 
BASTARD LEGACY

by

Gary E. Brown

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2010 Gary E. Brown

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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* * * * *

Abridged list of people I would like to thank:

Dan Brown, for leaving holes in his DaVinci Code novel, which needed to be filled. Special thanks to my daughter, Gayle, for creation of the book cover and first edit abridgements of the story, and my wife Mary Ellen for her incomparable support and final edits of the story. Also, my thanks to the countless people I have encountered in my lifetime, which helped to build the fictional characterizations within this book. Finally, my grateful, loving memory of my devoted 19-year-old wolf dog, Wiley, who slept at my feet through the two years of writing this book.

This current novel spans almost 130 years and is the first part of a proposed trilogy.

* * * * *

BASTARD LEGACY

* * * * *

Prologue

Killarney, Ireland, July 1950

The sound of a pounding waterfall in the distance obscured the man's ability to hear Shannon's hurried escape, but he could see the impressions of her small footprints in the wet spongy moss which led into the valley basin. The assassin removed his mask for increased visibility of the surroundings, and he could see the plume of spray rising through the treetops like wood smoke. A smile appeared on the man's face when he found a mangled bouquet of wildflowers that had been discarded at the entrance of a stone ledge which passed behind a long torrent of the waterfall. The slippery path was dimly lit by flickering sunlight refracting through a partition of cascading water, and the narrow walkway dead ended at a rock wall. The man laughed when he found little Shannon covered in green algae, attempting to hide in a stagnant pool of water behind a mound of rocks. The young girl's cries for help were muffled by the roar of the waterfall as the assassin grabbed her arm, pulled her body from the water, and permanently silenced her screams.

* * * * *

Chapter 1

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 1950

Joseph Danbury sat in his Walnut Street, Philadelphia law office reviewing copies of a confidential County Kerry, Ireland Police investigation report. The gruesome photographs of the crime scenes detailed the deadly demise of the Fitzgerald family on Torc Mountain in Killarney, Ireland. The county police were at a loss to begin profiling suspects in the bizarre murders of this European family on holiday in a serene Ireland forest, and their ongoing investigations would most likely never produce any clues to solve the case. Both parents had been stabbed to death, and their bodies were discovered on the upper slope of a forest path. The picture showing the beheaded corpse of 8-year-old Shannon Fitzgerald told Joseph that the assailant was not a random homicidal maniac. This diabolical act was the work of a premeditated professional assassin who most likely had been shadowing the Fitzgerald family for months before ending their lives in this remote Ireland forest. Furthermore, this assassin was just one of the countless specialized trackers who operated all over the globe and, upon completion of an assignment, cashed-in the decapitated victim's head for a bountiful reward.

The Danbury Law Firm was a link in an international network chain that administered the secured hidden locations of families like the Fitzgerald's and shielded them from hunter-assassins. However, if someone inadvertently bypassed or left a protective perimeter gate open, then the possibility for the loss of life would be significantly increased. Joseph locked the police report in his desk drawer and removed any further need for concern from his mind. After all, this deadly security breach occurred in Europe—not the United States. Although Joseph always remained cautious, he knew his regional domain of North America was not immune to the potential infiltrations of incalculable international hunter-assassins.

Joseph sat complacently at his desk puffing on a cigar, sipping his third glass of breakfast brandy, and taking great pride in being the fourth-family generation within the Danbury Law Firm's eighty years of service. The law firm had oversight of many Building and Loan Banking Corporations that began to be established and chartered through his great-grandfather, who founded the Philadelphia law firm in 1870.

Joseph yawned while scanning the mahogany paneled office walls, which were adorned with portraits of his grandfathers, and father, as vestiges of his law firm's lineal predecessors. Joseph's eyes focused on his favorite golden picture frame that displayed a quote by Mayer Amschel Rothschild:

"Give me control of a nation's money, and I care not who makes the laws."

Joseph chuckled with a raspy smoke-filled laugh that caused him to gag and cough-up a glob of brown phlegm into his hand, which he slowly wiped into his pin-striped pant leg until it disappeared. He admired the elite Jewish bankers, and vainly considered himself to be cut from the same cloth as the Rothschild Family. Given the fact that the Danbury Family had been controlling financial establishments in both Europe and America, his law firm was similarly rooted in many nefarious monetary matters that were above the law.

The law firm received large commissions for their trans-Atlantic shipping services that could bypass all U.S. immigration and customs officials. The firm also provided new identities and safe havens for many anonymous wealthy people from all over Europe, as well as their large caches of untraceable gold, silver, precious gems, and currency.

In 1881, Joseph's great-grandfather, Richard Danbury, was indirectly commissioned through his Knights Templar Lodge to provide anonymous safe passage for James and Sara Mills and their 10-year-old daughter Amanda, from London, England to the United States. The Danbury Law Firm had not only arranged for the chartered incognito transit of the Mills' family aboard a merchant ship, but had also arranged the purchase of a house for them in the quiet hamlet of Berlin, New Jersey. Joseph Danbury, like his paternal family predecessors before him, had inherited the administration of a secret family trust. This lucrative endowment was received from the Grand Encampment for the England Order of Knights Templar, which was just a portion of James Mills' European family's dowry of wealth.

However, James and Sara Mills were only the adoptive foster parents of Amanda. James Mills was also a Templar Knight, and he and his wife Sara were honorably selected by his London Templar Order to begin a new life in America as Amanda's sentinel guardians. James had not seen this custodial responsibility as a sacrifice to his livelihood; he was upholding his sworn oath and obligated duty with the support of his wife, Sara.

Nevertheless, a 10-year-old girl who was forever relocated from the only parents and family she knew and then transplanted in a foreign country where she knew no one, including her adoptive parents, could not share the same feelings. Even at the age of 10, Amanda Mills had to endure hard changes in her life, which she reluctantly understood to be necessary for her protection and also beyond her capability to change.

Amanda's previous home life in London, as the former Julia Frida Mendel, was surrounded by privileged luxury with house servants who assisted her every need. Her family's large residence on Saint Mary Street in the district of Middlesex was also a private boarding school for girls, at which her parents, Carl and Agnes Mendel, served as the headmasters. Julia Mendel was an exceptionally gifted child who was not only articulated in her English native tongue but also fluent or amply proficient in the languages of Hebrew, French, and German, and she was performing piano concertos before 10 years of age.

London, England, 1881

One morning while Julia Mendel was attending her piano recital class, Ester, the head housemaid, slowly opened the door to enter the room. She was asked by Julia's father, Carl, to bring his daughter down to the parlor to talk. This seemed very strange because the school had a strict policy against interrupting a class while it was in session. Julia became curious as to what her father needed to discuss that could not wait. Julia's petite legs struggled to keep pace as she followed the maid's brisk steps down the spiral staircase. Ester softly knocked on the parlor door while Julia quickly arranged her curly brown hair and straightened the outer material of her blue chiffon dress.

When Julia entered the parlor, she saw her mother staring out the window attempting to hide her tears, and seated together on the couch in front of Julia was James Mills and his wife, Sara. James was a handsome gentleman in his latter thirties whose attire reflected his aristocratic stature, which was always enhanced by the accompaniment of his illustrious wife, Sara. Julia had met both of these people before; however, it was only in courteous passing with regard to her father's Lodge functions or during parish and community holiday celebrations. James and Sara each seemingly displayed good Christian fellowship at church every Sunday, but this charitable guise was used to conceal their London upper middle class prominence that tended to look down their nose at the less affluent.

Julia's curiosity turned to anxiety as she heard her mother cry, sensing that something was terribly wrong. Her dress made a ruffling noise when Julia backed away into the closed parlor door.

Carl Mendel rose from his chair to take his daughter's hand, and he walked Julia toward James and Sara. In a calm and reassuring voice Carl made introductions, "Julia, I believe that you already know Mr. and Mrs. Mills."

Julia forced a hesitant reply, "Yes, Father. Mr. and Mrs. Mills attend our parish, and Mr. Mills is also a member of your Lodge."

Her father gently continued, "That's right Julia, and your mother and I have wonderful news for you—Mr. and Mrs. Mills will be escorting you to attend a new school in America."

Julia felt faint and turned away to look at her mother, whose crying became even more pronounced. Julia was now in utter confusion, which led her into a state of heightened panic, "But why do I have to attend school in America? I want to stay here with my friends. Aren't you and Mother coming too?"

At that moment Julia's mother gracefully walked away from the window. Her hands were trembling and a band of her red hair had broken loose from a brass clip which dangled from the side of her head. Agnes knelt down in front of Julia and with a great effort stated, "You will have to trust us with this decision Julia. We must do this for your well being."

Julia stared deeply into her mother's bloodshot hazel eyes. She then understood there would be no further explanation from her parents' judgment in the matter.

Sara leaned toward Julia with a cheerful smile and politely interjected into the conversation with optimistic enthusiasm. "What a wonderful experience this will be for you, Julia," said Sara. "Mr. Mills and I have never been to America either, and we shall share in this adventure together."

Julia disliked being patronized. She also objected to being forced by her parents to accept this dubious venture, with people who were practically strangers. Julia then vehemently turned to face her father and inquired, "But when shall I see you and Mother again?"

With a comforting voice her father replied, "We don't know yet, Julia. We haven't worked out your schedule."

Although Carl could remain composed and hide his emotions during dire situations, Julia was not won over by her father's complacency in this matter. She squinted as the sunlight beamed through the picture window behind her father, reflecting off his bald head. However, Julia could still see the desperation and misery in his eyes. She watched her father's double chin wobble as he attempted to talk with a choked-up swollen throat. His glowing red cheeks revealed the stress of elevated blood pressure that was pulsing through arteries constricted by his overlapping rolls of excessive body fat.

Julia slowly surrendered to her inevitable destiny. With faintheartedness she asked, "When shall I be leaving for America with Mr. and Mrs. Mills?"

It was then that James Mills finally spoke, "A carriage will be arriving here to take us to Liverpool in the morning, dear. We shall be ocean-bound before nightfall."

Julia felt as though her heart had just been ripped from her chest, and she asked, "So soon?"

James proceeded to explain further. "We have a chartered ship waiting for us, and we must make haste for there shall not be another opportunity."

Agnes Mendel once again pleaded with her daughter, "You must do this, Julia, and there are no other alternatives."

Julia felt as if she was in a dream that she could not awaken from. Nevertheless, her mother's imploring words and grief-stricken eyes confirmed that this was not a dream—it was a living nightmare. Julia turned for the parlor door and asked, "May I be excused?"

Her father gave an approving nod. As Julia exited the parlor doorway Sara exclaimed, "Have a pleasant sleep, dear, and we shall see you in the morning!"

Julia couldn't avoid hearing Sara's remarked pleasantries, but she wasn't listening to her.

* * * * *

After enduring a sleepless night and quick morning departure preparations, Julia was ready to leave. The morning sun illuminated the cobblestone pathway for Julia as she walked through a short farewell gathering of sadness. Her parents, friends, teachers, and servants were lining her way. Julia stepped up into the carriage behind James and Sara Mills, and she looked back for a final glance at her previous life. Julia's last memories of her parents would remain as blurred images swimming in her tears. The carriage departed and rode on to their pending ship's passage from Liverpool while Julia sensed that she would never again return to London. Julia Frida Mendel turned another page in her life, blank with the unknown future that awaited her in America.

