dark blue green tones like they were far underwater.

She found she could speak, but her voice echoed strangely. She asked, "Who are you? I recognize you."

Her ancestor's face brightened, "I'm also Charles Madher. I guess I'm you're fourth grandfather."

She asked, "Who are these others?"

"Some of my associates are very famous men, perhaps you've heard of Thomas Hobbes?"

She nodded, and recognized the man from school books, though he was a younger version. She recited, "Social contract... _The Leviathan_."

The man smiled indulgently. "Wonderful! All these centuries later. I guess the jump into the dark did not extinguish my light."

Her grandfather bid her, "Concentrate on your mother and father."

She fixed her mind on them. She could see the lounge and saw them very clearly. Her mother looked up and waved back that caused her to sit up with a start. She gasped and she heard her mother speaking from a speaker in the chair.

"We could see you! Good work!" Heather cooed.

Bethany ran out onto the platform and shouted, "What was that?!" It lowered her to the ground. She eyed the black sphere and walked toward her parents. Her footfalls echoed from the cavernous walls of the building.

She sat down in a comfortable chair and Heather gave her a glass of wine. They all toasted. Bethany was still flabbergasted.

Charles said, "Our world is actually joined with that other world. It's a world of consciousness."

Bethany didn't really understand, but shook her head in acknowledgement anyway. "I saw Charles, I guess Charles II? Great-great something grandfather. It was a little dim, dark in there."

Heather smiled broadly, "Isn't it amazing?"

"How did you see me?" Bethany asked.

Heather said, "We can sort of feel it... I could feel you turn your attention on us."

"What does it mean? Are those ghosts?"

Her father said, "in a sense, yes, but not really like you see on TV. They don't really exist in our world, well, not yet anyway. Though they've been influencing it for hundreds of years. Well, influencing it is a weak word, they've been running it."

Bethany sniffed in irritation. "What about all the wars? Was that them?"

Charles sighed and said, "It is very difficult to maintain control. It is a daily struggle. The wars are really a failing to maintain control. It is very unfortunate."

Bethany was incredulous, "Are you implying without their guidance things would be worse? Please..."

He said, "It's very difficult to understand without the full context."

Heather chimed in, "What you said is actually true. The world as we know it would dissolve in weeks into complete chaos without constant tending and supervision. It would be constant chaos and violence."

Bethany just shrugged and said, "Maybe. Listen, I appreciate you trying to explain to me instead of just lecturing."

Charles waved his hand, "Anyway what's important is that we shape things rather than act as anyone's pawn."

Bethany didn't want to break the cheery mood, but also saw it as an opportunity to ask about what she'd witnessed over the years. She cautiously said, "Dad, I've seen you do weird things over the years. Weird sex stuff."

His face turned red. Heather rolled her eyes and said, "Beth, baby, when you're pushing these limits, trying to do these amazing things, well, some weird shit happens. We tried quote sex magic a few times."

Bethany scrunched up her nose, "But those were girls from my school. They were like 15, right?"

He held his head in his hands, "I'm sorry you were ever exposed to that, but like mom's saying, it was really experimentation. Their parents knew. No harm came to anyone. I wish I hadn't done that, knowing what we know today, but it was done in good faith."

Heather said, "Did you ever have a crush on a teacher? I did. When I was in high school, I lost my virginity to my English teacher. Don't be a square!"

Bethany nodded. "OK. I believe you. That's haunted me for years, though."

Charles said, "I'm glad you brought that up. I hope that clears the air. If you have any questions about it, ask me anytime, but you know, don't go telling anyone else. They probably could never understand."

Bethany sighed and nodded. "OK." She made a zipped lips motion.

Heather said, "Good. So we're going to do another experiment tomorrow with Pilara."

Bethany looked askance at them, "The maid, you mean?"

Charles nodded, "Yes. You know she doesn't speak much English, right? We're going to try to use this as a teaching tool."

Bethany's unease about the device dissipated. Her face brightened a little, "That's really exciting if it works."

## Chapter Two

In the wee hours of the morning, Chloe and Keith drove toward the warehouse on Oxbow road. The Cuyahoga coiled around a set of old office buildings and old red brick warehouses. There was a good view of the buildings from a steep hill that plunged down to the trench like road. The building had a solitary door that was well lit. They drove around it slowly to see if there were any other ways inside, but it had no windows.

Chloe said, "I'm going up on the roof."

Keith sighed and looked at the building. "Man that's high."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Like I'm gonna fall. That sprinkler supply line is like a ladder."

He handed her a sub compact pistol. She checked the safety and tucked it in her jacket. He said, "I guess I'll keep watch. I'll text if there's anything strange going on. Is it on quiet mode? No vibrate?"

She nodded and pulled a balaclava over her face, then kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going."

He saw her trot into the shadows, then lost sight of her. She was in all black and she stuck to the patches of shadow. He thought he saw her moving quickly toward the back of the building, then saw a shape go over the roofline. He snickered at how fast she was, then focused his attention around the neighborhood to see if anyone else was out and about, but this corner of the city was dead as a graveyard.

Chloe stayed low on the roof and tried to stick to shadows. She found a roof access hatch and tried the handle, to her surprise it opened. She smirked and looked down into the darkness. There was a ladder that went down to a drop ceiling. She went inside and pulled the hatch closed and gave her eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

There was actually light streaming around the tiles of the ceiling. She ventured to pull one of the tiles up. She was actually high in the air above the structure that housed the reflector. Near her, a steel ladder was mounted to the wall. She wasn't quite able to reach it from her perch, and the space was a little too tight to really leap. She looked around for anything structural to grab onto and had to go hand over hand on a sprinkler supply pipe, but once on the ladder she was able to quickly descend. She activated the video camera on her phone and started quickly roaming the structure. She went through the interior of the reflector then went through the control room and the lounge area.

She saw a text from her dad. "GET OUT NOW. ONE GUARD SIDE ARM."

She heard the crunching of tires on the parking lot gravel outside the building. She scrambled back up the ladder and out the access hatch. She texted back. "On roof. Clear?"

"GO NOW!" He sent back. She slid down the sprinkler supply lines and was on the ground in a few seconds. She saw a security guard's car parked by the door. The door of the car was open and the engine was running. She chuckled and jumped in the car and crunched the front bumper against the single door of the warehouse, took the keys and ran back to her dad's car.

She was giggling when she hopped onto the seat. "Good gods that was fun!"

He was laughing, "That poor guard!"

"All's fair in war!" She jingled the keys.

He drove back toward the Farm and she tossed the keys by the side of the road. Their adrenaline was flowing and he turned up some classic rock. Usually she hated it, but she started singing along. " _Oh Black Betty bam ba lam._ "

## Chapter Three

By the time Chloe and Keith were back at the Wells Farm, the sun was peeking up on the horizon. Tracy and Robbie were out in the field watching the sunrise and checking the alignment of the statue. The ground was frozen solid overnight and a blanket of frost and patches of snow covered the ground. Their breath formed clouds of vapor in the air. Chloe jogged over to them and Keith walked behind.

Chloe handed Tracy her phone with the video cued up. She said, "I climbed in through the roof and made this video. There's a large ball-like contraption, some computers and like a waiting room."

Keith added, "They must have some rudimentary security--cameras or motion detectors. A guard showed up about ten minutes after she was in the building."

Robbie asked, "Did anyone see you? Your face, I mean?"

She pulled the balaclava down, and poked a finger in Robbie's chest. "No," she said.

Robbie laughed at her. Then he scratched his beard and shrugged. "We still don't know if it works."

The sun was just starting to climb above the eastern horizon. Samantha's right hand pointed at the spot. Tracy said, "Looks right to me."

"Let's go inside!" Chloe's teeth were chattering. She ran toward the house and the rest of them followed.

They watched the video on the big LCD TV in the kitchen. Robbie sent a copy of the video to Johnny and Dana and video conferenced Johnny in. Johnny's face was ghostly in the light of his computer monitor and he had a bad case of bed head. He put a knit cap on and sipped a cup of coffee.

Robbie asked, "Where are you guys?"

Johnny said, "We're in Colorado now. We're going to go pick up David then head to the farm." He studied the video and sipped noisily.

Tracy asked, "What do you think?"

Johnny narrated as he watched the video. He occasionally paused it and extracted frames. "It looks like they built a housing around the reflector ball, so it's really hard to tell much about the antenna design. It's roughly the same size as ours, though. It looks like that chair is fixed to the platform, maybe the whole thing is fixed in place, or they use a different method to orient it. Our design was actually quite unsophisticated. It took a long time and effort to really tune it up, but if you had more money and resources to throw at the problem you could automate that process. Really speed it up."

Keith asked, "Is it plausible that it works?"

Johnny nodded, "Most definitely. My assessment of this technology is its actually really simple stuff even though I don't understand how it really works. I spent lots of hours analyzing electrical signals I measured while Matt was connected to the other side and found zilch."

Tracy said, "Really, then, destroying this thing only gives us a short term advantage."

Robbie yawned and said, "Sometimes that's all we can get."

Johnny sipped his coffee and added, "Well, it would be really nice to know what they're up to. Can we get a camera in there?"

Keith shook his head. "I wouldn't risk it. We tipped our hand a little. I think we're stuck with outside surveillance for now."

Robbie added, "At least we can listen in on them as they're coming and going."

"Can we get a cargo van?" Keith asked. "Much better for this kind of work."

"Sure... Sure. I'll get one here today. We'll rig it up." Robbie stretched. He added, "I need to nap. Brain is fogging up. Reconvene this afternoon?"

Johnny gave a thumbs up and closed the video session.

Tracy stretched and said, "I guess I'll stay here, you guys want to stay?" She asked Keith and Chloe.

Keith said, "I'm going to head home and sleep in my own bed for as long as possible, plus I have some equipment to pick up from the office."

"I'll go with papa to la condo de Marte." She kissed Tracy's cheek then did a Terminator voice, "We'll be back."

## Chapter Four

Demetria cut Morgan's cast off with a pair of tin snips. He looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Are you sure it's healed? This is way ahead of time."

"Absolutely." She said. She ran her fingers over his arm. "Your arm is weak, though, you need to do a lot more physical labor for a few weeks. You should help build a temple. Get boys and girls from the school and build a magnificent temple!"

He gasped. "I had a dream about an altar and a bowl made out of a human skull with rose petals in it."

"Hmmm.... She said and wrapped her lithe arms around his neck. What do you think this means?" She gazed into his eyes. "The people will look to you to interpret their dreams. Dreams, poetry, and songs, these are the roots of the Great Tree."

He said, "I really don't know, but it seemed extremely vivid and significant."

She smiled. "Isn't it amazing that even within the intimate space of your own mind, these images and feelings are a mystery to you?"

He nodded and furrowed his brow and scowled, "Yes, it really is..."

She approved of his doubt and his befuddlement. She gripped his hair so hard it hurt and her eyes were shining. "So many times men and women claim to understand these things, but know _nothing_. I knew you would not do that. One day you will even lead _me_." She muscled him to the bed. "Take us to see Stephanie."

He entered her and began his work. She was already in such a passion that she quickly bridged to the other side. He felt her flow through him and his skin tingled. Demetria's voice changed and her mannerisms shifted from stately, royal, and demanding to desperate, "Oh gods, fuck my pussy! It feels so good." She brushed her hand over his chest.

He whispered, "Stephanie?" He gripped Demetria's thighs. He felt her spasming and writhing around him like a warm rippling grip.

"We're both here. She's showing me how to do cross back over, and she's inside me, too. I feel like I'm floating. Don't stop! It's the best thing of all time!" Stephanie said.

He redoubled his efforts while she writhed and ground against him. Finally, it was too much for him to bear and he came inside her. "Whew!" He was happily exhausted. She bit his shoulder hard. By now he was used to her oddness and the intrusions on his body, so he just said, "Hey! Ouch. That's going to leave a mark."

"You're just too tasty." She kissed the side of his face.

He studied her eyes. "Stephanie is still in the house, right?"

She nodded and touched his face and smiled. She said, "Apparently this gets easier with practice. It's actually hard to concentrate and I used to live here full time! I'm so happy, Morgan." She blinked rapidly and Morgan could tell Demetria was back.

She could tell he was unnerved by the experience so she snuggled up next to him and said, "If you think about the other world as the equivalent to this one, it will all become clearer. Eventually you will see both sides also. It helps you to see her through me and for her to see you."

"It is hard to adjust to this point-of-view, but I'm actually getting there bit by bit." He patted her hip. "Hey, about this temple thing, aren't you worried about expanding the number of people who know about you? Eventually the Brotherhood will find us."

She sighed, "Well, we can't live in fear forever, either. Maybe I should wear a disguise for the time being. The black hair is starting to revert back to blonde. Maybe a veil!" She was excited and hopped out of bed and ran across the hall naked. Morgan heard the girls laughing next door and he took the opportunity to stretch his legs. He walked over to the Hiram Post Office. The sky was gloomy and gray, but the severe bite of winter cold hadn't set in and the trees were bare and the grass was tired and dull and in its winter slumber. The Post Office was a small brick building, and had a post office box for every household in the town, so any students that were still around were sure to see it.