* * * * *

Chapter 2

Memoirs of an uninformed bastard; June 1972

I was born during the winter month of February 1955, with the given name of Greg Edmond Bradford, and I am the only member in my immediate family of four who has blonde hair and blue eyes. People jokingly referred to me as the "milkman's kid." However, I was reassured by my mother, Amy Bradford that my inherited physical characteristics were the result of a recessive gene from my grandfather, Edmond Bennett, to whom I bore an uncanny resemblance. My maternal grandfather was very intelligent, but humble and soft-spoken. His mild temperament, trim body tone, and fading blonde hair were the opposite description of his wife, Martha Baxter Bennett. My grandmother was a very large woman and her lack of grace or vanity allowed her health to diminish along with her need to hide her age. Martha presented herself to everyone as a stern, demanding woman, but I always had her heart strings wrapped around my finger.

My childhood attitude was generally lazy but imaginative, and I was husky in build until I was 13 years of age. My favorite past time was daydreaming, and I usually escaped my physical reality as a child through my imaginary trips, but this introverted need to hide in the fantasy world of my mind had diminished during my teen years.

Our home was a very small ranch house, which we moved into one week after I was born. This dwelling was located in a cluttered subdivision in the rural outskirts of Milford, New Jersey, part of the Greater Delaware River Valley area. Paper mill workers, who were offered small tracts of land to build a house after the trees had been cleared, occupied a majority of our neighborhood. Most of this housing development occurred after World War II and at the beginning of the sprawling baby-boomer generation. The history of this Delaware Valley area had started with Native American Lenape and Delaware Indian tribes and slowly became a homogenized mixed race after the European settlers started arriving in the latter 16th century. Needless to say, there weren't many children with fair skin complexions living in this area in the 1950s, but this lower middle-class community still regarded its ethnicity to be predominately White Anglo Saxon Protestants [WASPs]. The paper mill industry was the primary employer in our region and neither Blacks nor Latinos attended our public schools or lived in our vicinity. This condition changed with the advent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and then came Affirmative Action and the Federal requirements for employee minority quotas. The mandated equal opportunity movement coupled with the expansion of Interstate highways had forever changed the status quo within our WASP community in the Delaware Valley.

My parents were very vocal about their life's regrets, prejudices, and pet peeves. Therefore, they were generally both quite forthcoming and transparent with their childhood upbringings and most of the tribulations that they shared before and after marriage. Much of the family history information that I had received from my parents was divulged from each of them individually, especially after they would have an argument, avoided each other, and resorted to spilling their guts in isolation to blow off steam. The gossip of relatives whom I overheard throughout my childhood filled in many of the open spaces of family history that my parents were reluctant to share with me.

Many of the neighborhood fathers, including mine, were high school drop-outs. There were no laws preventing the paper mills from hiring minors as full-time employees during the War. There also were no restrictions after the War preventing a man from enlisting in the military after they turned seventeen years of age. The military services were even looked upon as an 'honorable' alternative to finishing high school. The mentality of our fathers was passed down to their sons, but in 1968, the Vietnam War had put a foul taste in the mouths of the baby boomer generation's offspring. This foreign conflict convinced most of the teenage males to qualify for college, and to get a draft deferment in order to avoid the War. College was accessible for prospective students whose parents could afford the cost of tuition or if the student was eligible for a scholarship. Most of the scholarships secured by our regional high school students during the late 1960s and early 1970s were earned through sports more so than through scholastics.

Without a doubt, it would have been tougher to grow up as a kid in an inner city during the 1960s. However, there was a unique pecking order that existed in our rural environment of New Jersey. This hierarchy of common class workers was derived from the fact that most families could make financial ends meet because both parents worked. Oftentimes, a parent also had a second job or overtime they could depend on. There were always jobs available but most of these positions were for unskilled laborers, barely earning more than minimum wage. By the time many of the high school dropouts of the 1940s realized the importance of a high school diploma, most contended they were too old to go back to school to achieve their GED or to improve their job occupation if they did finish school.

My father, George Bradford, reflected many of the local home boys who were born during the Great Depression and lived their entire life in the upper Delaware Valley area. He worked part-time at the Milford paper mill as a young teenager and dropped out of high school to join the Navy at 17 years of age. George had worked hard his entire life and took great pride in the limited accomplishments he had achieved. He was one-quarter Delaware Indian blood, from his mother's side of the family, and he had the dark complexion features of an Indian warrior. He had conservatively short-cut hair, and medium built with strong arms and shoulders, which resulted from his years of hard laboring in a paper mill. George left a lot to be desired as a father as he loved his sons like rocks or inanimate objects that he owned and put on display. However, he was an adequate provider for our family's essential needs.

George grew up in a closely-knit family with three sisters, one brother, a doting mother, and a stern father who George had a tendency to imitate. My father was a captive product of his environment. He never lived more than five miles from his parents, except for his minimum term of service in the Navy.

My father was a strict disciplinarian with his sons and found it easier to punish us with his belt first, and then ask questions later. I was no angel, but I quickly learned to listen and avoid his means of communicating discontent. As I matured into a teenager the physical confrontations with him diminished to mostly verbal disagreements. My father and I generally opposed each other on every issue or topic, and I grew to accept this fact and live with it. His personality had a non-stick surface which made him impossible to bond with. There were times when I tried to win his approval, whether it meant having to attend and endure high school sports or just knowing when to stay out of his way when he worked at the paper mill during the 11pm to 7am shift. Avoidance of my father became even more imperative when he had a double-shift. When he came home after a 16-hour workday, I found reasons to be anywhere but in the house.

George hated working at the paper mill because he knew there was no other alternative for an unskilled laborer who was a high school drop-out. I was always curious as to why my father did not utilize his time in the service to complete his GED and finish his education. I assumed that his unwillingness to finish high school paralleled his reasons for not helping us to attend college. He simply didn't believe in higher education.

The paper mill was the only full-time job that George ever had, and he felt it was "safe" employment. His notion of safety or job security was derived from being a protected union worker. Ironically, whenever his union would vote to go on strike for better wages, he would lose a good portion of any increase in pay during the weeks or months his union remained on strike. Furthermore, he had two incidents of getting physically caught in a paper roll-winder machine and once almost lost his arm. Thus, it was hard for me to understand my father's definition of "safe employment" when there was nothing to support his claims.

George was a self-proclaimed representative of the macho man, in that he never expressed love or sorrow to his sons, only anger. God forbid if anyone ever caught him shedding a tear. He also had prioritized, in his opinion, what I needed to know in life. He showed me how to catch and clean a fish, how to use a power mower to cut the lawn, and taught me the penalty for disobedience. As children, we were never permitted to question his opinion, even if we politely corrected the ignorant statements he would often make. This was the principle by which he was raised. Children who grew up in this rural region during the 1930s were taught to neither question the wisdom of their parents nor the actions of their government, even if they are wrong. I suppose this hard-handed method of rearing children had its pros and cons, but to me, this one way road of communication meant not being permitted to have a mind of my own nor the ability to express myself. Perhaps this policy of mandating respect and blind patriotism, which had existed until the 1960s, is the reason why government and society are where they are today. The earlier generations were blind-sided by politics because their attention was only focused on their jobs and families, and failed to see where they were being led.

Some of the important facts which I needed to know in life, such as women and sex, apparently were uncomfortable topics for my father to discuss. He left this task for the public schools, kids on the street, and my first-hand experiences to teach me. However, I don't want to be overly critical with the father who reared me with his leather belt. My father was not a worldly man and could not provide wisdom or knowledge that he did not possess, especially when he could only read and write around the fifth grade level. I did learn one important fact from observing him, and that is one will eventually become products of our environment. Therefore, I am determined to sever myself from my father's limited reality before I become entrapped on its treadmill of no resort. Part of being a parent is demonstrating a good example for your children to follow in life. In a way, my father showed himself to be a good example of a bad example to follow.

My mother, Amy Bennett Bradford, always had an overweight pear-shaped build with a fair skin complexion that displayed the permanent physical scars of excessive acne from her struggling years of puberty. She generally wore her dark, shoulder-length hair down until she resorted to wearing wigs after losing the battle of pulling out the numerous gray strands that progressively signaled the approach of middle age. Amy was well educated and exhibited shrewd intelligence, which gave her the tools in life to achieve any professional goal she desired. Unfortunately, Amy's mother, Martha Baxter Bennett had set a predestined course for her daughter with no options for compromise. By the time I had reached 10 years of age, I stopped keeping count of the incessant repetitive stories that my mother would endlessly regurgitate from her contemptuous adolescent and teen years with her mother. Martha had mandated that if Amy wanted to attend college that she would have to choose a teaching profession because Martha was a teacher. Philadelphia blue blood family descendants generally had to follow an arranged career path within their parent's business, profession, or occupation. However, Amy had envisioned herself becoming a hospital operating room technician, and resented not being permitted to choose her desired career path. Amy's father, Edmond Bennett, had nothing to say if it meant opposing his wife's orders. Martha ruled the home roost, and she always had the last word. This was, in part, the preliminary catalyst that damaged Amy's relationships with her parents, especially with her mother.

My mother often expressed her animosity toward her parents and even with the previous ranks of her adolescent peers. Her Philadelphia public schools had many Jewish children who received their religious holidays in addition to Gentile holidays. This fact led Amy to feel that even the public schools were unfair, as well as the Jews, who would not accept Gentiles as equals. Considering the fact that Amy was raised during the decade of the Great Depression, it was hard for me to understand her definition of "equal opportunity." I did not perceive my mother to be a spoiled child, but she is very materialistic and paralleled her mother, Martha, with the need to be in control of the people around her. She conveniently overlooked the many families of the 1930s that were much less fortunate. Edmond and Martha Bennett must never have explained to their little girl that even an affluent life doesn't have to be fair.

Amy has one brother, David, who was several years younger than her and there was the typical sibling rivalry. He was the baby and Amy thought that her little brother was given preferential treatment. David had developed the same disrespect for his parents and, undoubtedly, Amy played a part in fueling his contempt. He left home for a short enlistment in the Air Force, attended college and, afterward, made every effort to move as far away from his Philadelphia origins as he could go.

When Amy had entered her senior year of high school, she became desperate because she did not want to have her life controlled by her mother, so she turned to her only remaining hope for assistance, her aunt, Emily Baxter. Emily was Martha's baby sister, and she is about 17 years older than her niece, Amy. Family album pictures from the 1940s showed Emily to have a very youthful appearance, and she could have been easily perceived to be Amy's sister rather than her aunt. Emily was always very supportive of Amy's emotional needs and reluctantly worked against Martha's wishes when she helped Amy to enroll in the Temple Memorial Hospital nursing school program in Philadelphia. Emily felt that this would either mend or end the years of conflict between Martha and her daughter. Emily's rescue of Amy solidified a lifetime bond of trust between them but crippled the relationship between Amy and her parents. Amy felt victorious in rendering a defiant blow to her mother and had effectively utilized her Aunt Emily to trump Martha's parental control.

While in nursing school Amy's best friend was a woman named Irene Bradford. It was through Irene that Amy met her husband George Bradford. However, having observed my mother for years and knowing her mother, Martha, personally, I never understood why Amy married George but presumed it was because he would be easy to manage. After all, George would be depending on Amy to be the breadwinner of the family. My mother once told me that George was one of the only men whom her mother approved of, but my observations told me otherwise. Amy's egotistical attitude was mirrored from her mother, and she carried her vengeance around in a 500-pound sack. She would never forgive the anguish that her mother caused and her nonaligned father avoided.

My years of evident presumptions led me to conclude that after graduating from nursing school, Amy delivered what she thought would be the ultimate blow to her mother, Martha. She would marry into the lower class with a man who was from a mixed race. Amy's spiteful move backfired. She must have been truly perplexed after she announced her engagement to George, and her parents apparently gave their consent. I had also presumed the reason why Martha gave Amy and George her blessings to wed. Martha knew what the future would hold for Amy with a husband who is employed with a dead-end job as a laborer in a paper mill. I suspected that even Amy must have realized she was making a monumental mistake with this marriage. However, her pride forced her to endure it, rather than to admit her self-made demise. Her retaliatory actions against her mother had destined Amy to swim against the tide, in an endless sea of regrets, for the rest of her life.

In my mother's eyes, I was the son, who was, at best, her divisive tool which she used to manipulate and win the gratifying affections of her wealthy Philadelphia family relatives. At worst, I was a dragging anchor on her boat to an imagined paradise. From my earliest childhood memories, I often recalled my mother clenching her teeth and calling me a "frickin' freak." I had sensed that my mother's publicly displayed affections for me were in actuality a cover for her concealed detestations. In retrospect, just my mere existence has tormented my mother, Amy, and I have accepted the probability that I shall always continue to do so.

-Greg Bradford

June 1972

* * * * *

Chapter 3

Circa 1951-1953

Shortly after Amy's marriage to George, her mother, Martha, disinherited her. Amy also received the first foul taste of her married life when she and George could not afford an apartment, and they had to move in with George's parents. George felt that this would give them the ability to save for their down payment on a house mortgage. Putting aside the lack of intimate privacy while living with George's parents, Amy also had difficulty in dealing with the fact that George's mother, Sarah, always received absolute obedience from her children. Amy constantly had to compete with her mother-in-law to enslave George's affection. However, George would forever be a mama's boy. Furthermore, this standing condition of devotion between George and his mother had always existed. Additionally, it would continually prevail to challenge Amy's insatiable need to have total control over her husband. Amy sought any means that would allow her and George to move out of his parent's house.

Whether it was fate or Amy secretly poking a pinhole in George's condom, Amy became pregnant. The family members were excited over the news but also counted the days since Amy and George's marriage to determine if she was already pregnant before they wed. Amy had no difficulty in convincing George to put their dream home on hold and to use their savings to get an apartment. Even though their apartment would only be two miles from her in-laws, it was a separate and private residence.

The weeks that followed had detoured Amy's vengeful thinking against her parents. Amy's pregnancy announcement had also temporarily repaired the damage that existed between her and Martha. Amy was somewhat amazed by how a pregnancy can quickly extinguish the flames of a family's antagonism.

Amy was happy because she had effectively dissected her husband from his mother's apron strings and moved out of his parent's house. Her circumstance a few weeks later had changed. The hand of misfortune slapped Amy across the face when she had a miscarriage. Not wishing to move back in with her in-laws and having to repeat where she and George left off months before, Amy soon became pregnant again. However, this pregnancy also ended in a miscarriage. Amy and George had refrained from announcing her second miscarriage to the families until after they had investigated their options.

Her doctor's prognosis showed that Amy would not be able to carry a pregnancy to a full term. Her medical condition, called a retrograded uterus, would compress the fetus against her spine. Thus, this condition prevented the baby's growth and led to the likelihood of a miscarriage for all future pregnancies.

In her desperation, Amy turned to her most trusted relative, Emily Baxter. Since Emily was a nurse within the Temple Memorial Hospital pediatric ward for almost 20 years, Amy felt that her aunt would have the best advice and choice of options. It was determined that there were no corrective medical or surgical alternatives for Amy. George and Amy also could not meet the State's screening requirements to adopt a child. However, Emily was aware of another method of obtaining a baby through a gray market adoption. This procedure had a doctor and hospital that provided the service of matching parents who wanted to adopt a baby from an unwed mother who had already decided to give up her child for adoption. Emily knew a doctor who provided obstetrics care for those expectant mothers. She also had professional dealings with a Pennsylvania hospital that would provide the services of altered medical records and birth registration certificates. It was an unlawful act, but it was Amy and George's only option for a child. Furthermore, since it was an adoption service that was provided through a hospital, then it was deemed to be adequately safe. The entire method seemed fool-proof because it bypassed the need of going through the state screening requirements and a costly court process to adopt a child. However, Amy and George would need to pay for the maternity and delivery costs of the child they wanted to adopt. Even though Emily had more than enough money to help Amy and George with the costs of this gray market baby adoption, Emily claimed that she did not. Emily had deep regrets for going up against Martha when she helped Amy get into nursing school and determined that Amy needed to mend her relationship with her parents. Emily also knew that most of the anger which existed between Amy and her mother was because Amy was adopted. For years Martha had often distressed Amy with the tormenting facts of her adoption, while at the same time expressing her desire to have a blue blooded child descendant.

More than anything, Emily wished to see this family feud resolved. She saw this baby adoption as the means of stripping both Amy and Martha's egos to the bone, thus forcing sincere communication and resolve between them. In theory, Emily thought this would work, but she underestimated the malicious tendencies of Amy and Martha. However, optimism is generally seen through the eyes of ignorance. Emily grew up as the baby in her family. She had never been married or raised kids, and greatly lacked the maternal knowledge that would have told her the reality of this hopeless mother-daughter relationship.

Amy needed to borrow money from her parents in order to adopt a child, so she swallowed her pride and attempted to mend the relationship with her mother. Martha's foresight regarding Amy's spiteful decision to marry George proved to be correct because she knew that Amy would eventually come crawling back for financial support. Martha agreed to fund the adoption costs and Amy secured the money to adopt a child. Amy would have preferred not having any kids if it wasn't for the societal expectations of the 1950s post war era. After World War II, young married couples felt obligated to show their fertility and contributed to restocking our nation's future generations by displaying two or more children in their family.

Amy did not want to tell any of the other family members about her second miscarriage. She purchased different sized foam rubber pads to wear under her maternity dress, which made her appear pregnant until after they received their child from the hospital. It was also understood that the unlawful method that she and George utilized for adopting a gray market brokered baby would always need to be kept a secret. However, Amy would later learn the hard way that confidence of a secret can be broken just like the adoption laws.

They adopted a son through the Pennsylvania, Bucks County Hospital in 1952, and named him Scott. Much to Amy's surprise, Martha was silently reluctant to accept Scott as a grandson during the two years that followed his adoption. This infuriated Amy but she bit her tongue because she did not wish to perpetuate past family grievances. Amy began to take a serious look at her future financial needs, and she had selfish concerns about her right to inheritance from her parents and her wealthy grandparents' Baxter Estate. Amy realized that she could never outwit her mother because Martha held all the cards and the money that Amy would need. Martha's cunning wisdom had controlled her daughter until Amy revolted and left home to attend nursing school. The circumstances had changed, and at this juncture it appeared that Martha would again continue to dominate Amy's life.

As it had been in Amy's past circumstances of desperation, she again sought her Aunt Emily's help to smooth out the bumps, and problems with Martha. However, this new request for help from Emily would prove to be Amy's biggest mistake to date, and it would also fulfill Martha and Emily's silent agendas. Amy could not possibly fathom where she would be led. Nor did Amy see the hidden strings that were attached to the financial help her mother had previously provided for the illegal gray market adoption of their son, Scott.

Emily followed through on her promise to Amy, and visited Martha. Emily did not desire being once again placed in the middle of a perpetual mother-daughter quarrel. She only wanted to evaluate if Martha really had a problem in accepting Amy's adopted son, Scott, as a grandson, or if Amy was merely overreacting.

* * * * *

When Emily arrived at the Bennett residence, Martha was sitting in her bathrobe at the dining room table staring into a cup of coffee. As Emily talked with Martha, she could sense that her big sister was depressed. Emily had always regarded Martha as strong-willed, and she was not accustomed to seeing her sister in such a disheartened state. Martha was obviously not in the mood to discuss anything about Amy, so Emily took the softhearted approach and reminisced with Martha about their family's past.

Their conversation started with some of the nicer childhood memories, they both had shared. It then turned to the subject of their mother's living family trust. Amanda's family trust did not begin to provide money to family descendants until after they had children, and adopted children did not qualify. This led to their realization that there wasn't a single blue blooded Baxter grandchild legacy. Their brother, Robert, was sterile and childless; their brother, Isaac, had adopted a son; Martha adopted two children because she had been cursed with an empty womb.

Emily once had a marriage proposal when she was in her mid-twenties. However, the relationship failed dismally, making her reluctant to have any further notions for matrimony. Emily had always wished to have a baby, but only without the commitment of marriage or the responsibility of raising the child. Their father, Samuel Baxter, often referred to Emily as his "miracle child" because his wife, Amanda, was 42-years old when she gave birth to Emily. Since Emily's mother could conceive a child at such a late stage in life, Emily felt assured that her biological alarm clock still had time left for her to conceive her own miracle baby. Time was running out because Emily was now over the age of 40. She told Martha her hopes of motherhood continued to fade with each passing day. Emily was a very successful nurse administrator, and she had intended to take a leave of absence from the hospital to complete her teaching degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She felt that now would be the time for her to conceive a child, and she wanted Amy and George to adopt the baby, so she could interact and watch the child grow.

Emily's expressed desire to conceive a child had released Martha from her depressed state of mind because she realized that Emily would require a man to sire her child. Martha silently contemplated Emily's choices for a sperm donor. She then suggested for Emily to conceive her child with Martha's husband, Edmond. Emily was shocked with her sister's proposal but Martha quickly reassured her little sister that Edmond could be persuaded to be the paternal donor. Emily hesitated because she was uncertain if her niece, Amy, would be accepting to this arranged conception for providing her a second child to adopt. Martha was confident in this arrangement. She felt quite certain that her daughter would not turn down her last opportunity to be accepted back into the family with her mother's blessings. Later that week, Martha's calculated assumptions were shown to be correct after Amy anxiously accepted the proposal.

Thus was the plan for an arranged conception of an innocent, illegitimate child, who would be conceived without a conscionable forethought and utilizing an ambiguous rationale. Emily, Martha, and Amy displayed good-willed intentions on the outside but each of them also had unspoken self-serving agendas in their heart. They now had the daunting task of receiving approval from their closest family members. However, these women were a combined, unified force of aspiration, and only pity would remain for anyone who dared to oppose their noble and worthy cause.

* * * * *

Chapter 4

Martha delicately approached her husband, Edmond, with the proposed plan for their daughter, Amy, to receive her second adopted child, which would be conceived by him and Martha's sister, Emily. Surprisingly, Edmond showed no signs of being reluctant to fulfill this request. He did have valid concerns with his liabilities if the facts of this illegal adoption were ever discovered and brought into a court of law. By contrast, Martha had no concerns. The adoption would be conducted through the same doctor and hospital that previously provided this service for Amy and George's adoption of their son, Scott, two years ago. Edmond was pessimistic because everyone had assumed that they both would be able to conceive a baby. After all, Emily was over the age of 40 and never had a child before, and he was almost 52 years old. Edmond also mentally noted the relational complexities of this proposed adoption. This birth child would make Martha an aunt, a grandmother, and a stepmother. He silently concluded that this was Martha's intended objective all along: to have a stepchild conceived between her husband and her sister. As always, Edmond relented to accept his wife's plan and making her happy because life was always easier for him when Martha is content.

* * * * *

Amy Bradford did not have much ease with her husband, George, who was stunned at the suggestion of such a scheme for adopting a second child. George had his humble pride and still resented having to ask for money from his in-laws to secure the illegal adoption of their first son, Scott. Their family budget needs were currently only being supported by his income from the paper mill, and they could barely afford the cost of one child. George also saw their ability to acquire a mortgage for their dream home slipping away with the thought of another mouth to feed. He sternly insisted for a family life that was not controlled by Amy's parents or her Philadelphia relatives. George always found it difficult to contain his anger after it had surpassed the boiling point, and his enraged demands led to a heated argument with his wife. He sincerely struggled to think of a way to reason with Amy and convince her to drop this crazy plan for adopting a second baby. George knew that his marriage with Amy was the best thing that had ever happened for him and, deep down; he feared damaging or possibly losing his marriage in this matter. Unfortunately, even George's deepest thoughts only splashed in the shallow end of the pool. After his brainstorming search for a resolution hit a dead end, he concluded that he had one choice. He reluctantly gave his approval for his in-laws' bizarre, family-arranged adoption that would provide their second adopted child.