He used a Sharpie to make a sign on a piece of copier paper: "STUDENTS: HELP ORGANIC FARMERS BUILD A TEMPLE TO A GODDESS" he drew a classical looking building and wrote his number. "TEXT OR CALL" He made a few copies and hung them on cork boards around campus. The campus was pretty dead. Most students left for home for the winter break, although a few souls stuck it out and stayed on campus.

He wandered down through the woods on paths that eventually led back to the Elysium Farm. He got a text from Alfonse. "FILMING STARTS TOMORROW!!!!!!" Alfonse sent head shots of the cast. Morgan laughed at the faces of the characters that were to play him and Demetria. The actor that would portray 'Randal', which was Morgan's alias in the show, resembled him, though, the actor was a little better looking and had a more regularly proportioned face than his. Demetria was going to be portrayed by a dark haired Italian woman, though Demetria was actually much prettier. Alfonse wrote, "Will send dailies to Robbie--ciao."

Morgan was extremely happy he trotted back toward the farm through the woods. He suddenly had an overwhelming sense of _deja vu._ He looked around. There was a ring of trees and an indistinct bowl of earth and a pile of stones at one end. He spoke out loud, "Yes, this is the place."

He examined the pile of stones. They had been placed there deliberately at some point, but now were an indistinct jumble. The earth around the site had been piled up. At one time it was probably shoulder height, but was now only thigh high. He scuffed around in the leaves near the pile of rocks to clear away to the dirt floor of the woods. He saw a white edge of something sticking out of the ground. He pulled it out--it was the dome of a human skull.

He washed the dirt from the skull in a nearby stream. "What the fuck?" He whispered. He sat on the ground and examined it. He didn't know a thing about anthropology or archaeology, but he could tell the bone was very old. It was polished and had been tooled into a cup-like form. He sat back against the rock pile. He said, "I wonder what weird stuff I'll find next. Old gold coin, check. ancient skull, check." He took out his phone and copied the GPS coordinates of the place, then walked along the stream, which also cut through the farm. There was already a little deer trail to the edge of the field.

He jogged toward the building complex to find Amy. She was working with Vera on repairs to a fence for their goats. "Hey ladies! And lady." He scratched the head of one of the friendly milk goats. Amy asked, "Hey, can you bring some of those planks over here?" she waved an elbow at a pile of boards.

"Sure." He carried them over and stacked them against the fence.

"Actually, if you can hold them in place, this will go much faster." Amy suggested.

He held the boards while the girls nailed them into posts. He said, "We need an air nailer!"

Amy smirked, "We could use a lot of things. Get on that!"

He nodded, "I will do that. Hey, by the way, I found the most interesting thing over on the edge of the field."

They finished nailing the board. Vera flipped her dreadlocks out of her face and tied them back with a bandanna. "What was it?"

He said, "There's a deer trail that goes over to a spot in the woods, maybe it was an old shrine. There's a bowl made from a human skull there."

"Freaky deaky. I want to see that." Vera said.

The three of them walked over to the spot. Vera examined the skull. She said, "I thought this would freak me out, but it's actually sort of pretty." She handed it to Amy.

She looked at it and nodded in agreement. She looked around and said, "I don't think this is on our property. We should go take a look at the plat maps, but I'm pretty sure the tree line is basically the boundary. I'm really not sure who owns this. The property boundaries around here are almost random. There were old rail lines and roads that are gone and little farms and houses that got cut off."

"What should we do with the skull?" Vera said.

Morgan said, "It belongs here, apparently, I mean, it was buried before, but maybe we should set the rocks up again. Actually, I want to build a little altar here."

Vera's eyes brightened. "Very cool, dude. I like this idea."

Amy shrugged, "Go for it! On the other side of the farm there is a huge pile of glacial erratics that were left in the fields. Go check it out. You really can't miss it. They're in the trees over there." She pointed.

Morgan and Vera trooped across the field. Vera said, "This stuff is fascinating to me. My parents are hard core Christians, I mean hard core. The preacher gives his literal spin on the stories and they lap it up."

He thought about it and asked, "Was that hard, growing up in that type of environment?"

"Nah. I mean, not until I got older, it was shoved in my face 24/7. Once you fall out of that type of thinking it's hard to take, but when you're a kid, it's all you know." She said.

"Did you move away from home?" He asked.

"First the college. Really not for long, then here." She said flatly. "This is home, now."

"Do they know where you are?" He asked. "My family actually doesn't know exactly, but they know what I'm doing."

She shrugged, "They don't really know. I guess we're estranged. The really dumb thing is it was my hair that made them freak out. How lame is that? I guess they couldn't deal with losing control over me."

He clambered up on the pile of rocks and surveyed the field. He exclaimed, "Holy shit, this is a lot of rocks." He found a set of rectangular limestone slabs. "Oh! Here we go. This is it." he picked one up. "This is heavy. I can just barely move it!" He grunted and chucked it onto the ground.

She said, "Dude, be careful don't get a hernia, I'll run and get the tractor."

When she returned they used the tractor to drag the rest of the stones to the ground. They loaded them into the bucket of the tractor and she drove across the field. They rolled them along the deer trail one at a time using shovels as levers. His arm was throbbing from the work. He felt every pump of his heart as an ache in his arm. They arranged the stones into an altar that resembled what he dreamt about. He put the skull on the rocks.

Vera laughed and said, "Morgan, this is a little creepy. This is more like a horror movie set than a shrine."

He nodded and smiled, "You're right! What makes a nice temple? Version 1.0 here is a total fail."

She looked around and said, "This is a sort of dreary place. Think about the birch grove, now that's a nice spot. Good flow."

He sat down on the rocks. "I do _feel_ something here. There's a certain power to this place. I think the dirt piles make it seem a little foreboding, though."

She sat next to him. "I think it's the woods, too. It makes me feel something or someone could be hiding here, ready to get me. Maybe if this was out in the open, it would be nice."

Amy found them sitting on the altar. She had a large printout of the property map. The neighboring properties were labeled with the owner's names and boundary lines. She shooed them off the altar and put the map on it. "Here we are. This is a weird little parcel. Probably an old right of way along the creek. I'm actually really curious who owns this. I'll need to get on the auditor's web site to find out."

Demetria caught up with them. She was wearing a veil. Her bright eyes were shining from over a dark blue swath of silk. She stopped in her tracks and looked around at the spot. "Wow! How did you find this?"

Morgan said, "It was completely accidental. I just wandered here on the way back from the PO."

Vera handed the skull to Demetria and she inspected it. She asked, "This is what you dreamed about, Morgan, right? Not much interpretation required! It was quite literal!"

He nodded and said, "It's really not exactly the same. It's a little off somehow, but I'm not sure how."

Demetria said, "This place and the spring on the Wells Farm are very similar, though this place is significantly more powerful. It's no mistake that we all ended up here. Amy, you were drawn to this place just like the Wells family was drawn to their home."

Amy laughed. She put an arm around Demetria's waist. Amy said, "I moved here to be independent! To make my own little world, yet something still nudged me here. How is that possible?"

Morgan tried to recall his dream he took a step and focused his mind on the memory. As he did, he wasn't with Amy, Demetria, and Vera anymore, he was somewhere else. There, the altar was different, more perfect, and the skull gleamed. His arm bumped into Vera and he snapped out of his revery. He apologize, "Oh sorry Vera!"

"No problem, you were zoned out!" Vera said.

Morgan looked around with recognition. He said, "My dream isn't about _this_ place, it's actually about the other side."

Demetria pulled Amy and Vera close to her. Amy hadn't grown completely accustomed to Demetria's regular invasions of her personal space, but in the cool air, and calm, quiet of the woods it was easier to sink into her embrace and return it. Demetria's scent was intoxicating and in a few moments, desire was starting to flow like a tide. Amy opened her eyes to look at Demetria's veiled face but they were all somewhere else, and they were all slightly different. Amy was blonde and her hair was gentle flowing curls and Vera's hair was straight and long and reddish blonde. Demetria was dark haired, even more buxom and a little plumper than her earthly vessel. Morgan appeared, and he held the skull cup. The breeze was fragrant and wind whispered in leaf laden tree tops. Morgan picked a green leaf from one of the tree branches and put it in the skull.

Demetria said, "This place exists on both sides, so does that skull! This little corner of the Earth is full of amazing things and people." She closed her eyes and Stephanie stepped out of the trees.

Amy said, "Oh that's you!"

Stephanie kissed Demetria and leaned against her. "I'm Stephanie."

Amy asked, "Is this place heaven?"

Stephanie shook her head, no. "This is like the twin world of ours, but it's made of ideas instead of atoms. I'm learning to live here, but it's actually a little difficult to adapt. It's wonderful when you're here, and it's most wonderful to be in both places at once."

Demetria stroked her hair and said, "You're brilliant, daughter."

Vera looked around in amazement. "This place is really incredibly pleasant and inviting." She ran her hand through Amy's hair, then kissed the side of her face. Vera said, "I just want to touch everything!"

Amy cooed, "Oh that feels really good. It's like a little explosion of warmth and electricity."

Vera said, "It feels really interesting." She flicked Amy's earlobe with her tongue, then probed her ear with its tip.

Amy moaned. "That felt like the top of my head was going to pop off. Is this why you guys are so horny all the time?" She asked Demetria.

Demetria smiled and ran her hand down Amy's spine. Amy felt like she was being flooded with warm honey from her head to her toes. She purred and pressed her body against Demetria.

Demetria eyed her and said, "Our connection to this place is _total._ "

Amy managed to form a coherent thought, "So why are priests and monks always supposedly celibate?"

Demetria sighed gently, "It starts like this, there's a genuine experience of real people on a real farm, then that is stolen and put in dead stone and run by dead men."

Demetria and Stephanie turned their attention to Vera. Amy saw Stephanie concentrate and Vera swooned. Demetria supported her and Stephanie was gone. Vera's eyes glowed briefly, then Stephanie was on Amy's other side.

Vera seemed slightly intoxicated. She said, "Wow. I almost passed out from that, but now I feel so energized I can't stand it."

The women were all starting to eye Morgan. He was just gazing at the skull. He put it back down on the altar. He touched the stone. It felt warm and alive. The leaf was deep green in the white bowl.

They all returned to normal consciousness. He was amazed to see a green leaf in the bowl. He felt Demetria's hand on his back. The four women were in a semicircle around him.

Demetria said, "We have need of your plow."

## Chapter Five

Bethany asked Pilara, "Cuántos años tienes?"

"Diecisiete." She said nervously. Pilara was very uneasy. Bethany's Spanish wasn't very strong, and her explanation of the experiment was patchy and overly simple. Bethany was unable to answer Pilara's questions very well. Consequently, Pilara wasn't really sure what the Madher's wanted. She assumed since they were wealthy, they had many unusual things that needed tending to, and this was just another one.

Heather offered, "Here Pilara, drink this, it is relaxing." She handed her a glass of wine.

"Gracias, Señora." Pilara smiled and drained the glass. She felt the liquid warming her. The wine contained a mild sedative. Pilara became slightly drowsy and malleable.

Bethany noticed the shift in her behavior and found it odd. "Mom, really, what the fuck is going on?"

Heather helped Pilara walk over to the elevator platform. Bethany followed them. Heather smiled at her daughter, but her expression was wooden. Her eyes were hard. "We are doing something very important, today."

"I don't think Pilara has any clue what's going on. She's not a fucking slave, mom." Bethany pulled her phone out and dialed 911, but didn't start the call.

Heather hissed, "What are you doing, Bethany? That is nonsense." She shouted, "Charlie, get over here!"

Charles Madher trotted out of the control room. He said, "We need to see if it works on everyone, or if it's specific to our family. Maybe it's something genetic."

Bethany said, "You can't just experiment on people, Dad. What the fuck, mom, are you fucking Nazis? Shit. You drugged our 17 year old maid like she's your property. That's completely twisted." She opened the little gate of the elevator platform and reached for Pilara's arm. Heather swatted her hand away.

Charlie said flatly, "What are you doing Bethany?"

"You can't do this. It's wrong. I'll take her back home."

"No." Charlie said. "This is happening."

"I'll call the police!" Bethany insisted.

Heather was getting angry. "Go ahead. Do it."

Bethany hadn't ever seen her mom genuinely in a rage. Her face was ugly and hard. Rather than back down she dialed 911.

"911 What is your emergency." She heard.

"My parents drugged our seventeen year old maid against her will. We're in a warehouse at 33 Oxbow Road."

"Stay on the line please." The dispatcher said.

A few minutes passed, then Charlie's cell phone rang. He answered it and said, "No! There's no problem. My daughter is just pissy today." He laughed. "Alright, Chief. Sorry to be a bother. Say hello to the kids for me."

He hung up the call and Bethany closed the 911 call on her phone. She felt sick. Her father led her back to the lounge and put her on the couch. He said, "This is bigger than you, me, or Pilara. She is fortunate to be playing a part in something of cosmic significance."

"No she's not." Bethany said. "Neither am I."

Charlie sighed, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but don't you see how amazing the world actually is? I wish you felt empowered as we do. Perhaps you're not ready to be involved in our project." His eyes were flat. He said, "Or.... Perhaps you could be our conscience, prevent us from being too swayed by the fire of these ideas..."

Bethany nodded. "Well, stop this until you can adequately explain what you're doing to Pilara. She needs to be informed. I couldn't do it, well enough. She's just my age, Dad, and she hasn't had much experience. You're preying on her."