* * * * *

Emily Baxter had just completed her third lap of the city block that enclosed her Philadelphia apartment complex, and aimlessly thinking while pretending to be looking for a parking space. She parked her car and slowly approached the entrance to her apartment building. She was fighting back her anxiety and delaying the inevitable last hurdle that had to be cleared, which was her mother, Amanda. Emily had the dubious task of gaining approval from her mother regarding her plans to conceive a child with her brother-in-law Edmond Bennett. She attempted to conversely reason with the necessity of telling her mother anything. Emily was over the age of forty and, therefore, felt she was beyond the requirement for parental consent in any matter. Regardless of how she and Martha expressed their noble and good cause, there were moral issues that needed to be addressed. Emily knew that she could not consciously follow through with her planned pregnancy without at least telling her mother, first.

As Emily stepped into the building elevator, she took a deep breath and pushed the button to go up. After the doors closed, the elevator car slowly rose to the tenth floor, and Emily's mind wandered back within the memories of her family. Even after almost two years it was still difficult for Emily to accept the passing of her father, Samuel. Now it was just Emily and her mother sharing their humble one-bedroom Philadelphia apartment.

Emily's thoughts traveled back to 1930. At that time, Samuel Baxter had generously taken in his daughter, Martha, and her husband, Edmond. They arrived on the Baxter's Philadelphia doorstep, with daughter Amy, after returning from North Carolina as homeless victims of the Great Depression. Emily had often described this momentous occasion as the day Martha moved back home; Samuel, Amanda, and Emily moved out. During the 20 years that followed, it had been just Emily and her parents living together in their one bedroom apartment.

Emily had always referred to her father as a saint but seldom ever mentioned her mother. In fact, there was rarely anything spoken about Amanda Mills Baxter, either from her four children or family relatives. Amanda's arrival in the United States from London, England in 1881 was cloaked in a shroud of secrecy. Amanda Mills was the source of her family's affluence as well as her husband's Feltonville Bank. Most of the distant New Jersey relatives were never even aware that Samuel was a bank administrator. They had previously only known him to have a modest occupation working for his father-in-law in textile machinery repairs and sales. Ten years after Samuel Baxter's 1895 marriage to Amanda Mills, he was managing a bank. However, his Feltonville Building and Loan office was bankrolled through his wife's family, which had its European financial roots clandestinely transplanted in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. The wealth of Emily's family originated from Amanda, thus establishing their obligatory need to seek her consent in everything they did.

Amanda was half asleep on her bed watching the television and hadn't heard her daughter arrive home. Emily was experiencing apprehension knowing that she would need to tell her mother about her plans, and sought excuses to avoid this responsibility. She thought it would be much easier to tell her mother the truth after she became pregnant. Emily did not know if she could conceive a baby, let alone carry her first child at 41 years of age.

Emily quietly pulled the sofa bed open to turn in for the evening. She was unaware that Amanda had been watching her from the doorway of the living room. Amanda's white curly hair appeared to glow as it filtered the city lights beaming through the blinds of a side living room window. Amanda had a mysterious ability of sensing human emotion. She often demonstrated the axiom that 'the eyes are windows to a person's soul'. Amanda only needed a person to be in her presence, and she could empathically sense their emotions just as easily as reading a highway billboard. Emily was startled when she saw her mother out of the corner of her eye but said nothing as she continued making-up her bed. While Amanda stood silently staring through her daughter's uneasiness, Emily became aware that she could never conceal her feelings from her mother's scrutinizing perception.

Amanda broke the air of silence and stated, "I talked with your sister earlier this evening."

Her heart sank realizing that Martha may have already told their mother about their plans. Emily evaded her mother's statement because she detected that this was the prelude of her mother's inquisition in stealth mode.

Amanda gently pushed Emily to her next stage of inquiry and asked the proverbial question, "What are you two girls up to?"

Emily trembled as she reached over to turn on a table lamp, knowing that she could no longer avoid her mother's inquest. Details of the plan would have to be provided. However, Emily saw the expression of irritation on her mother's face, and she knew this information would not be well received.

Emily very carefully, and gradually, provided her mother with the minimum amount of information. She stated, "Martha and I have been making plans to provide Amy Bradford with another child to adopt."

Her mother said, "Amy did not require assistance for the adoption of her first child. So why would she need the help of you or her mother in order to adopt her second child?"

Emily could feel the walls closing in around her. She had forgotten that her mother was never told that Amy's first child was not legally obtained. Now Emily's problem became compounded with the omitted facts of an impropriety from the past.

It was then that Emily caved in, and she expanded on the facts to Amanda. "Amy and George did not qualify to adopt a child legally. So Martha and I had helped them adopt their first baby through a hospital that provided a private adoption service."

Her mother's voice became raised in proportion to her anger. She cut to the heart of the matter to squeeze out the facts that Emily seemingly found so hard to explain. Amanda asked, "Aside from the questionable legalities of Amy's first baby adoption, why would the adoption of her second child would be any more difficult or conflict ridden?"

Emily took a deep breath summoning all her courage. She blurted, "Because I'm going to conceive a baby with Edmond Bennett for Amy to adopt."

Amanda had reached the point of information overload and began pacing between the living room and kitchen, cursing in Yiddish. Emily had seen her mother express her anger before; however, Amanda's angered response was unprecedented. Her mother finally stopped with her outbursts, marched into her bedroom, and slammed the door closed. Emily felt relieved in getting everything off her chest. Even though this discussion with her mother would wait until morning to resume, Amanda could be heard in her bedroom throughout the night praying to God and having a one-way argument with the spirit of her deceased husband, Samuel.

* * * * *

Several hours later, the morning sunlight began to fill the apartment. Emily awoke in false hopes that the previous night had been just a bad dream. She could hear her mother taking a shower and Emily braced herself for the continuation of their unyielding conversation. Regardless of what her mother would say in opposition, it was unlikely to sway Emily's decision to provide her niece, Amy, with a second child to adopt. Emily decided to make coffee and breakfast, desiring to find anything that would help ease this matter.

Amanda exited the bedroom, wearing a quilted bathrobe and terry cloth slippers. Wet curls of her hair protruded from beneath a bath towel that Amanda had hastily wrapped to cover the top of her head. Regardless of her aging appearance and average clothing apparel, Amanda always exhibited a stature of authority, which reflected the aristocratic lifestyle she had experienced for ten years in London as a young child. Even after having to adapt and live as a common person in an American setting under an assumed name, Amanda demonstrated fairness and a humble attitude. However, she had always internally despised her lowered standard of living with prejudice because she proudly considered herself to be superior to any New World American colonist.

Amanda strutted over to the coffee percolator to pour a cup. She sat down at the kitchen table in silence, reading the front page headlines of yesterday's newspaper. Emily continued preparing the eggs, toast, and fried potatoes, not wishing to disturb this moment of peace. After arranging two place settings at the table, Emily proceeded to set down their breakfast meal on the table, trying to avoid eye contact with her mother. Amanda was hungry because she had worked up an appetite through her long night of prayers, contemplations, and netherworld communications with her late husband. Both ate their breakfast with the absence of conversation.

When they were done eating, Amanda pushed the newspaper aside on the table and said nothing while looking deeply into Emily's eyes. Emily broke the thin ice that supported the silence. She stated, "Mother, I'm going to conceive a baby for Amy to adopt. There is nothing which you could say that will change my mind in this matter."

Amanda calmly stated, "I understand the reasoning of you and Martha, but you are both blinded by your ambitions. You fail to see where this baby's adoption could lead."

Amanda then stood up, pointing angrily at her daughter. With unrestrained intensity she added, "This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility, and you alone shall bear the consequences for your actions!" Emily sat speechless as her mother walked away to her bedroom and closed the door.

Throughout the years that followed, it would be shown that Amanda's prophetic statement to her daughter was partially correct. Emily would be responsible for bringing her illegitimate child into the world. However, everyone else who had an active part in this contrived plan would also share in the unforeseen future consequences with Emily.

* * * * *

Chapter 5

February 7, 1955

Kathryn Jones was driving carelessly on the snow covered shoulder of Highway 611, dodging bumper-to-bumper traffic en route to Bucks County Hospital from downtown Philadelphia. She was trying her best to ignore Emily's moaning with labor pains as they were becoming more pronounced.

Emily pleaded from the back seat, "Slow down, Kathryn. I want to arrive at the hospital alive rather than DOA!"

Kathryn's reply was stressed. "Why in the hell did you select Bucks County Hospital when you live only a few blocks from a Philadelphia hospital?"

Emily was in sufficient pain. At that moment, she wanted to share her feelings with Kathryn by reaching over the seat and choking her. Instead she blurted, "We've already gone over this, Kathryn. That Philadelphia hospital is affiliated with Temple Memorial Hospital where I work. I don't need my employer to know that my one-year leave of absence was for an illegitimate pregnancy when I told them that I was completing my degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Now, stop talking and just drive the damn car."

Emily and Kathryn had been close friends for over twenty years. Their kindred partnership had also evolved into an intimate lesbian relationship which had exhibited the same argumentative quarrels of any married couple. Kathryn was 15 years older than Emily, and they met through the friendship of Kathryn's mother and Emily's mother, Amanda. Kathryn regarded most men as selfish pigs, and she had taken advantage of Emily as her young loving partner, catching her on the rebound after Emily's broken engagement in 1937. She had also reinforced Emily's phobic concerns of another relationship with a man. Even though Kathryn could win Emily's passionate heart, she was unable to dissuade Emily's desire to experience motherhood.

They finally arrived at the emergency entrance to Bucks County Hospital. Kathryn gave a sigh of relief as two hospital staff members helped Emily into a wheelchair to be taken into the labor room. Kathryn then drove her car into the visitor's parking lot. She sat with the engine running, hoping that the car's heater would help dry the tears that were smearing her mascara. She pulled her vanity mirror from her purse to aid in the efforts of wiping her eyes and rearranging her hair.

Kathryn was an only child whose father had owned a very successful Philadelphia investment firm. She was brought up in an upper-class setting of privilege and attended the best private girl prep schools. Kathryn completed her master's degree in business administration, and eventually worked her way up the corporate ladder. She became a very successful real estate broker in the posh community of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Kathryn's success was exhibited with her large business office, luxury car, and vast real estate investments. As it was in any business that was dominated by men, she had to be tough and followed the adage: never let the competition see you sweat... or cry.

Lately, Kathryn's problems were not with her business office. Rather, they were being caused by her personal life. Kathryn's nerves were still shot from having to share her home through the emotional nine months of Emily's pregnancy. Earlier that afternoon she became even more overwhelmed after failing to convince Amanda to accompany them to the hospital when Emily went into labor.

Kathryn fought to contain her frustrated anger that had been swelling for several hours. She finally released this rage with a scream, "I don't need this bullshit!"

Quickly silencing herself, Kathryn peered through all her car windows. She wanted to make sure that no one was standing in the parking lot to witness her outburst. After securing her scarf, she locked her car doors and walked to the hospital lobby for what would be a long agonizing wait.

* * * * *

Chapter 6

On February 8, 1955, the wailing cry of a newborn infant entered the world. The child's legs were bowed, along with contorted 'clubbed feet' that were turned inward facing toe-to-toe. Emily was nearly unconscious after enduring over 18 hours of labor. She then heard the doctor announce the birth of her son.

Emily cracked-open her eyes as the obstetrics' nurse laid her whimpering son next to her head. She smiled at her son, and whispered, "Hi, Greg."

Emily searched her soul for an answer to her emotional dilemma of giving up her child for adoption. Despite her newly developed feelings of guilt, as well as the ramifications of her illegitimate son, Emily relented to fulfill her commitment to Amy Bradford. Emily was also silently plotting to resolve her unspoken wish of eventually telling Greg that she was indeed his birth mother. She desperately sought a means to reveal the truth, without breaking her promise to Amy. After all, she had vowed never to tell Greg about his adoption.

Emily's bed was wheeled from the delivery room to her private hospital room to rest. Exhausted, she thought back to that infamous morning argument with her mother, Amanda. Almost one year had passed but her mother's prophetic statement was still ringing in Emily's ears:

"This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility, and you alone shall bear the consequences for your actions!"

Emily's emotions floated between elation and fearful anxiety. What could be the predictive consequences that her mother forewarned about? At this point, it was beyond Emily's need to be concerned, and she was now only focused on the present with little regard to the future unknowns.

Emily did have concerns with the Greg's leg deformities, which resulted from his restricted growth development in an older woman's smaller uterus. She also had an uneasy feeling with the possibility of Greg being afflicted with her family's history of bone cancer. Emily's older brother, Isaac, had been born with the right side of his body being physically shorter than his left side. Furthermore, he had succumbed to bone cancer at the young age of 36 years. It was for this reason that Emily insisted on X-rays of Greg to evaluate the possibility of bone cancer. Even though the doctors advised against this unnecessary procedure, Emily was a knowledgeable nurse who specialized in pediatrics. Since Greg's legs would be placed in plaster casts and later be required to wear strapped-on metal braces until the bone structures were corrected, then the threat of bone cancer also warranted the need for X-rays.

Throughout her seven day stay in the hospital, she never received a phone call from Amy. Her questionable silence troubled Emily. Visitors were not permitted in the maternity ward, but there were several visits to the hospital lobby by Kathryn with the delivery of flowers, as well as Martha and Edmond Bennett. Martha had insisted on visiting the hospital to talk directly with Emily's doctor regarding the condition of her sister and baby Greg.

On the day preceding Emily's discharge, she was approached by a floor nurse. The nurse inquired if Emily wanted to place a notice in the local newspaper, which would denote her discharge with the given Christian name of her son. Apparently, this nurse was unaware that Emily Baxter was admitted into Bucks County Hospital under the assumed name of Mrs. Carl Mendel. This was done in order to hide the details regarding the hospital's prearranged private adoption. There had already been a birth announcement published in the Doylestown Intelligencer newspaper, which stated: "A son to Mr. and Mrs. George Bradford, Milford, N.J.." However, nothing else was to be published regarding the mother's discharge with her child.

Emily thought fast to answer the nurse's inquiry. She stated, "Why of course, please have the discharge notice read: Mrs. Carl Mendel and son Greg E., of Milford, New Jersey."

The nurse jotted-down the information, politely said good bye and left the room. Emily smiled, knowing that she had provided a revealing clue which she would never divulge to anyone. She prayed that this newspaper evidence would eventually be discovered by her son, Greg.

As Emily left her hospital room with baby Greg in her arms, she thanked God for answering her prayers. Nevertheless, she had only just begun to understand that even God has divine plans. A guided, predestined path of discovery, mission, and profound legacy awaited Emily's newborn son who she named, Greg Edmond Mendel.

* * * * *

Chapter 7

Emily held the baby carrier in her lap as her wheel chair was pushed into the hospital lobby. She was greeted by the smiles of Martha, Edmond, and Kathryn.

Emily's smile turned to a frown. "Where are Amy and George?" she asked with an undertone of displeasure.

Kathryn was quick in her response to calm Emily's obvious discontent. "I spoke with them this morning, Emily, and they are waiting for us at their apartment in Milford. Their new house is completed and it is going through final inspections. They are planning to move into it in about one week. Your sister and I have been in close contact with Dr. Green during your stay in the hospital. Amy said that she wanted to call you, but she did not want to disturb your rest."

Kathryn's quick talking did not console Emily's feelings about Amy's current absence. Amy even neglected the courtesy of a phone call after she gave birth to her son. Emily had gone to the extra expense of a private hospital room just so that she and Amy would be able to talk privately on the phone.

Emily looked to her side at Martha, and her tears of pleasure could no longer be contained after seeing the baby. "Will it be alright if I hold Greg?" asked Martha.

Emily could not refuse her sister's overly anxious desire. As Martha cradled Greg in his carrier, Emily had seen a moment of rarity that Martha seldom exhibited—a smile. Edmond straightened his bow-tie and then proudly grasped the lapels of his suit jacket. He peeked over Martha's shoulder to view his lineal son, and gave Emily a wink and a smile.

This small family gathering slowly worked its way to Kathryn's car. Martha seemed to be glued to Greg's carrier and only took her eyes off him long enough to find her way to the car. Emily did not wish to interrupt Martha's moment of jubilation, so she sat up front with Kathryn. Martha sat in the back seat with the baby.

Edmond followed in his car at a short distance behind Kathryn's car. Kathryn laughed when she occasionally glanced back at Edmond through her rear view mirror. She remarked about his grin, which seemed to be permanently plastered on his face.

Emily smiled, but she was being distracted by thoughts of her niece, Amy. Emily seriously began to question if this adoption was in the best interests of her son. This family adoption seemed right when it was planned almost one year ago. However, Emily felt that Amy was far too impulsive when she agreed to adopt a child who would be conceived between her father and her aunt. Amy had blindly accepted the proposal, without any consternation or forethought, which Emily had duly expected to hear from her niece.

Amy's husband was another question that weighed heavily on Emily's mind. George supposedly had given his approval for this adoption, but he was really willing to do this? Or did he feel that he had no other choice?

Emily's memories were drifting again into the past, and Amanda's inescapable words echoed in Emily's mind:

"This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility, and you alone shall bear the consequences for your actions!"

Panic started to take hold of Emily's emotions. Her breathing and pulse rate started to race—were her doubts regarding Amy and George the preface to the consequences that her mother had warned about over a year ago?

Kathryn looked over at Emily's face, which was turning pale. She reached over to place her hand on top of Emily's clenched fists. "Are you alright, Emily?" inquired Kathryn with a soft voice. "You're awfully quiet."

Emily forced a smile while looking over the seat at Martha, who was in a world of her own with the baby. Emily gently replied to Kathryn, "I'm alright. I guess that I am just a little tired with all the excitement, that's all."

Kathryn had known Emily enough years to sense when something was seriously wrong. Emily's nervousness became even more apparent as they neared their destination of Milford, New Jersey, and tears started welling up in her eyes.

When the two car motorcade was within a few blocks of Amy and George's apartment, Kathryn pulled her car into an empty parking lot and turned off the engine. Emily sat in silence while staring distantly into oblivion. Kathryn gently placed her warm hand on Emily's face to wipe away the tears. "Are we having second thoughts about this adoption, Emily?" asked Kathryn.

Martha sat speechless in the back seat waiting for Emily's reply to Kathryn, which never came.

Edmond was baffled as he got out of his car to get an explanation for this unscheduled stop, which was only three blocks away from his daughter's apartment. After peering into Kathryn's car, he saw Martha and Kathryn staring at Emily. All three women were locked in wordless, staring trances. Edmond stopped short of knocking on Kathryn's car window, then he turned and went back to wait in his car. He realized that something was very wrong but also knew that he didn't want to get trapped in the middle of it.

Emily finally answered, "I just don't know, Kathryn. My mother was right. She warned me that this would happen, and I wouldn't listen to her."

Martha carefully attempted to comfort her little sister's anxiety. She stated, "You don't have to do this Emily, because Greg is your child. If you are having second thoughts, now is the time to address them. We can turn around and take you home, if you want. You can move in with us."

Emily finally surrendered to the commitment that she had made to Amy. "Let's go, Kathryn. Amy and George are waiting for their son."

* * * * *

After parking their cars Martha gingerly placed Greg's carrier into Edmond's arms, and they proceeded up the apartment stairs. They were greeted by Amy, and George. Their son, Scott, was fidgeting with curiosity over the arrival of his new little brother. Scott excitedly asked, "Can I play with him, Mommy?"

Watching Scott's excitement and his parents' laughter had placed Emily's previous concerns to the back burner. Taking Scott by the hand, Emily explained, "Your little brother, Greg, is very tired right now, honey. Will you please help me and your mommy check his diaper?"

Emily led Scott and the rest of the family into the living room. Edmond placed Greg's carrier onto the changing table that Amy had prepared in advance.

George lifted Scott in his arms to watch as Emily and Amy removed Greg from his blanket wrapping, and placed him onto the changing table. Silence fell on the room as Greg's plaster leg casts were revealed to the family for the first time. "What are those, Daddy?" asked Scott while pointing at the baby's leg casts.

George was still in shock at the sight of a partially mummified infant in plaster casts, and he struggled to answer Scott's question. Amy had noticed her husband's obvious difficulty in offering an explanation to Scott, because George also had trouble in understanding the bizarre appearance of his second adopted son. Amy took Scott into her arms while giving her husband blank stares. She used her foot to push a wooden chair next to the changing table for Scott to stand on. Amy let Scott touch his little brother's leg casts. She softly explained, "Greg was born with crooked legs. His bones are very soft and these hard covers on his legs will make them straight again. Do you understand, Scott?"

Scott slowly nodded his head. "Yes, Mommy" said Scott, who had become bored and uninterested in the whole matter. "Can I watch TV now?"

Amy walked across the room, turned on the television for Scott, and poured him a small bowl of cereal to keep him occupied. When she returned to the dressing table Emily was just completing the diaper change. Amy looked over at George. His natural Native American dark-skinned complexion had turned white, and he had streaks of sweat rolling down his temples. George's faint appearance also became evident to everyone else standing in the room, especially Emily.

Amy left the room to retrieve a portable crib from the back hall. Emily carried Greg from the changing table and placed him into the crib with a tucked-in blanket to sleep. "Let's sit down and talk," said Emily.

Everyone adjourned to the kitchen where Amy had prepared coffee, punch, and a tray of cookies. George had declined his need for coffee or punch. He chose to light up a cigarette and open a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, instead. While trying to ignore George's untimely decision to smoke a cigarette and drink beer, Emily had noticed that George's hands were shaking. Looking at him, she asked, "George, didn't Amy explain to you about Greg's legs and feet, and the procedures that had to be done to correct them?"

George still had a pale expression on his face while he slowly formulated a response. "Yes, Emily, she did," George replied as he paused to finish chugging the remaining portion of his beer. Then he concluded, "I wasn't really sure of what to expect."

Amy attempted to cover for her husband's dumbfounded response. She stated, "I showed you pictures of this corrective procedure in my student nursing medical books, George. The casts are temporary and they will eventually be replaced with braces that Greg will only have to wear when he goes to bed."

Emily thoughtfully followed Amy's explanation, and she added, "Greg's condition is just temporary, George. He isn't permanently handicapped or disabled. Greg probably won't even need to wear braces for more than four years, and he will be a normal and healthy little boy."

George was still unsure and he was somewhat embarrassed with his ignorance to grasp the minor significance of this corrective procedure. He went to the refrigerator to get another beer, sat back down in his chair, and took a long gulp. He asked, "How much will all this cost and will my medical insurance cover it?"