Bethany couldn't read his expression. His face was rigid. He beckoned to Heather. "She's right. Bring Pilara over here."

Heather sighed angrily and led Pilara over to the lounge. She sat her down in an armchair and eyed Bethany coldly. Charlie said to her, "Bethany has a point. We need to get a better translator here before we proceed. It's easy enough."

Heather collected her thoughts. She said, "Alright. Alright. You're right. We got carried away. Call someone. Make it quick."

Charlie wandered off to the corner of the warehouse and made a call. He announced, "He'll be here shortly and we'll get this sorted out."

There was a knock on the door and Charlie let the man in. It was their gardener, James. He spoke fluent spanish. He was a mild mannered, extremely relaxed man. He had dark skin and white curly, short trimmed hair and a closely trimmed beard and moustache. He was wearing a tan sweatshirt and khaki cargo pants.

Bethany's face brightened, she felt an ally had joined her. She gave him a hug. "Hello James. It's good to see you."

James smiled at her and nodded. He said, "Let's all go sit down."

Charlie explained, "We need to make her understand. We can use this machine to help her learn to speak fluent English. It will be painless and an amazing experience. She had questions that Bethany couldn't answer in Spanish."

James spoke with Pilara. She was still drowsy, but they fell into a discussion. After a few minutes, she was chuckling and seemed unconcerned. Bethany was placated, but still didn't feel comfortable.

Heather said to Bethany, "You went over there and you're totally fine. Why are you so worried?"

Bethany shrugged and said, "Something seems off about this. You're acting weird."

Heather said, "I think I'm just not used to you being this recalcitrant."

Bethany felt the unease building as Charlie led Pilara into the reflector. He tapped on the screen of his phone and Bach's _Sheep May Safely Graze_ started playing over the sound system in the warehouse. He left Pilara in the reflector and rode the elevator back to the ground.

Pilara drifted off almost to sleep and found herself floating in a warm salty bath supported by many hands. Indistinct, blurry faces floated above her. She spoke, "How will I learn English?"

One of the blurry faces spoke to her and she understood him but realized they were speaking directly to each other without uttering words, "Relax, child. Drink." He held a dull metal bowl to her lips.

The fluid was syrupy sweet, like cough medicine. He reassured her, "Doesn't the water feel warm and inviting? What would it be like to _be_ the water? It would be delightful."

"To be the water, hmmmm," She was feeling very sleepy. She felt warmth all through her body, then nothing as she dissolved into the pool.

There was a jocularity among the group. Hobbes cupped his hand and drank from the pool. He sparkled and glowed. His face warmed in color from gray to skin tones. He laughed, "Tastes like refried beans!"

Bethany's great-great-grandfather laughed, then climbed into the pool. He said, "How strange?! I will have a vagina!"

Bethany's grandfather allowed himself to sink into the pool. He perceived his foot being caught in a powerful suction, then he gasped and sat up. Bethany's grandfather, newly clothed in Pilar's body examined his new accommodation. Pilara's body was young and strong and her skin was firm and toned and bronze colored. "This is very interesting." he spoke, but he still had a spanish accent. The syllables felt strange in his mouth. He announced, "I still have an accent. It must be the muscle memory."

Charles led Pilara to the platform. Pilara called out in English, "Hello! This is really amazing. I can speak English now! Actually I think I forgot Spanish entirely." She sounded like a bad actor imitating herself.

Bethany was puzzled. Pilara carried herself differently. Her walk was wrong. Bethany looked carefully at Pilara's face. "Are you alright? You seem, _wrong._ "

Charlie and Heather froze trying to maintain a poker face. Charlie asked, "Bethany, what is it you sense?"

Bethany walked around Pilara. She said, "I don't really know."

James eyed Pilara, he asked her, "¿Qué pasó chica? Estás bien?"

Pilara stared at him blankly and she laughed and put a hand over her mouth as if responding coyly. "I'm sorry, I don't speak Spanish anymore. It is a miracle!"

Bethany said flatly, "Whatever your experiment did, it didn't do it very well. I'm very sorry I couldn't stop them, Pilara. I hope you get better." She turned to her mother and father and said, "I'm done with this thing." She waved a hand at the reflector. She added bluntly, "In fact, if being a Madher is a job, I quit." Bethany walked out of the building.

Charlie sighed and said, "That's really unfortunate."

James patted Charlie's shoulder and offered, "I'll try to talk to her." He trotted out of the building after Bethany. She was walking down the driveway toward the road. He called after her, "You want a lift?"

She said heavily, "Yeah. I'll see if I can crash with my friend Gretchen. can you give me a ride to her house? It might be way out of the way for you, though."

He nodded and spun his keys on his finger, "Hop in."

He drove an old Toyota pickup that was an indistinct brown/gray/green color. The passenger door squeaked when she opened it. She smiled at the squeak and luxuriated in the stitched up upholstery.

She said, "On second thought, if you could just drop me at home, that'd be really cool. I think I'll grab a few things, hop on my Vespa and just see where I end up."

He laughed, "No shit? You sound serious. It's winter! That's going to be a cold trip."

She nodded, "Yeah, I felt like this for a long time. Something's _off_ about my family, bad juju. I wonder if I was adopted or have a different father or something. Maybe it's just all that money--it's just bad for your soul."

James looked at her, "Hard to tell from looking. Well, if you're actually doing it, you probably need to take some time to prepare. Get as much cash or valuables as you can and don't look back. If they want to find you, they'll track you down easy."

She sighed. "I don't think I need to go into hiding, I mean are they going to kidnap me? I'll let them know where I am, I just don't want to be around _that thing_. Didn't that seem weird to you? Something was totally wrong with Pilara."

He laughed deeply, "Maybe it will wear off. I don't know how a machine that teaches people English in a few minutes is supposed to work! You might be overreacting. Maybe give it a few days."

She sat back in the seat and looked out the window. The midwinter sun was like a weak lamp behind a gauze curtain of clouds. "Something's up with mom, too. She was really weird today."

James shook his finger, "That I'll concede. Your father's always business. Always a little chilly. I don't think I've seen your mom that way before."

He dropped her off at the mansion. She trotted up the staircase to her bedroom. She looked around and realized she'd done her best to cover every square inch of the walls with pictures of living things. She had a wall of pictures of interesting ancient trees. The floor was covered with a bamboo mat. She flopped onto her bed. She could feel the inertia closing in on her. It was just so easy to continue to coast along.

She hadn't prepared herself to be independent at all. She lived within the bubble of Madherland. Her parents had always subtly encouraged her to stay inside the bubble and adopt their point of view. It was not going to be easy to leave. On a whim she scrolled through her list of contacts for Tracy's phone number. She texted her: "Hey, long time no speak, what's up roomie?"

After a few minutes, she wondered if the number was still active, so she sent an email, then she got a text from Tracy's new number. "Hey! How Crazy! How are you?"

Bethany wrote back, "I know this is outta nowhere, but could I crash with you for a while? Parents weird."

Tracy responded, "Sure. That'll be a blast from the past!"

Bethany wrote back, "Groovy! Can I come now?"

Tracy responded, "No problem, whenever! CU."

## Chapter Six

Tracy jogged down the stairs to find Robbie. He wasn't in the house, so she trotted out to the workshop. The Flying Fox was parked alongside the barn. Johnny, David and Dana and Robbie were laughing and talking in his office. Tracy asked, "Guess who is coming over. You will never guess in a million years!"

Robbie said, "Scatman Crothers."

David Mathis sat back in his chair and laughed. "Hey, wasn't he in _The Shining_?"

Tracy wrinkled up her nose and said, "What?! You and your old people references. No. Bethany Madher."

They all shared a look. Robbie said, "Well, wow, that is completely interesting. I was not expecting that one. Even more surprising than Scatman, and he's dead."

Dana deadpanned, "We were just planning how to blow up their warehouse. I suppose we shouldn't talk about that when she's here."

Robbie kicked his feet up, "Well that's a whole new wrinkle. Why is she coming? This is out of the blue, right. I thought you sort of lost touch with her."

Tracy sat down next to Dana, and then she nodded and said, "Yeah, I mean, no burnt bridges or hard feelings. We just fell out of touch. I mean, she was a good roommate, not a _friend_." She twisted her mouth up and shook her finger. "They had this weird room in their mansion. It had a stone pool and four black bookcases. I'm pretty sure the ceiling was lead lined. I totally forgot about it."

Johnny laughed, "Those are some pretty unusual choices for home decor."

Dana added, "The rich aren't like you and me, they're in communion with twisted evil spirits. What do you say we take the war right to 'em instead of forever pissing around on the frontier? We usually can't tell who the kingpins really are, now if we find some, why not knock them over?" She looked at Robbie and David.

Robbie sucked air through his teeth. He said, "We never did that because we figured there was an unspoken rule, or truce, basically. Hunting the freaks and vampires was OK, but going after the core of the Empire would provoke a nasty response. We're not really setup for all out war. We'd be toast."

Johnny was skeptical. "How do you know that? I mean, what I'm thinking is they're pretty decentralized, too. Kind of our evil twin. Maybe taking out one of the main nodes of their network wouldn't really provoke _any_ response, and then, since we are in fact decentralized, how effective could their response be?"

David added, "The other problem is there are lots of non-evil minions in their employ who could get killed."

Dana growled. "Dude, we've been picking away at these guys for years now and doing little raids, but kids are still getting stolen, raped, and murdered. These plutocrats stack their cash and keep the whole thing going. Matt and Telia didn't cut off all the heads of the serpent. Maybe we should take a hack."

Robbie asked Tracy, "What do you think?"

She sat back and considered. "I think we should get as much information from Bethany as possible and see what they're up to, then decide. She could be a good ally."

Robbie arched his eyebrow and said in a theatrically evil tone, "Or a spy..." He rubbed his hands together.

Tracy laughed and pointed at him, "She very well could be. Anyway, she's on the way, I think we should get a couple drinks in her, then Dana and I should do our voodoo on her and see if she's evil. I hope she's not!"

## Chapter Seven

Four students who were stuck on campus over the winter break showed up at the farm to help build a temple. Two of them were young men from northeast Ohio, Dan and Frank. Two of them were from abroad, a Japanese girl, Kiko, and a girl from Switzerland, Anna.

Anna was tremendously interested in the farm and the project and she dragged the others along. She kept her dark mane of hair in a long braid and didn't wear makeup. Her face was thin, and her eyes were large and bright. The two boys were sarcastic and only half heartedly interested in the project but were intrigued at what they thought might be a hippie free-love commune. Kiko knew some Japanese woodworking techniques, she learned from her grandfather, and thought it would be fun to do a hands on project instead of just reading or studying over the break.

Amy was a little worried about constructing a building on land that wasn't hers. She was trying to contact the owner of the property to try to purchase it, but she had a hard time arguing her case with Demetria, who was unconcerned about such trifles.

Morgan sketched out a design that Demetria loved. It was a round building with a dome. They were going to construct it from natural materials that were available on the farm, mostly wood, just hard maple timbers that they milled with a chainsaw, then sunk into the mounds of dirt that were piled around the altar. They used stones to dress the dirt mounds into a more regular shape. The dome was to be made of pine branches they knitted together, then covered with green boughs.

The work went remarkably quickly. The building was barely more complicated or ambitious in its design than a storage shed, but thanks to Kiko's help, the simple materials came together in a very pleasing way.

As the day wore on, and they labored in the cold, Morgan watched the group transform. Initially, the boys, Dan and Frank, were surly, and eyed Demetria, Anna and Kiko like horny wolves, but through the day, they became fascinated with the work, and with Demetria, and by the time they were stitching the roof together, they were all smiles.

They all stepped back and beheld their work as the sun waned and the late December chill started to bite. Demetria said, "Oh, oh, oh!" Then she jogged into the temple. They followed her in. She pointed at the place on the horizon where the sun was going down and said, "See! Now that's at the rear of the temple, so spin around. Tomorrow morning the Sun will shine right through the door and hit the altar, although we missed the Solstice by a few days, so we won't get the full effect until next year. Now that's a proper good job! Well done everyone!"

Dan asked, "Where's the beer?" and he high fived Frank.

Demetria said, "Now that's a good question! We will feast and drink tonight and Morgan and I will consecrate the temple in the morning at sunrise!"

Morgan took a picture of the temple and sent it to Tracy. He wrote, "This spot is very powerful; can bridge over to other side with no effort!"

They all cheered and wandered back toward the house and barns in a jubilant mood.

## Chapter Eight

The driver dropped Bethany off at the end of the driveway of the Wells Farm. She was too embarrassed to be taken to the front door. She walked down the driveway with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Tracy jogged out to meet her and gave her a big hug, which she welcomed. Their cold breath mingled in the air.

Bethany broke down in tears. She sniffled, "Sorry to show up like this after years of not saying a peep."

Tracy waved it off, "No problem! I'm really glad to see you. I was going to ask you what's going on, but you can tell me or not, or whatever. You can stay as long as you want it's no trouble."

"That's really kind of you. I need to get my shit together then decide where to go more permanently, I guess." She sighed.

"Alright. That sounds good, but don't feel rushed on our account. It will be nice to have you around!" She studied Bethany's face to see if there was anything different about her, but it was just her same old roommate, just matured. Her face favored her mother, but the lines were softer and her eyes were kinder. Bethany took to coloring her hair, and now it was a shocking white electric blonde.