Silent trepidation fell on George's question. Amy thought she would die, while Kathryn rolled her eyes. Martha and Edmond sat stone-faced, and Emily once again had returned to her previous concerns regarding Amy and George adopting her son.

Emily looked across the table at Amy, and could see her absolute shock with George's self-centered question of monetary concerns. Emily also heard her mother's stern voice reverberate in her ears:

"This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility..."

Emily reached across the table and softly tapped George's arm. She stated, "Don't be concerned with medical costs, George. I will cover any expenses that your insurance doesn't."

George let out a muffled belch and said, "OK, Emily."

Amy felt the blood rushing to her face in embarrassment, and she looked over at her parents. Edmond was looking up at the ceiling to avoid making eye contact, while Martha coldly stared at Amy with an admonishing smirk.

* * * * *

Chapter 8

Circa 1960

Almost five years had passed since Greg was given up for adoption by Emily. She still had serious doubts with her choice of Amy and George as parents, but chose to ignore this done deal. Emily had referred Greg's medical care to a good pediatric bone specialist, Dr. Veek, who was a full-time resident at Temple Memorial Hospital. This arrangement was also convenient for Emily. Since she was the head nurse of the pediatric ward in the same hospital wing, she would have the ability to see Greg during each of his appointment visits. By the time Greg was five years of age, he no longer needed leg braces. He only required orthopedic shoes to compensate for his minor growth deformities and wider than average flat feet. Emily also provided financial support for any costs that Amy and George could not afford.

Amy had continually put off Martha's requests to have Greg for extended visits due to his temporary need for leg braces. Therefore, the only time that Martha could see Greg was when she visited Amy and George's house in Milford or when the Bradford family would visit her and Edmond in Philadelphia. However, when the leg braces were no longer necessary, Martha's requests for visitations with Greg became more incessant. She had stopped short of a compelling demand. Amy loved to listen to her mother's begging rants. She took pleasure in any opportunity to torment her mother's emotional needs to see her grandson. Amy felt that her actions against her mother were substantiated because Martha would only invite Greg for extended stays. His older brother, Scott, was never included in any of the proposed sleep-overs.

Edmond and Martha had a beach house rental in Ocean City, New Jersey, which they would rent for the entire summer, each year. The only good memories Amy still had about her parents were as a teenager during the summer months at the seashore. Therefore, she never refused an invitation for the Bradford family to visit her parents' beach house. Martha had seemingly softened her approach with her, and stopped making demands for only Greg to stay at their beach house. Martha led her daughter to believe that on their next visit to Ocean City, Scott could stay for an extended visit with Greg. Amy was satisfied with Martha's decision to embrace the inclusion of Scott as her grandson, along with Greg. As a result, Amy agreed to allow both children to stay at their grandparents' beach house for two weeks.

Amy and George arrived at the Bennett's beach house. They both would stay on for the weekend, and then leave to return home. Greg and Scott would remain with their grandparents for about two weeks or possibly longer. Amy thought that this arrangement would pacify her mother, while giving her and George some free time to spend together without two screaming kids running around the house.

* * * * *

The Bradford family had enjoyed a relaxing weekend in Ocean City. On the Sunday that Amy and George were getting ready to return home, Martha asked Edmond to go to the beach with George and the kids. She and Amy were going to window shop on the boardwalk. Amy thought this was a good idea because she always enjoyed the Ocean City boardwalk and the nostalgic memories these stores had provided her when she was a teenager.

Martha and Amy walked up the sloping boarded ramp that entered the main boardwalk pedestrian walkway. They both stopped to watch George, Greg, and Scott playing in the waves, while Edmond looked on from his fold-out chair on the beach. After about 5 minutes of watching the family's beach activities, Amy and Martha turned to walk south towards the small shops, restaurants, and amusement piers. Amy was casually walking and talking to her mother. When Amy heard no response, she turned around to see that Martha had walked over to a bench to sit down facing the ocean.

Amy backtracked and stood next to her mother. She said, "I thought that we were going to window shop, Mom."

Martha had a tired look on her face and replied, "My blood sugar must be low. I get exhausted very easily." Amy sat down on the bench to allow her mother time to catch her breath.

Martha commented, "Amy, you know that your father has to travel to his office in Philadelphia early tomorrow morning. I don't think I will have the energy to watch and tend to both Scott and Greg."

Alarm bells went off in Amy's head. She heatedly responded, "That's bullshit, Mom. We had an agreement. You will have both Greg and Scott for an extended stay, or you won't have either of them, period!" Amy felt like such a fool to be suckered into her mother's web of deceit.

Martha turned her head to look at Amy and smiled with her reply. "You realize, Amy, that your adoption of Greg was illegal. As a result, your father has more parental rights to Greg than you or George."

Amy calmed her anger to understand what her mother had said. She hastily replied, "Are you threatening me, Mom? Are you saying that you would dare to expose our adoption of Greg as unlawful and seek custody rights of Greg based on the fact that Dad is his paternal birth father... is this what you are saying, Mom?"

Martha just stared at her daughter and said, "No, Amy. This is what you are saying, but you have verbally stated that you understand your choices in this matter."

Amy was beyond angry. Every resentful feeling that she had repressed for years about her mother had forced its way back to the surface again as she rose from the bench. She blurted a furious response, "Nothing has changed with you, Mom. You have always had the need to control my life, as well as David's. The irony in all of your bullshit is that you never could accept David and me as your children because we were both adopted. Now you see Greg as your second chance to have a lineal blood son."

Martha was impervious to her daughter's attempt to inflict a guilt trip. She calmly asked, "Are you through with your ranting now, dear?"

Amy sat back down on the bench, but she did not respond to her mother's intimidation.

Martha continued, "Like I said, Amy, I am too weak to take care of both Greg and Scott if your father won't be here to help me during the week. Greg can stay, but Scott will need to return home with you and George."

Amy got up from the bench. She slowly walked back to the beach house with the unspoken admission of being crushed by her mother's ultimatum.

Martha remained seated at the bench and smiled while gazing at the ocean waves as they steadily lapped closer over the beach sand. Martha thought to herself as she laughed, "The tide must have turned again."

* * * * *

Amy was just as conniving as Martha, and she never accepted defeat in an argument with her mother gracefully. She prepared her next offensive. As it was in the past, her Aunt Emily was always the best weapon to use against her mother. After she had returned home from Ocean City, Amy phoned Emily. She told her about Martha's use of blackmail to force a visitation with Greg without the inclusion of Scott. Amy's furious words emphasized Martha's stated threat to expose Greg's illegal adoption and seek legal custody of him. Emily silently downplayed Amy's horrific allegations, but assured her niece that she would visit Martha to investigate her claims.

* * * * *

Chapter 9

Emily pondered the safest way to approach Martha to confirm Amy's assertions and thought the best place to start would be with Martha's husband, Edmond. After all, he was Greg's birth father. However, Emily realized that this approach may turn out to be a dead end. Edmond often seemed useless when it came to putting Martha in her place. Even so, Emily thought that he could at least help determine Martha's intentions, and offer an explanation as to why a mother would attempt to blackmail her own daughter.

The next morning Emily called Edmond at his engineering office. She asked if he would be available to meet her for lunch to discuss a matter of urgency. Edmond agreed and the two decided to meet that morning at a quiet restaurant in downtown Philadelphia. After Edmond hung up the phone, he sat staring at the wall of family pictures alongside of his desk. His eyes strayed to a faded photograph which showed him and Martha at a community swimming pool when they were dating during high school. Seven-year old Emily was perched on his shoulders. That picture displayed the distant past. Now, Edmond's appearance with white thinning hair, wrinkled sagging skin, and feeling the deterioration of his bone structure had displayed his present day reality. Even so, he liked to recall how he once looked during his youth, with a very shapely Martha Baxter affectionately hugging his side. It reminded Edmond of one of the reasons why he married her. The picture also exemplified his sculptured body of bulging veins, rippling muscles, and a six-pack array of hardened stomach muscles. At the time, he was also the captain of his high school's varsity wrestling team, and he was riding the teenage testosterone high of invincibility. Edmond pulled the picture off its wall hook to focus his eyes on Emily, and his memories wandered back to their passionate weekend getaway in May of 1954. When he had agreed to conceive a child with Emily, it seemed to be substantiated. It was a very pleasurable experience, but it was now starting to weigh heavily on his conscience. Edmond sighed as he hung the picture back on the wall. It seemed senseless to have regrets about growing old or to have second thoughts about the love child who resulted from a passionate weekend with his sister-in-law over six years ago.

* * * * *

Edmond arrived at the restaurant and his greeting with Emily was cordial.

"Hello, Ed, thank you for coming," said Emily with a smile as they hugged.

Emily admired Edmond because he was intelligent and also because he was always an honest, polished gentleman. Beyond the fact that their relationship and conception of Greg had exceeded the common boundaries between a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law, Edmond was trustworthy. Emily had arranged to meet Edmond at 10:30 in the morning. She knew the restaurant would have few patrons present and would provide privacy for her and Edmond to talk. They both ordered only coffee as it was too early for lunch.

Edmond's curiosity was heightened as they sat down at a remote table in back of the restaurant. He asked, "So, Emily, what is the urgent matter you needed to talk about privately? Why couldn't we discuss this over the phone?"

Emily then told Edmond about the phone conversation she had with Amy earlier that week. "Amy said that Martha had forced her to allow visitations with Greg. Martha even used blackmailing threats and said she would expose Greg's adoption if Amy refused—is this true, Ed?"

Edmond was slow to respond to Emily's question, "The answer to your question is yes and no. Martha's bark always exceeds her bite. To be frank, I cannot contemplate nor predict Martha's actions, let alone explain them. Your sister is not well. Her diabetes is affecting her judgment, and it is also taking a toll on her health. After the birth of Greg, everything in Martha's life changed for the better and gave her new meaning with a special purpose. However, when Amy refused to allow Martha to have extended visitations with Greg, the angry monster inside of Martha had consumed anything good in her that remained."

Emily asked, "But why would Amy refuse to allow visitations?"

Edmond shrugged, "Perhaps it was because Amy had mandated that Martha provide equal time with Scott. As you know, Martha does not like to be forced into doing anything against her will. It's just the nature of the beast in Martha."

Edmond then expanded on the other problems he had to deal with. "Our son, David, will not even talk with us anymore, and this also infuriated Martha. Soon after Martha's last exchange of words with David, I had received a phone call from our common friend and family's attorney, Joseph Danbury. Joseph stated that Martha had called his law office insisting on removing Amy and David as beneficiaries in her Last Will and Testament. Martha also wanted to draft up a new Will, naming Greg Edmond Mendel Bradford as her stepson and contingent beneficiary. At first, Joe had asked Martha to reconsider what she was doing and then Martha starting cussing him out. This was why Joseph called me at work, wanting to know if Martha was serious about wanting to change her Will, or if she may have just been tipping a bottle of wine that day or something. When I told Joseph to follow Martha's directives he became very concerned and wanted to know who the mother of Greg Edmond Mendel Bradford was. I told him that it was you. Joseph was quiet for several seconds, and then he abruptly ended our conversation. He said he would need to get back with me later."

Emily stopped Edmond's train of thought and asked, "You actually told Joseph Danbury that I am Greg's birth mother? I wonder why he never contacted me to confirm this."

Edmond again shrugged, "Perhaps your mother's family trust and its beneficiaries have something to do with his concerns. I really don't know what else it could be, but he never did call me back, either."

Emily pushed the issue of Martha's Last Will and Testament aside and continued on the subject of Amy's problem. She inquired, "Was Martha seriously considering legal action to expose Amy's private adoption of Greg, and to seek custody of him?"