Bethany raised an eyebrow, "You're staring, Tracy! Let me look at you." She checked Tracy out. Her transformation from a wispy girl to a woman was remarkable. "You're hot! I like your hair. I was always jealous of your red hair."

Tracy said, "I like the blonde hair. It's very stylish. It suits you. How is Tweedy these days?"

She sighed, "Same old same old. I barely go to class anymore. I have an 'independent study' in art. I actually like painting. I've been painting and photographing ancient trees. I've travelled around the world doing it."

Tracy enthused, "That sounds really cool! Wow."

Bethany stopped walking and said, "It is really cool, but you know what, the fucking money pile sort of ruins it--casts a shadow on the purity of it. It's kind of hard to explain. It's almost like the money gets into the paint and contaminates it. I feel it _all the time_."

Tracy smiled broadly. She asked, "Can I do something a little weird?"

Bethany eyed her suspiciously, "What weird?"

Tracy put her hand on Bethany's chest and closed her eyes. Bethany did a double take. Tracy chuckled and said, "I promise, I'm not feeling you up, although I might do that later." She winked.

Bethany laughed, "Good lord, OK, what are you doing?"

Tracy gasped, "Dude, yeah, there are shadows that follow you around, but you are like a bright white and beautiful thing, but you're just wandering. Well, you've come to the right place for sure."

Bethany was extremely skeptical, "Are you like a psychic medium or some shit?"

Tracy spoke matter of factly, "I can see _you._ That is, I see your soul or whatever you want to call it. You can make choices that nurture it, bring it to life and make it strong, or not."

Tracy had been a really rational, practical and really science and math oriented person at Tweedy. Bethany was surprised. She said, "Tracy, I remember when we went for a tarot reading one time and you were so sarcastic and annoyed with the lady you could barely stand to sit through it."

Tracy shrugged and said, "What can I say? Lots of things happened since then! I think it's really great that you decided to come _here_. I think we can help you figure it out."

They walked to the house which was buzzing with conversation and laughter. Bethany seemed slightly overwhelmed. Tracy picked up on her unease and said, "I'll introduce you, but if you want, we can go hang out upstairs or outside or whatever and avoid the crowd."

They walked into the library. Tracy announced, "Everyone, this is Bethany Madher, my Tweedy Pines roommate."

Dana's mouth was open in admiration of Bethany's hair. "Oh I love that color!" She gave Bethany a huge hug and rubbed her back. "I'm Dana. That's Johnny, my man." Johnny smiled and waved.

Robbie waved, "Hi Bethany! It's good to see you again."

David said, "It's always a pleasure to meet friends of Tracy."

Tracy introduced Chloe. "This is my great friend Chloe Marte."

Chloe smiled and gave Bethany a hug. "Nice to meet you. Tracy's told me some good Tweedy Pines stories."

"I'm Keith, Chloe's dad." Keith shook her hand and gave her a quick squeeze around the shoulders.

Bethany smiled and was hugely relieved. The gathering of people seemed extremely natural and inviting. She said, "Let me go drop off my bag and I'd love to hang out with you all."

Tracy led her upstairs and showed her a room. She said, "I know they can be a little overwhelming, but if you sort of go with the flow, it's really fun and interesting."

Bethany joined them again and took a glass of wine from Tracy. Dana started to brain her long hair. She was happy just to sit quietly and sip her wine and listen to their freewheeling conversation.

Dana rubbed her shoulders and said to Bethany, "Girl, you are very troubled. What's going on with you?"

They all paused in their conversation. Bethany felt the moment was ripe to unburden herself. She said, "I am, you're totally right." She took a gulp of wine. "My mom and dad are doing this weird project. Actually, it's based on work Tracy's dad was doing back when she was at Tweedy. So..." she sighed and felt slightly uncomfortable talking about it, but pressed ahead, "so, anyway, they built this contraption, and I used it one time. I like hallucinated and saw my great-great whatever grandfather and a few other men. That was OK. It was weird, but nothing too bad."

Robbie said, "Yeah, that's what my brother was researching. That's very interesting, so what happened that bothers you?"

Bethany sighed heavily. She felt a tension, like a cord holding her back, but decided to break it. She drained the wine glass and said, "Fuck it... Here's what happened. They roofied our seventeen year old maid and put her in that machine and it did something weird to her... She was like someone else after. They said it was a way to learn English, but I don't think so."

Dana patted her shoulder and just said, "Wow. Can you climb up here?" She patted the sofa. Bethany sat next to her. Dana put her hand on Bethany's heart.

Bethany smiled, "You too? Is this a psychic convention."

"Shhh..." Dana insisted. The room was quiet. Dana's eyes were closed and she was concentrating hard. "Whoa! What the fuck!?" Dana sat back. "Holy shit."

Bethany was anxious. Dana's eyes were wide open she was staring at Bethany. Bethany asked, "What is it?"

Dana said, "Normally when I do that, I see the person, the real them, or sometimes just nothing, like the lights are on but nobody's home. I do see you, a nice bright young woman sort of in a maze, but shadows are all around you, and I saw a face looking at me. I've actually seen him before in books. He's like a philosopher or something."

"Hobbes." Bethany said. She swiped her phone open. "I looked him up after I used the machine." She held up the phone.

"Fuck me!" Dana said. She announced, "I saw _this_ face looking at me _through_ her."

Johnny said, "I think we just crossed a metaphysical Rubicon."

Robbie nodded thoughtfully and said, "Yep... Bethany, it's been a pleasure to catch up with you again. I wish we had more time to hang out, but we've got some business to take care of. Tracy and Chloe, why don't you guys hang out in here, and we'll adjourn to my shop?"

After the flurry of activity passed, Tracy and Chloe and Bethany moved to the den and sat by the fire. Bethany asked, "What was all that?" she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

Tracy said, "I think your parents are using the machine to spy on you, or maybe us? So all those guys went off to talk out of earshot."

Bethany was horrified. "What?! Use me to spy?! How's that even possible?"

Chloe patted Bethany on the back, "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

Tracy tried to explain, "Remember how I was all skeptical of that tarot lady? Well, the world really _is_ more like that than I ever realized. So if a ouija board is like a wind-up phonograph, then that machine your parents made, we call it a reflector, is like a 3D ultra high definition TV."

Bethany took Chloe's wine glass and drained it.

Chloe chuckled, "I think we need a refill!" She trotted off to the kitchen for another bottle.

"So who is Hobbes? Why is my grandfather with them? It seemed very, very creepy. It wasn't like I was happy to be reunited with an ancestor, it was really just unsettling." Bethany's face darkened.

Chloe refilled their glasses. They were all pleasantly buzzed. Tracy put her arm around Bethany, who was finally starting to feel relaxed.

Tracy said resolutely, "I think they believe they can spy on us, or manipulate us through you, but frankly, it's a two way street, sister. I think they decided to mess with the wrong people. C'mon." She stood up and pulled Bethany up by the hand. "Grab your coats, let's go down by the spring."

They walked down to the spring. Bethany was very happy to be out in the woods. "Guys, this place is so awesome. I am completely relaxed. And there are some great trees back here!"

Thin lines of ice clung to the edges of the stream that ran from the spring, but the winter's chill still hadn't enclosed the water in an icy sheet. The wan afternoon sun still warmed the rocks. Bethany exhaled and looked up at the sky and held her arms out. She said, "Oh man, that feels so good."

Tracy put her hand on the wall. She felt the flow of energy through the place and the warm power of the sun on her back, and she was soon in the meadow. Stephanie greeted her. Tracy smiled and hugged her. "It's still very weird to see you and think of Demetria, but know you're really you."

Stephanie laughed, "It takes some getting used to, and now you're sort of woven into that fabric also."

Tracy said, "We really need Samantha today." They both focused on her and Samantha stepped out of the woods. She was returning to her full radiance and health. They all embraced. Tracy felt the charge of energy racing through her body.

Tracy gave her the update on the Madher's and the reflector. She said, "I'd like to just crash their crypt party. Can we do that?"

Samantha smirked. "Yes, yes we can. There are some risks. I am not sure how adept they are at using the reflector. It really depends so much on those on the Earth-side. Let's find out!"

Bethany felt an electric ripple through her body, and warmth that she attributed to the sun. Her skin tingled as they flowed through her. "Oh!" She did a little tap dance on the stone and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets.

Tracy, Samantha and Stephanie were in the stone room, and they glowed like torches in a cave. Dozens of shadows scuttled away from them.

Stephanie looked at the pool. "What is that?" It's dark surface rippled.

Samantha sat on the edge of the pool and looked into the water. "Aha. So that's what it is. If you wondered where all the souls go when they're consumed by the Beast, this is it. Can you feel the power emanating from the water?"

Tracy held her hand near the surface. "Yes. I'm pretty sure they don't like being in there."

Samantha stared at the water in stunned amazement, "The souls in here are those of living people. When your father and I battled with the Beast, somehow we set some free."

"Samantha! It's been ages." a voice said. Hobbes joined them. Their light bothered him and he held a hand up to block it from his eyes. "I see you brought Stephanie here, too. We've been looking for her." he growled.

"What for?" Stephanie asked.

"You're ours, Demetria is ours. There's a contractual agreement." Hobbes said. "We never got Samantha on side. Maybe she'll reconsider?"

Tracy felt a powerful wave of energy ripple through her body. She recognized the song of the Sun and she embraced it and brought it through her being. Tracy started to glow. Yellow light emanated from her skin and eyes. Tracy spoke in the ancient language, "Your contract is void, snake fucker."

Samantha was pleased by Tracy's reaction, and her skin started to glow, too. "Well, this is a surprise!" She said to Hobbes. "No more deals, Thomas."

He looked sick. His shoulders slumped forward. He said, "Well, I admit, this changes things, but..." Suddenly, he lunged at Stephanie and they both fell into the pool. Samantha tried to grab them but they were gone.

"No!" Tracy shouted. She started to climb into the pool, but Samantha stopped her, and the light emanating from them faded to a dim glow.

Samantha said, "We don't know how this all works." She waved her hand over the pool's surface. "If we go in, we might not come back out."

Tracy sighed heavily. "You're right... I wonder what this thing is. I wonder if Bethany is in there, too. When I studied her, I saw that she was a bright light in a maze of shadows. Could the maze be that thing?" She tapped the stone wall of the pool with her foot.

"That's really quite possible." Samantha gazed into the water. Then she turned and faced Tracy. She studied her face and asked, "How did you do that? How did you tap into the power of the Sun?"

Tracy shrugged. "I think it _wanted_ to be here. It spoke to me."

Samantha considered a moment and smiled slightly. She asked, "Can you do it again?"

Tracy shook her head, no. "I don't think so. I'm not sure I really did anything, well, intentionally anyway."

"That's very interesting." Samantha said. Tracy could tell Samantha's mind was buzzing. Samantha pointed at the water, "I think it's where your father went, too."

Tracy sat on the stone and gazed into the water, then looked at Samantha. She asked, "Where's Mom?"

Samantha smiled, "She's been in hiding. It's a rather long story."

Tracy said resolutely, "It's time for them to come home."

Samantha nodded, "You are right, there's no more hiding. Things will happen very quickly, now." She took Tracy's hands and they stood up. "Tracy, you've got a baby brother and a sister! You'll finally meet them!"

Tracy snapped back to normal reality and spun around on her heel. Bethany and Chloe were staring at her. Tracy laughed and grabbed them both in a hug. "I've got a baby brother and sister! Mom's finally coming home!"

Chloe hugged her hard and kissed the side of her face. "That's completely amazing!"

Bethany was buoyed by their happiness but was confused. She asked, "What just happened?"

Tracy took Bethany's face in her hands and kissed her. She laughed at Bethany's amazed reaction and said, "I found you, too, Bethany!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Bethany was completely confused.

"No time to explain, anyway, we're going to drive to Elysium Farms, and you're coming." Tracy took her hand and they started back up the hill.

## Chapter Nine

The main barn at Elysium Farm was also their dining hall, dance hall, and party center. Most nights they had a relatively mellow dinner followed by music and dancing and singing, but on many occasions, they partied. The completion of the temple was a good excuse for a party, plus Anna decided to move to the farm, and the other hands greeted her enthusiastically. They garlanded her with flowers and she sat at the head of one of the tables absorbing their affection and enthusiasm.

Demetria was a natural conductor of the ceremonies. She wandered the hall and shared herself with her people. She joined Anna's table and put her hand on Anna's.

"It's so wonderful you've decided to join us! Morgan said you are from Switzerland. That is such a beautiful place. I remember it fondly." She smiled. "Those cows! So wonderful."

Anna nodded enthusiastically, "My grandfather kept cows on a hillside farm, it was like a post card. They were wonderful animals."

Demetria said, "Thousands of years ago they were very different animals, not nearly as docile, but smarter. Their wild ancestors were still plentiful. They were called aurochs. The relationship between us and them is very old, almost a central part of who we are."

Anna was fascinated, "That's really interesting. I always felt a bond with them."

Demetria nodded, "Absolutely, we are connected." Suddenly, Demetria slumped over to her right writhed with pain, and cried out. Morgan ran over to her side.

Morgan was almost in a panic. He asked, "What's wrong?!"

"Stephanie..." Demetria stood up and rushed out of the barn and Morgan followed. The crowd followed, but kept their distance. Demetria told Morgan, "Something terrible happened. I feel I lost her..."

Morgan was puzzled, "How? Isn't she always in the meadow?"

Demetria shook her head, "No, she left. I don't know what happened. I just don't feel her anymore." She closed her eyes. "She's not there! She's not there!"

Their phones buzzed. Morgan read the message, "Tracy says Stephanie was abducted... They're on the way down."

"We must find her..." Demetria said. Her face hardened. "At any cost, we must find her..."

# EPISODE EIGHT -- Red Five

Present Day

## Chapter One

Matt called out, "Hey! Oy?!" It was the first time in three years that he saw anything that wasn't a faceless shadow wandering through an enormous dingy gray city. The city had wide, regular boulevards, and driverless cars puttered around aimlessly and busses dutifully stopped every twenty feet, forever lurching around city center after city center where an enormous six faced clock monotonously ticked away.

The bright, fresh face of a girl startled him. He'd been steadily losing his mind and his ability to speak or form coherent thoughts. She was very happy to see him. He was dim, pale, and his clothing was dingy and worn out. She threw her arms around him. He embraced her and wept and she started crying as well. The shadows milled around them.

"I've, I've been stuck for a long time." He said. The words felt strange in his mouth. "This place is awful. Who are you? How did you get here?"

"I'm Stephanie. Hobbes threw me into a stone pool of murky water, and I lost consciousness for a time, then and woke up here."

"I'm... I'm.... Ugh... Oh, I'm Matthew, Matthew Wells. I'm really sorry, I've been going completely crazy since I've been stuck here." Matt looked around at the place and felt its weight dragging him down. He covered his face.

She squeezed him hard. "I am so glad to see you! Matt, you're Tracy's father."

"Oh yes! Yes I am! How do you know that? Am I just going completely insane, now?" He studied her face frantically, looking for signs that his mind was playing tricks on him.

Stephanie kissed him. Her lips felt very warm and real. She reassured him, "I know Tracy. I met her. I know Samantha, too."

He breathed out and stretched and looked at the dreary sky and the dumb white face of the clock towers. The sun's deep roaring bass tone was absent. There was only a 60 cycle hum of electric light punctuated with the occasional mechanical grunts, whines, and moans of engines. "Oh, this place is awful. I've been looking for a way out for what seems like eternity. It must not be very long, though. How old was Tracy when you met her?"

"She's about my age, I think." Stephanie said. "I am, well, was seventeen. I'm not really sure how old she is."

He nodded, "OK. So I guess it's been about three years. Wow. Well, that's not so bad, at times I thought maybe it was centuries or millennia."

"What is this place?" She looked around.

He said, "Well, Samantha, Owen and I did battle with this enormous black cloud-like serpent. I channeled the power of the Sun, but something happened, it actually cut me off from returning to my body, which felt very, very strange. This serpent basically swallowed me, then I woke up here."

"I can't feel the Sun in here." She noted. She thought a moment and said, "I wonder if the pool and the snake are really the same thing. It seems like that can happen a lot over here. Things have multiple manifestations."

It had been such a long time since he'd used his mind to think of anything sensible that the concepts felt very novel and strange. Stephanie noticed that he became brighter, and she did, too. She felt his mind working. He said, "You are certainly onto something." He pointed up at the dreary gray sky and said, "It could be the surface of a dark pool, or the hide of a giant snake."

She sighed, "I've usually been in a nice meadow and forests. This place is awful."

He looked around and said, "I think we're basically stuck in the dull consciousness of the drudgery of day-to-day life of millions, maybe billions of people. I never really fully understood the geography or navigation through the other world, Samantha took us everywhere."

She patted his chest and said, "Don't worry! Demetria and Samantha will come for us. We should try to brighten this place up a little bit. Make due with what's here." She sighed at the lack of material for the task.

He glowed a bit brighter, and she did too. He said, "This whole time I only sought to get out. What if this were the worst mistake the Beast could make: swallowing us."

She shone, too. "Yes! Indeed." She spoke syllables of the ancient language, "Foul creature! You will be torn to shreds!"

He understood her and was amazed. Some of the shadows that milled around them endlessly stopped and turned toward them. He saw their faces, ordinary men and women, like ghostly apparitions, they could hear the language. Then they continued on.

He asked, "What was that? That language. I've heard Samantha speak it. I didn't understand it before, but I could understand you."

She had a puzzled, searching expression on her face. "I just _knew_ it. I mean, I think I was just excited and found the words. Did you see them react?"

He nodded thoughtfully, "That was very exciting. That's the very first time I've seen them react. It must be how Samantha influences us."

She kissed him on the mouth and probed with her tongue. She pressed her mound against him, but felt nothing there. She was startled. He said, "I would really love to, but since I've been here, I've gone sort of Ken doll."

"Oh!" She said, "Sorry. I got carried away. Do you feel anything? I mean do you feel desire?"

"All my feelings, including desire, everything was really muted, but now that you're here, it's returned a little bit. I feel more alive, more vital." He said. He smirked, "You are gorgeous. You really remind me of a centerfold I had when I was a kid. I forget her name." He laughed. "I think Robbie still has it hanging in his shop."

She laughed and held his hand, "Yeah, I know who you're talking about, I think she's related somehow. Her name was Connie Kreski. I'm Stephanie Junger, by the way."

She could feel his mind working. He said, "Perhaps our task is to recover as much of this language as possible. It seems like we can't really do it by concentrating or probing with our rational mind."

She nodded, "Yes, that really came from down deep. Demetria tried explaining this to me many times, but whoosh, in one ear and out the other." She stepped a few steps away and growled and mimed a tiger paw swipe.

He laughed, "What are you doing?"

"Play along!" She chided. "Get out of your own way."

He understood what she was getting at. He paused a moment, then started doing the Kevin Bacon footloose angry dance down the sidewalk. He heard her laughing. She tried laughing like a tigress, staying in her new character, and she followed him. He threw up both hands and shouted in the ancient language, "Everybody, let's dance!"

Their antics had an effect on the milling forms. They heard a few chuckles and saw faces emerge from the milling shadows, but almost all of them returned to their shuffling. One of them paused. A man looked around in confusion.

Stephanie approached him in her tiger pose. He stammered in the ancient language, "What am I? What am I doing?" She was astounded. She kissed him and licked the side of his face and purred in his ear.

A man in an insurance office in a strip mall on Route 20 in Mentor felt startled. He'd been surfing the web all day, killing time. His ass was sore. His back hurt from sitting in the creaky faux leather chair, but he felt like a little child afraid to get up in class to go outside and play. He blurted out, "What am I doing?" He took his tie off and went outside and felt the wan winter sun on his face. His coworkers watched through the picture window.

Stephanie felt the muted hum of the sun percolate through his soul. She was startled. "The Sun!" She said in the ancient tongue.

When she said that word, more shuffling shadows stopped in their tracks. The muted hum of the sun grew to a low roar, then receded as they returned to their humdrum life. All the shadows returned to their miserable paths, a few shades lighter, but still very dark and dull.

She did a little dance over to Matt. "Did you see that?"

"I heard it, too." He said in wonderment. "Maybe we don't need a rescue party after all."

## Chapter Two

Telia carried a bag of groceries into the trailer on a dusty lot in Egypt, Texas. When she went out in public she always wore a large hat and big sunglasses. Her hair returned to its natural blonde color, but now with quite a few gray strands. Her wrist and hand were now plagued by frequent bouts of arthritis. Their work to destroy the Brotherhood and kill the serpent had mostly been undone and Seth shelved the project since Matt and Owen were lost. The only persistent consequence of their actions was the small group of artists and freethinkers like Daniel Jackson that escaped from Washington DC after their second battle with the Beast. The group produced comic books, paintings, elaborate murals and graffiti, but they had almost no impact on the mainstream culture.

Telia and Samantha searched the other side for Matt for three months while Matt's body wasted away connected to an intravenous drip. Eventually, Louis inhabited Matt's body, and the search for Matt became an occasional pastime as Telia reached full term and then gave birth to the twins. Their paranoia about being caught by The Disciples of the Beast eventually faded away as did their support from the Brotherhood. Francis left his job, and Telia hadn't heard from him since they fled.

Telia put the groceries away in the metal cupboards and the old refrigerator. Louis was absentmindedly surfing the Internet. He was like a caged whirlwind in Matt's somewhat broken body. Channeling the power of the sun and being knocked down from the reflector left Matt's body with some nagging problems, mainly back pain, and a pronounced limp.

In spite of his host's infirmities, Louis was a brilliant companion. He was a torrent of knowledge, wisdom, and information. Under his tutelage, the twins thrived. Louis spent much time instructing Telia and the twins in the ancient language. The kids, though only toddlers, absorbed the knowledge with ease, while Telia struggled with it. She found the concepts bizarre. They did not yield easily to rationalization or rote learning.

Almost every evening they contacted Samantha, and she spent time with them. The visits became routine and homey. With constant practice, Telia was able to cross back and forth at will, though the experience was significantly less intense than it had been with the aid of the reflector.

After dinner they all sat together around the yellow formica table and crossed to the other side. Samantha greeted them all with hugs and kisses, but got right to the point, which was unusual for her. She said, "You must go back to the Farm, great things are happening. Tracy and I discovered where Matt is. Your family is going to battle with the Disciples of the Beast. Find Daniel Jackson and take him with you. I believe he is in Colorado."

Telia was stunned. She stammered, "So I can just go home, finally?"

Samantha nodded, "Yes. There's no advantage to remaining on the run. It's all or nothing, now, so you must make haste."

Telia was tremendously relieved. She said, "It will be good to be home."

Samantha spoke to them in the ancient language, "I love you all." The words energized Telia. She snapped back to normal consciousness and got up from the table. She started packing a bag with their essentials.

When Louis snapped out of his meditation, Telia asked him, "Where's Daniel Jackson? He's the artist guy, right?"

He nodded. "I know where he is. He's near Boulder."

Telia hugged the twins. She said, "Matty and Sammy, it's time for a road trip!"

The two little boys smiled and cheered.

## Chapter Three

Chloe hopped into the driver's seat of the cowmobile and Tracy sat in the passenger side, while Bethany sat in the middle of the back seat. Chloe said into the rear view, "You might want to buckle up. I'm gonna haul ass."

Bethany said, "Go ahead!" She was starting to get into the flow of the action. She had no idea what was going on, but was starting to get wrapped up in the urgency of it.

Tracy texted Robbie as they roared down the driveway and onto the road. Chloe's driving skills had become superlative with practice. The Jetta lunged down the two lane road like a guided missile. Chloe asked, "Are we going right to the farm, or stopping at the park and walking?"

Tracy said, "All the way."

The car roared onto Bass Lake Road, then the roar went silent and the engine died and the check engine light came on. Chloe said, "Oh shit! How sucky is that?" She coasted into a parking lot and rolled to a disappointed stop.

Tracy was on the phone before the car even stopped. "Hey Richard! Are you home? Can you give me and Chloe and our friend Bethany a lift? It's an emergency." She smiled and pumped her fist. "Thanks. We're at Bass Lake and 322. Bye."

Chloe patted her car's hood. "Poor baby."

Tracy said, "Robbie will fix it."

Chloe was gloomy, "I'm bummed, though. The first time I really had a chance to use my driving skills for a real purpose."

Bethany asked, "Where did you learn that stuff? It was amazing. I mean, I almost pissed my pants, but still."

Chloe shrugged, "Practice!"

Richard rolled up in his red Volvo wagon. Berto waved at them. "Hey ladies, need a lift?"

They piled into the back of the car and Tracy gave him directions. Berto nodded and said, "Oh yeah, I know exactly where that place is, actually head down Rapids Road instead. That will be a little faster."

Berto was wearing a white sweatshirt and a blue knit cap. His wheelchair was in the back of the wagon. He was able to hobble around without it, but still wasn't able to really walk any significant distance. He turned around to say hello to Bethany. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Berto, that's Richard. I love your hair."

Chloe punched his arm, "Berto's so smooth."

He whistled and clucked his tongue, "You know me, baby. What's the emergency? I hope it's something good."

Tracy leaned forward, "Actually it's something huge. You're welcome to take part, but it could be really dangerous."

"Like Homecoming?" Berto asked.

"Way worse." Tracy said matter of factly.

"I'm in." Berto nodded.

Richard high fived him, "Me too."

Tracy said, "Not to be overly dramatic, but when we get down there, you might want to call your parents let them know you love them. I really don't know how this will all play out, or how quickly."

Richard kept his cool and just nodded slightly. Berto shifted in his seat. He said, "Wow, that serious, eh?"

Tracy nodded, "Yeah." She sat back in her seat and fired off texts and emails.

Bethany asked her, "What are you doing?"

"Rallying the troops. Coordinating with Robbie and those guys." Tracy smiled at her.

Bethany considered a moment, and said, "OK, so what are _we_ doing?"

Tracy said, "We're on a rescue mission, and you're the first one we'll rescue."

The Volvo rumbled down the driveway of Elysium Farm. Tracy leaned over the seat and honked the horn. Then Richard took over and honked some more. They pulled to a stop. Berto opened his door and swung himself up out of the seat and hobbled around to the back of the car. The girls piled out and Tracy walked toward the main barn.