Edmond smiled, "This is an instance where Martha's bark exceeded her bite. When this plan for us to conceive a child for Amy was proposed, I had specifically told Martha that this adoption must never surface in a court of law. Martha had assured me that it wouldn't. Besides, Martha could not proceed in a custody lawsuit without my consent, and I wouldn't allow that to happen."

Emily was somewhat relieved but still pressed further with her unanswered question. "Martha threatened Amy, and said she would expose Greg's adoption as unlawful. So, regardless of whether or not Martha could proceed in a custody battle, would she have the audacity to do such a horrible thing to Amy, Greg, and the rest of us?"

Edmond thought carefully about his answer. He responded, "We will never know, Emily, because Amy was too scared to call her mother's bluff. The last thing that Martha would want to do is cause harm to Greg. Therefore, I feel quite confident that she knows what her limitations are in this matter. However, to be completely honest with you, in the past Martha had entertained the notion of getting custody of Greg because she felt that Amy and George were unfit parents. She despises George as a drunken Indian half-breed, and has never forgiven Amy for marrying him. I must admit that I didn't have a high regard for George, but he was Amy's choice, so I respected her decision to marry him."

Edmond stopped talking to check his watch, indicating that he wished to end this conversation. He concluded his thoughts, "The answer to your question is yes, Emily. Martha would expose Greg's adoption if she was certain that she would be able to receive legal parental custody of him. However, like I said previously, I would never give my consent to allow this to happen. With Martha's current health problems, it is unlikely that a court would see Martha as being any more capable or fit to be Greg's parent than Amy and George."

Emily sat in utter disbelief to think that Martha would consider doing such a selfish and nefarious act against her own family. After collecting her thoughts, Emily placed her hand on Edmond's. She said, "Thank you for being honest with me, Ed. I will definitely need to speak with Martha, and hopefully reach an understanding with my sister in this matter."

As they rose from the table Edmond gave Emily a hug, tenderly kissed her cheek, and said, "Good luck, Emily. You'll need it."

* * * * *

Chapter 10

Emily arrived at the Bennett's Philadelphia residence. After Emily got out of her car, she peered up and down Wyoming Avenue. It amazed her of how little this community had changed since her childhood. The row house that Martha and Edmond now occupied rent-free was given to them by her parents in 1931. In retrospect, this humble dwelling seemed so small compared to the way Emily had envisioned it as a young child with her family of six crammed together.

Emily stooped to look in the side-view mirror to check her hair and she wet her thumb to remove a dirt smudge on her shoe. Her professional career had prompted her to have a good appearance and be well groomed. Other than when she attended outdoor family picnic gatherings, she seldom went out in public without wearing impeccably coordinated business attire. She never wore makeup or gaudy jewelry, and she always maintained her physical attributes through a strict regimen of exercise and a balanced diet. Even after carrying her pregnancy five years ago and now was approaching 47 years of age, she defied growing old. She displayed the appearance of a much younger woman when she periodically dyed her neatly manicured short, dark brown hair. Emily's complexion paralleled her expensive wardrobe—it was always clean, smooth, and wrinkle-free.

The other constants in Emily's life that she thought would never change, such as her family's unity, had changed. Martha had always been Emily's elder sibling, protective guardian, advisor, and confidante. This had engrained great latitude of Emily's respect for Martha as her quasi-surrogate parent. Thus, these emotional factors made this visit with Martha more arduous in determining a proper approach to discuss the evolved and continuing problems between Martha and Amy. Emily placed herself in the middle of this heated mother-daughter battle more times than she had cared to remember. If not for the fact that this visit concerned the welfare of her birth son, she would not be standing here now because this family dispute would be none of her business. This problem should have been avoided the other times in the past when Emily had, regrettably, been involved. Emily had concluded that it would be easier to empty the Atlantic Ocean with a drinking cup than it would be to settle over 20 years of perpetual disputes between Martha and Amy.

Emily pulled a tarnished house key from the inside pocket of her purse and unlocked the front door. When Emily entered the house, Martha was in the living room with her overweight body slouched down in a chair. Her eye glasses were barely visible as she peered out between the crest of her chubby facial cheeks and the cascading ledge of her uncombed white hair. She was watching television with a bowl of corn chips on her lap. Emily noticed that Martha had her foot soaking in a bowl of water and asked, "Did you hurt your foot, Martha?"

Martha turned her attention away from the television and continued to chew the remainder of her mouth full of corn chips. After swallowing, Martha replied, "No, my toes are numb. I have poor circulation in my foot, and soaking my toes helps a little."

Emily then looked down at the bowl of corn chips on Martha's lap. "Did your doctor say that salted corn chips are permitted in your diet?" inquired Emily.

Martha irritably stared at Emily. She exclaimed, "Doctors say a lot of things, Emily, but I'll live my life the way I choose, thank you!"

Martha then beat Emily to the punch and asked her, "So what brings you back to the family homestead, Emily? I trust that my daughter, Amy, has nothing to do with your unannounced visit."

Emily was somewhat amazed by her sister's perception skills, but was also insulted by Martha's comment. Emily sarcastically replied, "I'm sorry, Martha, if I have intruded on your busy schedule. I can come back later if you want."

Martha let out an annoyed sigh and responded, "No, that won't be necessary. We can chat a while if you want."

Martha placed the bowl of chips on the side table, and exerted great effort to rise from the chair. Her breathing was labored by the constricting tight fabric of her flowered dress as she limped over to turn off the television. Martha then made the painstaking hobbling return to her chair. She walked on the heel of her foot in order to avoid contact of her wet toes with the surface of the wooden floor. She slowly eased down into her chair while placing her foot back in the bowl of warm water.

Emily again questioned Martha on the condition of her foot, "What did your doctor say about your foot?"

Martha pushed her head back into the soft lining of the chair and stared up at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. "The doctor said I may eventually need to have toes amputated. He also said that I may never be able to return to teaching at the high school because of my health problems."

Emily was beginning to understand her sister's disposition. "I'm sorry to hear that, Martha, because I know how much you like your teaching career."

Martha returned her eyes' focus from the ceiling and back to Emily. She angrily inquired, "Is this why you came here today Emily... to give me your compassionate serving of pity?"

Emily had to rearrange her thoughts because she was not prepared for Martha's antagonistic mood and obvious depressed state of mind. She quickly stated, "I need a cup of coffee. Do you have any left in the kitchen, Martha?"

Martha started to get up from her chair, but Emily stopped her. "Don't get up, I'll help myself," said Emily.

While Emily was preparing her cup of coffee in the kitchen, she noticed that all the Baxter and Bennett family pictures that once hung for decades on the kitchen wall had been removed. Martha had turned the kitchen's family picture gallery into a shrine of Greg's pictures, scribbled drawings, and toys. The kitchen walls and shelves were filled with everything Martha had purchased and acquired since her grandson's birth. However, this cluttered exhibit showed Greg to be more accurately defined as the child who Martha hopelessly embraced to be her son.

Martha thought that Emily had been in the kitchen too long for preparing a cup of coffee. She attempted to quietly limp over to see what the delay was. Emily was found admiring the pictures of Greg when Martha entered the kitchen.

Emily's attention was redirected to her sister, as Martha painfully flopped into a kitchen chair. Emily remarked, "This is quite a collection of memorabilia you have on Greg. Where did you hang all the family pictures that used to be here, Martha?"

Martha replied, "I packed them in boxes and had Ed move them into the attic."

Martha was somewhat embarrassed after Emily had discovered her sanctuary. It displayed Greg as an obvious obsession, and also what remained in Martha's mind as her only reason to live.

Emily could sense her sister's uneasiness, and sought to relinquish Martha's nervous tension. "I can see that you and I have something in common, Martha," stated Emily. "We both love Greg very much."

Martha just silently stared at the wall of Greg's pictures, so Emily continued, "I sense that Greg has a great potential. Perhaps someday he will become a medical doctor."

Martha scoffed at the notion of another family member going into the medical field. She stated, "All doctors are crooks. Do you want your son to become a crook, Emily?"

Martha's tearful anger started to build. She then continued, "Why couldn't Greg become something useful like a minister or a teacher? Are you going to lead Greg onto the same path that you took my daughter, and put him through medical school to become a goddamned doctor?" Martha sat crying in pain, unable to contain her deepest emotional feelings.

Emily then asked, "Is this what you truly believe Martha? You think that I stole your daughter from you, and that I will do the same thing with Greg?"

Martha sat weeping and unable to give a response.

Emily proceeded and calmly stated, "Perhaps it is best to allow Greg to make his own decisions in life as well as his career. You should have also allowed your daughter to make her own choices."

Martha stopped crying, and replied to Emily. "Amy never knew what was best for her. We gave her everything she needed to succeed in life, and she threw it back in our faces. Amy made her own choices, and look where she ended up... with some Indian bum that isn't worth spit."

Emily's anger was now building and interjected, "Did you ever consider the possibility that you have pushed Amy to where she is today, Martha? That every mistake Amy blindly made was done in retaliation just to spite you?"

Martha lashed back, "That is total bullshit Emily, and you know that isn't true!"

Emily replied angrily, "Oh really... and when was the last time you talked with your son, David?"

Martha quietly responded, "I haven't talked with David for a while... I guess he's too busy."

Emily then verbally painted a picture of the truth for her sister to examine. "Go ahead and make excuses, Martha, but you are only deluding yourself. In actuality, you never allowed your children to develop a life of their own. You kept them both on a short leash, and you forced them out of your life because you gave them no other alternative but to do so. Life is sometimes based on compromise, but you always want everything to be your way. When your life starts to fall apart you blame it on everyone else when, in reality, the problems were caused by you."

Martha took a few seconds to digest the diatribe on her character. Then she responded, "OK, Emily, perhaps I made some mistakes in the way I raised my children. However, Amy had no right to deprive me of seeing Greg."

Emily's eyebrows rose in anticipation because the conversation had finally arrived at the problem that she wished to discuss with Martha. Emily inquired, "Tell me, Martha, why don't I see any pictures of Scott on your kitchen wall?"

Martha sat silent staring at the floor and made no effort to respond to Emily's question. Emily then slammed her hand on the kitchen table to make Martha look at her. Emily asked, "Did it ever occur to you that Amy feels that you have shunned Scott, and your reluctance to accept him as your grandson has again forced Amy to retaliate and remove your ability to see Greg? Martha, do you really want to force Greg out of your life like you did with Amy and David?"

Martha just looked away shedding more tears and did not wish to continue in the conversation. Emily then proceeded with her inquiry. "Martha, is it true that you told Amy that you would expose the illegalities of Greg's adoption and seek custody of him if she did not allow you to see him?"

Martha's attention returned and she responded defensively, "No. I told Amy that I no longer had the energy to take care of two grandchildren at the same time."

Emily again slammed her hand on the table. "Then why won't you alternate between Scott and Greg visiting you? Why is it always Greg you wish to see, and never Scott?"

Martha then bellowed, "Because Scott isn't family, and Greg is!"

Emily smiled because she had cut to the heart of Martha's prejudice. She carefully inquired further, "So, Martha, are you telling me that Scott isn't family because he is an adopted child, just like your daughter and son were?"

Martha was emotionally wounded by Emily's stabbing truth, and she went into a drooling rage. Martha exclaimed, "How dare you throw a goddamned accusation like that in my face, Emily!"

The truth had deeply hurt Martha, so Emily back tracked their conversation to the topic that she had originally wished to discuss. "Then let me ask you this, Martha. Have you ever thought about attempting to get custody of Greg because you felt that Amy and George were unfit parents?"

Martha was slow to answer Emily's question. "Ed is Greg's father. Yes, I feel that Ed and I would be better suited parents for Greg, more so than Amy and George... is that what you wanted to hear me say, little sister?"

Emily responded, "Why, yes Martha. I did want to hear you admit that to me. How does Edmond feel about this proposed plan to acquire the custody of Greg and to remove him from his current family?"

Martha snapped back, "I will presume that you already know the answer to that question, Emily, or you wouldn't have asked it. Edmond said that he would never give his consent to get legal custody of Greg. So what else did Ed say to you behind my back?"

Emily felt in hindsight that she should have not made any comments regarding what she and Edmond had discussed the previous morning. However, it was too late to hide their conversation. Emily confessed, "Ed and I had met for coffee earlier this week to talk. I was concerned about the alleged blackmailing threats you made against Amy."

Martha was now pushed into a mode of paranoia. She asked, "Is the entire family turning against me? You do realize, Emily, that I gave my blessing for you to have a love child with my husband. It was supposed to end there... are you still screwing him?"

Emily then realized that the stress of this conversation must be wreaking havoc on Martha's blood sugar. She had never in her life heard her sister use so much foul language.

Emily ignored Martha's insinuation of an extended love affair with Edmond. She attempted to bring the conversation back on the topic regarding the threats Martha made to Amy. "Again, Martha," asked Emily angrily, "did you threaten Amy and say that you would expose Greg's adoption and seek custody of him if you were not permitted visitations?"

Martha again evaded Emily's question in her response. "Amy is now allowing me to see Greg."

Emily's patience was wearing thin, and she compounded her questions. "That's not what I asked, Martha. Did you threaten Amy? Would you actually even consider exposing the illegalities of Greg's adoption, and seek custody of Greg if you were not permitted to have visitation rights with him?"

Martha calmly stated, "Yes, if the need or opportunity presented itself, I would do it without giving it a second thought because Greg is Ed's son. Ed and I would be more suitable parents than Amy and George."

Emily had heard enough. Her anger had become maximized, and she could no longer hold back her desire to again stab at Martha's most vulnerable point of emotional weakness. She boldly stated, "The one thing that you keep overlooking, Martha, is that I am Greg's birth mother. I would seek to take custody of Greg before I would ever allow you to have the opportunity to destroy his life like you did with Amy and David's lives!"

Emily waited for Martha's volcano of anger to erupt. However, Martha only sat in silence with a smirk on her face. Martha calmly replied to Emily, "You lied to your employer. You told them that your one year leave of absence from the hospital was to complete your college degree. You were also a party to an illegal adoption, and you are an unwed mother who gave up her child for adoption. Putting ALL these facts aside Emily, do you really believe that a lesbian would be seen as a suitable parent in the eyes of a court?"

Emily was totally speechless, and became tongue-tied. She simply was incapable of making a response. Martha provokingly slammed her fist on the table as she broke out into uproarious and uncontrollable laughter.

Emily then thought back to the comment Edmond had made regarding his wife Martha:

"...the angry monster inside of Martha had consumed anything good in her that remained."

Emily had now witnessed the monster inhabiting the mind of Martha. Furthermore, this possessing beast could not be restrained, and it was dangerously out of control. Emily now had the horrible task of telling Amy Bradford to admit defeat by her mother and to allow Greg to visit his grandmother without Scott. Emily did her best to smooth out the situation between Martha and Amy, but once again she was caught in the crossfire. She did not wish to be the object of Martha's venom ever again.

* * * * *

Chapter 11

Circa 1962

Amanda Baxter was watching television and was interrupted by a phone call from her attorney, Joseph Danbury.

"Hello, Amanda, this is Joseph Danbury, and I have an opening in my schedule because a client canceled their appointment. I was hoping that you would be available to chat in my office this morning with regard to some of your family matters."

Amanda could think of nothing that she would want to discuss with Joseph regarding her family, and she sought to redirect his annoyance. "As you know, Joseph, all the banking matters my late husband, Samuel, administrated are being handled through his successor at the Feltonville Bank exchange," Amanda replied. "Furthermore, I haven't any reason or desire to become involved in those financial matters."

Joseph could sense Amanda's lack of interest and her attempt to deflect him. "I understand those financial banking arrangements, Amanda, because they are under the direction of this law firm. However, the matters that we need to discuss are regarding your family and not the administrations of your late husband's bank. So, may I have my secretary, Linda, drive by there and pick you up at your apartment in about 30 minutes?"

Amanda loathed the persistence of this attorney and said, "If you insist, Joseph. Please have Linda buzz my room when she arrives in the entrance lobby."

Thirty minutes later, Joseph Danbury's secretary pushed the wall mounted paneled button, which buzzed Amanda's apartment with her arrival. Amanda then met her down in the lobby. Amanda's feeble age of 91 years was starting to affect her ability to walk and Linda took Amanda's arm to assist her to the car. Amanda's cataracts affected her vision but her slightly-blurred vision of Linda revealed a buxom woman with her hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a tight dress with the shadow of her cleavage showing from her low cut neckline. The sound of the secretary's pointed-heeled pumps created echoing taps as they both slowly traversed the polished granite floor of the apartment building lobby. Amanda couldn't wait to get outdoors since the smell of Linda's perfume was nauseating her. This secretary's features reminded Amanda of the high class whores she had seen walking the streets in downtown London when she was a child. Amanda also recalled Samuel's description of Joseph Danbury's character as being a self-proclaimed ladies' man. Amanda was quite certain that Joseph didn't hire this secretary for her intellect or typing skills.

When they had arrived at the Danbury Law Firm's office building, Linda assisted Amanda to the waiting room and helped her into a chair. Linda offered courtesies, "Would you like something to drink, Mrs. Baxter? We have coffee, tea, soft drinks, and water."

Amanda was still trying to catch her breath, "No, thank you. Is Joseph ready to see me?"

Linda walked across the waiting area to enter a conference room. She stated, "I'll come to get you when Mr. Danbury is ready to see you, Mrs. Baxter."

Amanda was getting too old to care about anything. She disliked being kept waiting, especially when she had no idea what the pressing family matters were that Joseph felt had to be discussed in person with only 30 minutes' prior notice. Amanda looked around the waiting room. She noticed that nothing much had changed in this office for decades, except for the law firm's change of lineal successors, in which Amanda had personally witnessed all three of the Danbury family's generations. Each successor was worse than his father before him. Amanda mused that it was like watching reversed evolution. By the time the Danbury family descendants' of lawyers would get to the sixth generation, she would see an ape sitting at the desk when she entered his office. Amanda thanked God that she would not live long enough to see that day.

However, she was quite fond of the originating founder of the law firm, Richard Danbury. Amanda thought back to over 80 years ago. She had first met Richard Danbury in this office after she arrived from England as the former ten-year-old Julia Frida Mendel.

Circa 1881

Julia was accompanied by James and Sara Mills as she entered the Danbury Law Office. Richard Danbury was such a polite gentleman who made her feel special. When they had first met, Richard Danbury had addressed her as Julia Mendel. However, everything regarding her name and her previous life in London, England would change that day.

After Richard Danbury's short introduction with his new arrivals from England, he completed a questionnaire checklist. He reviewed their itinerant voyage to America and verified that the ship's passenger accommodations were adequate and comfortable. Upon getting this business formality out of the way, Richard led James Mills, his wife Sara, and Julia into another office suite. A lavish dinner spread was catered in a specially prepared dining hall. Julia was quite impressed with the extent that Richard Danbury had gone to for his three new European clients. He gently took Julia's arm and escorted her to the table to be seated her in a chair. Richard was a dashing gentleman in his latter forties, with kind brown eyes. His soft smile was accentuated by his waxed handlebar moustache. Richard's distinguished appearance was complemented by his finely creased, tailored three-piece suit. He had a confident ability to maintain the trust of his wealthy clientele through his pampering accommodations to their every need.

When they were done eating, the caterers cleared the table and left the dining hall. Richard Danbury opened a booklet of pictures to show the Berlin, New Jersey home he had purchased and furnished. This would be the new residence of James, Sara, and Julia, and Richard also included pictures of the quaint community of Berlin.

Richard handed the booklet of pictures to James. He said, "You and Sara may go back into my office with the pictures. Please review the accommodations of your new home, and let me know if there will be anything else you will require, which I may have overlooked. I would like to have a few minutes alone with Julia if you don't mind."

James and Sara smiled graciously while nodding their heads. James then shut the door behind them on their way out of the dining hall.

Richard walked over to a side table to pour a glass of brandy, and turned back to smile at Julia. He stated, "I feel that I already know you very well, Julia. Your father, Carl, and I met at his Lodge in London last year, and he told me all about you. I understand that you are a very accomplished pianist and an outstanding scholar who is fluent in three foreign languages. That is an absolutely amazing achievement for such a young lady."

Julia then anxiously interrupted Richard, "Mr. Danbury, I have a question. When shall my parents be coming to America to live with me?"

Richard paused to sit down in a chair facing Julia and replied to her inquiry with a redirected question of his own. "Let me ask you this, dear. What explanation did your parents give you regarding the reasons for your coming to America?"

Julia was very tired after her long ocean voyage and was in no mood to be playing games. She replied, "My parents said I was coming here to attend a new school. They never told me why I had to leave London, other than it was for my well being. My mother said there were no other alternatives. So then, Mr. Danbury, perhaps you will explain what my parents have not. Why was I sent to America?"

Richard let out a hearty laugh, "You are such a precocious young lady, and with brilliant wit as well! Perhaps I could use someone like you in my law firm."

Julia grew impatient and politely stated, "You have not answered my questions, Mr. Danbury. Please explain why I had to be relocated to America. Why did my mother say that there were no other alternatives?"

Richard's jolly, exuberant face suddenly turned to a more serious expression. He responded, "I am very limited with what I may explain to you at this time, Julia. I will state that you had to leave Europe because your life was in grave danger. I was commissioned to bring you here to America and to help James and Sara Mills watch after your welfare. I also must stress the importance that while you are living in America you will need to assume the new name of Amanda Mills. James and Sara will become your parents while you reside in your community of Berlin, New Jersey. Do you fully understand the importance of this, Julia?"

As Julia stared across the table into Richard's eyes she could sense that he was sincere. Therefore, she also understood the importance of her new identity. However, she still insisted in having one question answered, "When shall I see my parents again?"

Richard wanted to be honest and simply stated, "I really do not know, Amanda."

The fact that Richard Danbury was now calling Julia by her new name of Amanda told her this change in identity would begin immediately. Furthermore, Richard's sincere response to her last question, regarding when she could see her parents, indicated her stay in America was permanent. Richard truly didn't know if she would ever see her parents or her London home again.

Indeed, both of Julia Frida Mendel's parents, Carl and Agnes, passed away in England before 1902. The only thing that still remained was Amanda's memories of them, which continued to fade with each passing day that she remained in America. Later, Amanda Mills' surviving sentinel guardian parent, James Mills, died in the Baxter's Wyoming Avenue, Philadelphia residence in 1916. Thus, any knowledge that James secretly held regarding the former Julia Frida Mendel was taken with him to the grave.

* * * * *

Joseph Danbury's secretary, Linda, exited the conference room door followed by twelve gentlemen wearing similarly suited attire. Each of them kindly greeted Amanda as they passed by her on their way out of the law office door entrance. Linda walked over to help Amanda up out of her chair. She said, "Mr. Danbury is ready to see you now, Mrs. Baxter."

Linda assisted Amanda into the conference room. Joseph got up from his throne-sized chair to greet his client. He gently held Amanda's other arm as Linda released her support of the arm she was holding. Joseph