Amy greeted her with a look of concern, "Hey, Tracy! What's going on?! Why just drive here now after all this crazy secrecy bullshit?"

"Cat's outta the bag." Tracy shrugged.

Amy eyed her, "Are we in danger here?"

Tracy shrugged. "I don't know, but maybe."

Demetria said, "Yes, we are. But we'll fight them this time. You will see how powerful the temple is, how powerful you are, dear Amy." Demetria was practically radiating energy.

Amy sighed, "Alright. Shit." She whistled and her people gathered around. "Listen everyone, some people might be coming for Marta, to take her away, or worse. Her real name is Demetria. They might come to harm us, too. If you want to leave to be safe, come back in a few days and hopefully all will be back to normal by then. If you want to stay, well, your life might be in danger, and be prepared to fight for it."

Tracy walked Chloe back toward the Volvo and Richard and Berto. She whispered to them, "Chloe, I think you'll be needed at the warehouse. We're going to take that thing out. That might turn really crazy. Robbie is putting a plan together now. You two guys," She pointed at Berto and Richard, "You have to realize this is a full on war. They'll try to kill you, jail you, if you get caught you might be tortured and killed, or end up god knows where as a slave."

Berto patted the arm of the wheelchair. "Fuck it, I'm in."

Chloe kissed him. "Good man."

"You know I'm in." Richard said.

Tracy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Good luck to you all. I hope I see you again, soon."

The Volvo turned around and rolled down the driveway.

Morgan joined her. "How do we do this?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, let's take Bethany back to the temple."

The sky was dark and cloudless. The night air was cold and the moon was nearly full and bright and haloed with a thin ring of icy light. Their breath hung in the air.

Demetria stood in the center of their temple. The chorus, now of five girls, was near her. Morgan and Tracy stood with Bethany on the opposite side. Amy organized the rest of the farm hands into patrols. They watched the corners of the farm and the driveway. The farm only had a couple of guns. Amy carried a pistol, but she wasn't very good at shooting, and didn't plan to use it. She watched Demetria.

She spoke to them in the ancient language. They couldn't understand the syllables, but they got the sentiment. She said, "I love you all."

When they went to the other side, everyone was there, but Bethany, who found herself in a strange dim place.

Tracy saw her only as a flickering light within a shadow. She touched the shadow, but it was insubstantial. She spoke, "Bethany, can you hear me?" The shadow flickered and moved.

Demetria was intrigued. She touched the shadow, too. She said, "She's only partially here. I'm not sure where the rest of her is." She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Bethany heard them call out and followed the voices through a sea of shadows. She said, "Hey! I'm here, over here."

Matt and Stephanie saw her parting the sea of shuffling shadows. Matt shouted, "Hey!"

Bethany was surprised to see them, she said, "Oh hello! What is this place?"

"It's basically the consciousness of dreary mundane life." Matt said.

"Who are you?" Stephanie asked. She took Bethany's arm and smiled at her. She was so happy to see another actual person in the city of shades.

"My name's Bethany. I was just with Tracy in this temple thing..." She gestured over her shoulder.

"Tracy?" Matt asked, "Tracy Wells?"

Bethany's eyes got big, "Oh, wow!, You're her Dad. And you're Demetria, right? How are you here? Where's everyone else?"

She blinked her eyes, and lost her balance, then she looked around the temple. "What just happened?" She asked. They were all looking at her.

Tracy asked, "Where were you? We just saw you as a shadow, like a candle flickering in a shadow."

Bethany said, "I saw your Dad and her." She pointed at Demetria.

Demetria was relieved. She said, "That's Stephanie. You're like a bridge to the other, other side, but I couldn't cross it."

"Where were you?" Tracy asked.

Bethany said, "It's like a big city filled with wandering shadows. I couldn't see you, but I could hear you."

Tracy asked, "Could my Dad hear?"

Bethany shook her head no. "Not that I could tell, but they noticed me because of it. They responded to me, not to your voice."

Morgan said, "Hey! We might be onto something. What if you took this?" He handed her the skull cup.

"What's this?" She asked.

He said, "Well, it's a really ancient artifact. The weird thing about it is it basically exists on both sides at the same time."

Demetria said, "That's a brilliant idea. Fill it with wine." She grabbed a bottle and poured the red liquid into the bowl. "When we go back, have Stephanie drink it."

The chorus of girls started singing and they all closed their eyes. Bethany found herself back with Matt and Stephanie. She had the skull in her hands and it was filled with red shimmering liquid. She said, "Now _that's_ really cool."

Matt asked, "Where did you go?"

Bethany answered, "I just snapped out of it back into the temple. Hey, Demetria wants you to drink this. Stephanie? Are you Stephanie?"

Stephanie asked, "What is it?"

"It was wine back in the temple, now I'm not totally sure what it is." She handed her the skull.

Matt was puzzled. "You keep mentioning a temple. What is it?"

"Tracy tried to explain it to me. I guess it's got a really powerful connection to this place. It exists on both 'sides'" She said.

"Oh! That's very interesting." Matt said. "If they are there, presumably in the temple, how is it you're here?"

She thought a moment, her face grew angry. "My parents did something to me a few days ago, or maybe have been doing it all along, all through my life." She looked around her surroundings in disgust.

"Who are your parents?" Matt asked.

"Heather and Charlie Madher." She said.

Matt smacked his head, "Oh! You looked so familiar. I didn't recognize you, you look so much older." He hugged her. "What do you mean they did something to you?"

"Mom built this big contraption, it was actually based on the work you did. They put me in it, and I woke up in a pool. These men were there, my grandfather and this other guy, Thomas Hobbes."

Stephanie gasped, "That's how I ended up here, through that pool. I think we're actually in it, now. See the clouds, that's the surface of the water."

Bethany looked up. "How fucking dreary. This is the world my dad wants to control. What a shitbird!" She spat.

Matt asked her, "Let me know if you understand this." He said, "You are beautiful." In the ancient tongue.

She smiled. "I did, what was that? It's very weird. It like tickled the interior of my brain."

A couple of the shades stopped and looked at them briefly, then continued on. Matt said, "It's basically the language the world speaks to us; apparently our soul can understand it. That's what these shades are, souls of billions of people."

Stephanie said, "Tell Demetria and Tracy not to worry about rescuing us, instead, we want to bring the sun here. Maybe this thing can help." She gestured at the skull.

Matt said, "Let's try something, we'll have one of _them_ drink it." He spoke to the shadows, "Here, this is the key to life! Drink, you must drink." One of them responded. A woman with smooth, dark skin and curly black hair.

She stammered, "What. Wha... What is it?"

Matt said, "A way out!"

She greedily drank the contents of the skull. She transformed from a shade to a person, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Thank you..." She disappeared from view.

Stephanie, Matt and Bethany shared a look, then giggled in delight. Matt said, "Only 6 billion to go!"

Matt said, "Give them a kiss for us." He kissed Bethany's cheek. "Oh wait, let me just try a tiny taste." He put his pinky into what was left of the fluid and smeared it on the bowl so only a tiny fraction of it was left. "Oh hey, now look at that." It was shimmering and gold. He said thoughtfully, "Wine _is_ the sun." He sucked the shimmering golden liquid from his pinky.

He started to glow, "Hiyo!" He said. The shades stopped in their tracks. Matt pulled Stephanie close.

She said, "Oh! Well. I wonder what effect _this_ will have on them." She ground herself against his crotch.

Bethany was mildly embarrassed. "Well, I see you're going to be alright! I'll be back. Ciao."

She blinked and was back in the temple. The skull bowl was empty and a line was in the liquid from where Matt's finger had been.

Bethany was smiling and then started laughing. Demetria and Tracy looked at her. Bethany kissed Tracy on the cheek.

Tracy asked, "What happened? We saw this woman appear briefly, then she vanished."

Bethany said, "They said they're OK and there's no need of a rescue. They fed the woman the wine, and she transformed from a shadow to a person, then disappeared. They want to bring the sun there. Your dad said he wine _is_ the sun. He put a bit of it on his finger and tasted it, then I'm pretty sure he and Stephanie started fucking."

Demetria's eyes got big. She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Yes! Yes. Brilliant. They can transform that place."

Bethany shrugged. "It's a huge task--bigger than just the two of them!"

Tracy said, "We really need to figure out how to get more juice over there."

Amy trotted into the temple. She whispered, "Hey, there are men here."

Tracy said, "We'll take care of them."

"Should I call the Sheriff?" Amy asked.

Tracy said, "The Sheriff was in on it when we were attacked at Homecoming. I don't know."

"Oh man, well, I guess we're on our own." Amy groaned with frustration.

## Chapter Four

Telia and Louis bought a beater minivan and took the family to Boulder. Telia felt a sense of liberation as they left the Brotherhood behind. She left a thank-you note for Seth and Francis, but included no indication of where they were going or what they were doing.

When they got to Boulder, Louis took the wheel and seemingly made a series of random turns as he homed in on Daniel Jackson. Telia was fascinated, because she almost felt she could do it as well. She asked, "How are you actually finding him?"

He said, "Daniel makes a big impression on those he interacts with, and since he travels slowly, mostly on foot, he _persists_." He sniffed the air like a dog. "I smell him!" He laughed and then pulled into a tree farm on the outskirts of town. At the back corner of the lot, there were a group of sheds and workers quarters. They recognized Samantha's face on a mural painted on the side of the shed.

They climbed out of the minivan and Telia walked into a spartan, one floor building that had a row of cots, and a rough milled plank floor. Louis followed her.

Daniel Jackson was sitting on his bed, sketching while Peachey scribbled in a notebook. When Daniel saw Louis, his jaw dropped. He said, "How? I mean, who? I mean, are you him?" He held up his sketchpad and flipped back a few pages to an image of Matt on a glowing cross.

Louis' brows furrowed together and he said, "Daniel, those sketches are starting to get a little Jesus-like for my taste!"

Peachey said, "You're... here. Why? _How?_ "

Telia said, "I'm Telia Wells, this is Matt's body, but Matt's not here right now, this is Louis. He's the male version of Samantha."

Both of the men were stunned. Finally Daniel said, "Man, we've really been caught up in the fictional version of the story, it's started to become more real than the reality." He stood up and hugged the two of them.

"Fictional version?" Telia asked.

"Yeah, we've been doing a comic book/novel version of the saga." Daniel said. "We do it in our own funky way. We circulate a handful of 'originals', handmade copies, then just make a whole bunch of super cheaply made copied and stapled versions. All free. All for fun. Other people copy them, there's a handful of us running around the country doing this."

Peachey was still a bit awestruck but was starting to follow Daniel's lead in shaking it off and gave them both a hug. "We've been living with you as a character for a long time, forgetting there are real people involved. Just people. The characters get larger than life really quickly."

Louis shrugged, "It's almost unavoidable. This cycle, these stories are so thoroughly ingrained in all beings on Earth that any person can forget they are, indeed, equal participants in making them happen. Matt is an extraordinary man, but just a man. All these circumstances have happened before, by the way. You're the latest in a long line. The _troubadours_ were one of your predecessors."

Daniel smacked Peachey's shoulder, "Hey, we're troubadours. Who knew?"

Louis said, "We're going to Ohio, right now. We want you to go with us."

Daniel shouldered a bag and said, "We're already packed. I had a dream we'd go, but barely believed it was true!"

## Chapter Five

Keith drew a picture on a big whiteboard in the library at the Wells farm and described the problems they'd encounter trying to get into the warehouse. All the chairs around the table were full and everyone was attentive and quiet, though a jovial, happy mood pervaded the group.

Keith said, "Since Chloe reconnoitered the building, they stepped up security. There's an armed guard outside in a car 24/7, and they put up a chain-link fence with razor wire. I doubt the cement that holds the posts in the ground is even fully cured! There could be observers on the roof of neighboring buildings. Chances are, they'd only be expecting the same type of attempt at penetration, that is a small team going for a stealthy attack. We're going to do the opposite, catch them off guard."

Robbie spoke up, "We've got an old bulldozer that I welded armor plate to. I'm going to drive the truck down there and we'll unload it on the street. Then David is going to crash the fence and try to bring the building down on the reflector."

David continued, "If the dozer doesn't have enough power to collapse the building, I'll put a hole in one wall at least. Then Robbie will try to send the truck through the door side of the building."

Robbie pointed at Richard and Berto. "That's where you guys come in. If we can't get the job done, you need to deliver the payload. It's in that duffle bag. Arm it, and get it as close to the reflector as possible, then get the fuck out of there."

Richard zipped up the bag and nodded resolutely, "Let's do this."

Keith added, "Chloe and I will be covering everyone from the ridge, and we'll pick up anyone that's in trouble."

Dana said, "Johnny and I will be covering police radio and jamming communications from the warehouse area, so your cell phones won't work, but our CB radios and walkie talkies will. If Five-O shows up, we'll try to block the entrance onto Oxbow Road for as long as possible."

They all walked out to the driveway. The vehicles were parked in the grass ready for each of them. Robbie and David climbed into the old semi and rumbled away. Johnny and Dana took the Flying Fox. Keith and Chloe climbed into the old white and gray van and trundled down the driveway. That left Berto and Richard.

Berto said, "Holy shit, bro, let's do this crazy thing!"

Richard said, "I love the Volvo, but dude, this car is sweet." He climbed into the yellow firebird. Berto put the wheelchair in the trunk and hobbled to the passenger door and sat down. He grimaced at the effort.

Berto whistled and clicked his tongue, "Dude I wish I was 100% for this, though! If we have to ditch this car, I'm pretty much fucked." He arrange the blue knit cap on his bald head and unzipped his white hoodie.

Richard started the engine. The 350 cubic inches roared to life. He said, "Dude, I think I just shot my load." He headed out after the caravan of vehicles and lit up the tires.

The CB crackled, they heard David's voice, "Isn't that torque amazing? It's been a long time since I've driven that beast."

Richard answered back on the radio, "This is a cherry ride."

Snow was swirling around as they made their way toward Cleveland. The ominous clouds of a lake effect blizzard were mounting on the high ground of Geauga County. Johnny's voice crackled over the CB. "Damn, hopefully we can get back to the Farm! Looks like the snow is starting to fall for real."

They rolled up the East 9th street exit, Robbie said, "Positions." over the radio. The rest of the team checked in. Then he said, "Red leader going in."

The truck rumbled down Oxbow Road. David pulled a hat down low over his brows, and put on a pair of big, dark sunglasses. Robbie pulled a ski mask down. They climbed out of the truck and unloaded the dozer a few buildings down the road from the warehouse. David gave a thumbs up and climbed into the armored dozer cage and fired up the engine. He drove down the road.

A guard at the gate of the warehouse building watched the dozer. He was startled when David swung toward him and mouthed, "Oh shit!"

The dozer plowed through the gate and the guard scrambled out of the way as it broke free of its hinges and clattered on the ground. He drew his pistol and spoke into a radio, but heard nothing but muzak playing. He started to head toward the dozer, but a bullet smacked the ground in his path. He spun around to look where it was coming from but saw nobody, so he hopped into his patrol car and tried to drive away. Another round hit the engine block and the radiator and the car stalled. He climbed into the back seat and curled up.

The bulldozer rumbled toward the side of the building. Robbie fired up the semi and blocked the opening in the fence.

Inside the building, Charlie was sitting in the lounge. Pilara was with him. She took to wearing some of Heather's more theatrical clothes, today, all shiny leather--pants and a jacket and a black shirt underneath.

Charlie heard the gate come down and he said, "What could that be?" He walked over toward the control room to check out the monitors. Heather was deep in her session on the other side and he didn't want to disrupt her work. He took out his cell phone to call for backup, but there was no service, and their landline connection appeared to be severed.

He felt a horrible sense of panic and dread. In all his years plotting and planning horrible things, stacking murder victims, undermining public causes, scheming to control more and more of the world's population, he'd never once participated, or been exposed to actual physical danger. He felt sick. He ran out of the control room. His mind was a ball of confusion. Pilara asked, "What is going on?"

"I think we're under attack." Charlie said.

"Did you call for help?" Pilara asked. She was more relaxed.

"No service. We're cut off." Charlie managed to say. His face was starting to freeze up from fear. The blade of the bulldozer banged against the wall. One of the teeth penetrated, then a section of the masonry collapsed with a tremendous roar, and dust billowed up inside the building. The weak winter daylight shone through the cloud.

"I think we should run away." Pilara said, "It's the only option."

Charlie asked, "What about Heather?"

Pilara sneered, "We'll find a replacement." She ran out past the dozer as it backed up. Charlie followed. They were cut off from the street by the semi and had nowhere to run.

Keith spotted the two of them through his binoculars. He announced, "Two runners got out. A man and a woman, both with dark hair. I can't really make out the faces."

Chloe said coldly, "I've got the shot."

Keith said, "No way, in cold blood? No."

She said, "Dad, these people will kill us if they get the chance."

David announced, "There's not enough horses in this dozer to bring the building down. The steel beams aren't even budging. I'm just breaking bricks here."

Robbie backed the truck up the street, then got it going as fast as possible and jumped out the door and rolled on the gravel. "Owww! Fuck!" He jumped up and saw it slam into the side of the building just to the left of the door. The entire wall cracked, and a large section crumbled and fell onto the semi, but it still wasn't enough.

Pilara and Charlie ran past him and hopped into their car. Charlie made it out the gate before Chloe took out the tires. Robbie drew his .45 and followed after the car. David abandoned the dozer and jogged after him. The Firebird blazed past.

Berto said, "Watch the gate, dude, don't trash the tires!"

Richard acknowledged, "I got it."

Berto flipped a switch on the bundle of explosives in the duffle bag, he announced over the CB, "The candle is lit." Then Richard climbed out of the car and tossed the bag next to the reflector. He sprinted back and jumped into the driver seat and roared around the building and out the gate.

Heather was with Hobbes on the other side when she felt it. It was like a giant door slammed shut, and she became cold and numb.

She gasped and looked at herself. "Shit..." She said.

Hobbes arched an eyebrow, "Welcome to my state of being. That was unexpected."

She said, "Just like that..." She clicked her fingers. She felt a tremendous sense of loss.

"Look on the bright side, you actually made it over. You're immortal. Hardly anyone does it." Hobbes offered.

Suddenly, the darkness and the dimness of their realm oppressed her. She said, "When I first crossed over with the Wells family's reflector, it was such a pleasant place--green fields and a blue sky. This is a shithole."

Hobbes felt her rage and sadness. He held up a hand, "This place is the end result of our efforts. To keep control on Earth means these spartan, dreary conditions here, apparently. That's what led to the split with Samantha all those years ago."

Heather sighed, "How do we go somewhere nice? Are you always just here in this dreary spot?"

Hobbes laughed. He spit his words, "Goodness, woman, what do you think you've been doing all these many months? This is the price of Empire and order. We drive on humanity to greater heights. Yet, now, you want to frolic in fields like an animal. Pathetic." He left her.

Heather still hadn't figured out navigation or how to get around on the other side. Charlie's grandfather appeared again. He shouted, "Curses!"

Heather asked, "What happened?"

"Someone attacked us. They apparently blew you up. Charlie and I were shot, I guess. When crossing back over like that, the memories of the last moments are very fuzzy." He groaned. "I was just getting used to my pussy!"

Heather asked, "Where's Charlie?"

"Recycled, as you'd say these days. He wasn't skilled enough to cross over on his own. I guess you were here already, so when your vessel died, you persist here. Congratulations." He smiled woodenly.

Robbie and David felt the shockwave and the windows on several nearby buildings broke and rattled. Robbie shouted, "Whoo!!" as the warehouse building collapsed in a cloud of dust and smoke. They trotted up the hill and climbed into the van. Keith drove away.

## Chapter Six

The team of men that had burned Demetria's house and killed Marta reassembled to kidnap her from the farm. They were going to transport her to a dark and dingy hovel in the desert. They were four heavily armed, highly trained completely ruthless and psychopathic men. The leader of the team was an orthopedic surgeon for his day job. He'd been recruited into the brotherhood while doing his residency, and quite unexpectedly ended up in an elite commando team. His name was John Reney.

The team gave him an outlet for his dark side, which was proportioned like the beneath the water part of an iceberg to his light part. The men rarely encountered significant resistance in their operations. More often than not, they were sent in to clean up other people's mistakes and screw-ups, usually by killing people--men, women, and children--and staging accidents or suicides. It was very rare for them to pursue a single target over multiple missions and John found it a very gratifying experience.

They observed the farm for a few hours before starting to move. As the full moon started to rise over the treetops on the eastern horizon, the radio crackled, "J-dog, we're made."

John acknowledged him, "Roger that, Gorilla, I don't see any reaction. Let's give it a few more minutes until it's really dark and go in with night vision unless the target tries to leave."

They didn't expect much resistance from the people. They planned to kill everyone and make it look like a suicide cult. John liked the challenge of trying to contain such a large group since they were completely outnumbered. Two of his men were on ATVs. He and Skeet were on foot.

"They're fucking singing or some shit." Gorilla announced. He watched the temple through his binoculars. He was in the upper branches of a tree on the edge of the property. "This is some really hippy dippy shit."

Tracy and Demetria crossed to the other side. They focused on the men. Demetria said flatly, "I will be their nightmare."

She spoke to Gorilla in the ancient language. Tracy could only pick out a few words. She heard "father" and "betrayal". Gorilla felt a chill. In his mind's eye he imagined John was going to murder him when they were finished with the job. He tried to shake the thought, but couldn't. Demetria closed her eyes and reached out to John. She could feel the darkness and corruption in him. All his evil deeds were encapsulated in calcified chambers and his consciousness was like a depraved little boy. She warmed him and melted the hardness in his mind.

John watched them through binoculars, but put them down. He felt tremendous sadness and discontent, like a thousand midlife crises hitting him all at once. In his mind's eye he remembered being a boy and standing on a muddy creek bank behind their family home. He killed frogs with a pump BB gun. He remembered his glee at ending their stupid existence, but now saw their dead eyes and wrecked bodies staring back at him. He remembered killing a neighbor's cat when he was eleven. He stabbed it in the neck with a barbecue fork. He remembered the cat's pitiful attempts to escape his grasp, but now rather than feeling the sense of power he had at the time, he saw himself as sad, pathetic, and completely lame and twisted.

He sat down on the ground and gripped his head between his hands and started sobbing. He tried to stifle the weeping, but the memories kept flooding into his mind, like a non-stop horror show. He clicked the microphone, "Bros, I'm losing it. I'm out, useless." He just dropped his gear on the ground and started stumbling away.

Skeet grabbed his shoulder, "J-dog, what the fuck?!"

"Bro, we're useless pieces of shit." John said. He howled, "You raped a thirteen year old girl while her mom watched, then killed them both. You sack of shit."

Skeet was in shock. John was a hardened killer just like him. He'd participated in their crimes with glee. "Hell of a time to get a conscience, asshole. I've seen you do worse." He clicked the radio, "J-dog's losing it."

Gorilla radioed back, "I don't trust that fucker."

John saw their fourth man running naked across the frozen field. Gorilla announced, "What the hell is going on? Hando just ran naked over here. He said I look like a dumb-ass in this tree and mooned me."

Skeet announced, "Alright, something fucked up is going on, I'm taking command."

BANG. John shot Skeet in the back of the head. John saw Gorilla shift in the tree and saw the glint of the scope. He took cover in a ditch. In spite of the adrenaline, the memories kept flooding his mind. He mumbled, "We are a malignancy. A cancer." He thought about the man that gave them orders, the cold reptilian eyes and the gleeful delivery of the detailed instructions about killing innocents and raping women and children he had heard over the years.

He started jogging around the side of the field toward Gorilla. He heard a couple of rounds zing over his head and thud into the dirt. He stayed low and moved fast. John noticed Hondo was following him, miming his every move.

John asked, "Dude, aren't you cold? What are you doing?"

Hondo spoke in riddles, "I'm warmer than the Earth and Sky! I'm unspoilt meat. I dance to stay warm." He tap danced in the dirt.

John said, "You fool! You're giving my position away."

Hondo nodded gravely, "Dog against Ape. The contest must be fair." He ran around to the other side of a line of trees that separated Gorilla and John.

Gorilla snarled, "What the fuck Hondo? Did you lose your mind?"

"Actually I found it. You are the lost one!" He snickered at the word play.

Gorilla said, "Get the fuck outta here, dude."

Hondo danced backwards away from him. John lept out of the trees and shot and clipped Gorilla's leg once, then shot again and caught him in the gut in his bulletproof vest. Gorilla crumpled onto his knee. His rifle was unwieldy for close quarters fighting, but he squeezed off a round that hit John's left shoulder and destroyed the joint. John howled in agony. John tried to fire again but missed wildly and the gun jammed. Gorilla pointed the rifle along the ground and shot. The round shredded John's internal organs and he died instantly.

Gorilla was bleeding profusely and couldn't walk. "Help me bro." He pleaded with Hondo who watched the whole incident with detached amusement.

Hondo said, "Help you and help continue the harvest of death? No." He ran away across the field and into the woods.

Gorilla crawled back toward the ATV. He heard footsteps on the soil. He looked back over his shoulder at Amy.

He rolled onto his back and said, "Thank god! Can you help me lady?"

Amy said, "You were sent here to kill us all, right?"

He said, "It's just business. We get a job and we do it."

She said, "So I help you, then you come back here to finish it."

He shook his head no, but grinned. "The people I work for are real hard asse..." BANG.

She shot him in the head with John's gun.

"Fuck." She said. Her hands were shaking. She dialed 911. "A few guys on my property started shooting each other. Seems like they went crazy. One of them is running around naked, but he seems harmless. The other three are dead."

In a few minutes, she heard the howl of Sheriff's sirens. She wiped the gun off with her T-shirt, then tossed it near John and jogged toward the house. Hondo followed her. She asked him, "Do you want my coat?"

"But then you will be cold." He said.

Three black sheriff cars were parked in the drive. She hailed them, the deputies had their weapons drawn. She hollered, "Over here!"

They followed her to the scene of the carnage. The deputy said, "Who is this naked guy?"

"I was one of them, now I am not." Hondo said.

"Alright, who are they?" The deputy asked.

"They are killers that killed each other." Hondo said.

Amy said, "There's another one up at the front of the property."

"Jesus." The deputy said. "What a mess!" He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'll start collecting statements from you and your people."

Amy sighed, "Alright. We'll be up in the main barn. How long will these bodies be here? This is gross..."

He shrugged, "I don't know."

She left him. Hondo ran off into the woods. The deputy shouted after him, "Hey! You can't leave, get back here!" He heard Hondo laughing as he disappeared into the woods.

## Chapter Seven

Keith drove the van east of Chardon and got off the freeway just south of Madison, then they drove south, down into the quiet back roads of western Ashtabula county. A light snow was falling. Richard followed them to a junk yard. They pulled the cars into a large garage, then all of them piled into a van and drove back to the farm. The snow was falling rapidly near Chardon, big, wet, heavy flakes were piling up on the ground.

The initial excitement of their successful raid on the warehouse gave way to quiet contemplation and they were all just looking out the window making small talk. The van drove away and the driver honked the horn. Robbie waved goodbye, then they all went into the house for drinks and dinner.

Keith had been struggling all day. He drank a beer and said to Robbie, "Something about that felt really wrong."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean." He rubbed his eyes, Robbie could still picture Charlie Madher cowering when he shot him. "It was cold blooded and calculated. Usually the people at the top of that organization are anonymous dirtbags. I actually knew Charlie Madher in normal life, not really well at all, but still." He said, "The other one, that woman in the leather outfit, she was one of those _things._ Not human."

David came into the kitchen to join them. He put a tablet down on the counter in front of Robbie and Keith. He pointed at the news story and whispered, "Heather Madher was killed, too, maybe she was in the building."

Robbie felt sick. He said, "Wow. Get them in here. Shit!"

Richard walked into the room and Berto hobbled to a chair and eased himself down. Chloe sat on the counter top. Robbie said, "We killed two people today. I shot Charlie Madher at close range. I have no doubt that he's a killer, a real low life. We also killed Heather Madher. I am not sure of the extent of her involvement in the evil activities of her family. These deaths will weigh on us for years to come."

Berto stammered, "What, where was she, how did she get involved?"

Robbie shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe she was in the building when it collapsed."

Berto felt his stomach flutter. He was shocked. His face went pale and he passed out. Richard shook his shoulder, "Berto! Berto!" Berto's eyes fluttered open. Richard said, "Dude, if you had been there at homecoming, you wouldn't feel as guilty."

Chloe added, "These are the people who were going to rape me. Dude, there's a fucking sex slave ring connected to these assholes run out of a swanky church in Hudson. Good riddance."

Berto said, "Can I get a drink? Something hard. Whisky?"

Robbie poured him a shot and he slammed it down. Robbie said, "I'm glad you're upset, Berto. This is not something to do with a light heart. What Chloe said is true, these were some bad people, and we went after generals, not footsoldiers."

Berto stammered, "It's just that... It's just that, I armed the bomb."

Richard said, "We're all guilty. We killed people."

Berto said, "I didn't consider the aftermath... I didn't think about how I'd feel."

David said, "It gets easier to live with, but it will be a stressful few days for you, no doubt."

Chloe said, "If you hang out here, I'll take care of you."

Berto managed a smile, "Well, that's a silver lining anyway."

Robbie's phone buzzed, he read the text from Tracy. He sighed, "Oh well, no rest for the wicked. I'm glad I didn't get drunk. A team of assassins just tried to take out Amy's farm. David, can you head down there?"

Richard said, "I'll drive. Coming Berto?"

Berto shook his head, no. "Nah. I think I need a breather."

Chloe patted his shoulder, "I'll head down there too. I'll be back later, OK?"

Berto nodded and held her hand. "Yeah that's good. I need some time to get my thoughts together anyway."

A pair of headlights flashed through the window as a vehicle pulled into the farm's driveway. Robbie said, "I wonder who that might be."

He went outside and saw Telia and the twins pile out of a beat up minivan. Matt got out of the drivers side and stretched. He limped over toward Robbie. Robbie smiled and said, "Look who the cat dragged in! I was wondering if we'd see you."

Louis said, "Robbie, I'm not Matt, I'm actually Louis."

Robbie knitted his brows together. Telia said, "It's a hugely long story." She gave him a big hug and introduced the twins. "This is Matty, and this is Sammy." She said. Robbie shook their hands. They were both groggy from riding in the car for so long.

Two men climbed out from the back row of seats and looked around at the farm. Daniel Jackson said, "I love that statue of Samantha. Remember me, Robbie?"

Robbie was amazed, "Holy sheeeoot." He smiled at the kids. "This is really amazing. I'm guessing it's not a coincidence!"

Louis shook his head, no. "No, Samantha thought we should get them up here. They're singing the song of our exploits."

"Oh yeah. I've seen your work popping up around the country, we have a couple of the copies in the library!" Robbie said.

Daniel introduced his companion, "This is Peachey O'Neil. He's been hanging out with me since Washington."

Peachey shook Robbie's hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Robbie said, "We were just making dinner. Tracy's down on a farm that's close to Hiram right now. She's dealing with some serious stuff right now. You guys all stand together there." He gathered them into a group and took a picture and texted Tracy.

His phone immediately rang and he handed it to Telia.

In a few seconds, their conversation turned tearful. Telia said, "Oh honey. Your twin brothers are here. I can't wait for you to meet them."

She announced to the group, "They found Matt." She said to Tracy, "Alright, we're coming down there, too."

The twins and Daniel and Peachey went into the farmhouse, but Telia and Louis got back into the minivan and followed Richard's car out of the driveway.

## Chapter Eight

Since Francis moved back to Valparaiso, he started a hydroponic greenhouse business. He grew lettuce and tomatoes for local restaurants. His mom and dad helped out and occasionally he hired some temporary help, usually high school kids. He avoided watching the news, reading news online, or getting involved in life outside the small sphere of his day to day activities and he was actually quite happy. Most mornings, he started his day with a walk down his block to a homey coffee shop. In the summer, he sat out on the sidewalk tables, but now in the cold, bleak, and windy weather he sat at a bar style table along a big picture window.

He sipped coffee and picked at a fresh baked blueberry scone. He noticed a black and white dog eared homemade looking comic book under a pile of newspapers. He dragged it over. The title was "Songs of Samantha". All the hair on his arms stood on end and he breathlessly flipped through the book. The story was about Samantha, the Samantha he knew. There were illustrations of her sitting on a beach urging a salamander looking creature to crawl up a hill in a primeval jungle setting.

He finished the scone and took his coffee and shoved the book under his arm and headed toward his greenhouse. The business was ringed with a tall cedar fence. The inner courtyard was serene. There were light gray and dark stones that were tiled in a chessboard pattern. In the summer, it was an idyllic setting that bloomed with color. Now in winter it was the brown of wood, grey of stone, and the green of evergreens, and the main building was like a fluffy cloud of white. He sat at the computer in the main office and searched on the "Songs of Samantha".

A group of people had been collecting the mysterious books. Scanned versions of the originals were available online for free. He downloaded the entire series. He spent the rest of the day reading through the stories. He gasped, "Holy shit!" his part was described in the books, except he was called Frank Marmot and he had red hair.

The wider historical context was explained in more detail and filled in gaps he didn't know about. The books were like grease for gears in his mind that had been suppressed and frozen since he fled from the Lodge. He hadn't thought about Samantha, Matt, Telia, Owen or the Brotherhood. He'd been completely focused on his business and the simple daily alchemy of growing things, living intentionally, living simply and trying to help others do the same. Now, though, his mind began churning.

"Dammit." He cursed as a fully formed strategy sprung into his mind. He spun around in the chair and let his arms dangle as he stared up at the ceiling. The cherry wood made him think about how deliberate he'd been over these past few years, surrounding himself with living, or once living things and natural materials.

He sighed heavily and dialed Seth's private number. A secretary answered and asked him a for his password. He imagined his was totally out of date, so he just said, "Tell him it's Francis Mouseler. I don't know the password anymore."

He was on hold for a few minutes, then his cell phone rang. It was Seth.

"Francis! I knew you'd call eventually." Seth said.

Francis asked, "Is this line secure?"

"Yeah, good enough." Seth said flatly, "What's on your mind?"

Francis sighed and said, "Our strategy was completely wrong. We tried divide and conquer, right? We should do the opposite thing. This _thing_ it wants to eat everything, to centralize, but in doing that it becomes completely irrelevant to people--split it off from _the people_. All the men in the brotherhood, they're basically selected for that purpose--they're hierarchical. Turn the Brotherhood into the Forbidden City, Byzantium, make it eat itself up into bureaucratic irrelevance."

There was a long pause as Seth digested the idea. Finally he said, "I think that could work. Does this mean you're back in?"

Francis groaned. He said, "The life I've been living has been really good. I hate to leave it."

Seth paused a minute. "I think you already left it, right? I mean, why else would you call me?"

Francis replied, "I mean, I could just do without all the trappings associated with the Brotherhood. It's like a pair of pants that's just too tight--once you get out of them, you don't want back in."

Seth laughed, "That's a good one! Well, think about it for a while, and shoot me an email with a proposal. Encrypt it and use the password 'buttercup'." He hung up.

Francis printed out all the "Songs of Samantha" and stapled them together. The wad of papers was about a phonebook thick by the time he was done. He picked up the pile and walked out through the greenhouse. His mom and dad were there tending to the plants. He announced, "Mom, Dad, I have a long story to tell you. I've never told you about what I did for work, but someone else wrote about it." He waved the wad of papers. "It will be a lot easier to explain with these!"

## Chapter Nine

By the time Telia and Louis got to Amy's farm, the sheriff's department had finished their work gathering evidence and conducting interviews about the gunfight. The three bodies had been removed. Amy used a tractor to dig a big hole near the rock pile and scraped away all the bloody dirt and buried it. The rest of the day had been a whirlwind of activity and anxiety. She was glad reinforcements were arriving from the Wells Farm.

Amy and Tracy greeted the minivan. Telia was exhausted from all the driving and arthritis was flaring up in her wrist, but she forgot all that once she saw Tracy. They both started crying and laughing at being reunited.

Tracy knew her dad was still trapped on the other side, but it was still extremely encouraging to see her father's body walking around. She said, "That is really weird!" She hugged Louis.

Amy was happy to see Matt and Telia but her happiness was like a cork floating on a sea of exhaustion and crankiness. She urged them along, "It's freezing, go hang out in the barn!" She really wanted to be alone, but the swirl of activity and people wasn't cooperating, so she just hoped to drive their business along as quickly as possible so she could go to bed.

Richard, Chloe and Tracy walked together and they entered the barn which was now crowded and buzzing with voices. The day's events had been tumultuous, and everyone felt a need to direct their energy to some new task.

Bethany greeted Telia with a hug and a smile. She said, "I thought you were dead!"

Telia shrugged, "It's a hugely long story. I can tell it to you, now! I'm so relieved to be out of that bubble of secrecy."

Bethany's phone buzzed. She ignored it and let the call go to voicemail. It buzzed again immediately, so she excused herself and went off into the corner.

Amy and David climbed up onto one of the picnic tables in the hall. The room quieted down. Amy said, "Today has been traumatic and frightening. I am exhausted, and I'm sure all of you are too. We're working on a plan, but for now, let's just assume we can return to normal life. Some friends are here to help us stay more secure, but we'll all need to shoulder some of that responsibility."

Demetria moved to the center of the room near the table. She was radiant and exuding a serene power. She spoke with firm resolve. "For thousands of years men have come to farms just like this one to wreak havoc and violence. You want to live at peace in harmony with the land, the sky, and your family and friends, however, these men wish to dominate and control and drain away your life's energy. Why? Because they want more, a bigger house, a faster car, just more. Misery, near universal misery is the price you pay for this desire. However, we are on the verge of turning this miserable order upside down. You all are a part of this vital task and if we persevere, we _will_ win. Four killers came to take me today, but they consumed each other. One of them is now free from his former life, as free as a doe in the field, and the others fertilized our fields with their blood."

Tracy and Morgan could feel the energy in the room transform from a pell mell mix of anxiety and urgency to a focused, calm resolve. Tracy hugged Richard, and held her mom's hand.

Just then, Bethany called out, "No! No, no, no, no..." She rushed outside. Tracy followed her out the door.

Bethany was distraught. Tracy caught up with her. "What's going on?"

Bethany said, "My parents... They're dead!" Tracy hugged her. Bethany wailed on her shoulder. Bethany moaned barely coherent words, "I have to get home..."

Tracy sighed and took Bethany's hands in hers. She said, "I'll take you. I'm so sorry. Do you know what happened?"

Bethany shook her head no. "I have no idea. The gardener called me. I have to get up there to take care of some business. I can't believe this is happening..." She knelt on the ground and held her head in her hands.

The others cautiously stepped out of the barn to see what happened. Tracy waved them off. She shouted to Telia, "Mom, can I take the minivan? I need to drop Bethany off at her house."

Telia came to her side. "What's the matter, honey?" She helped Bethany to her feet. Bethany squeezed her and cried on her shoulder.

Tracy said, "Her parents are dead..."

"Oh no!" Telia cried out.

Richard and David looked at eachother. Richard walked back into the barn. He felt pointless rage building up inside him. He didn't know why. He kicked a hay bale and said, "Fuck."

Tracy took the keys from her mom and drove Bethany home. Snowflakes swirled in the headlights for the entire trip and Bethany sobbed the whole time.

End of Season Two

The Fool Tarot

Sekhmet and Thoth

Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra
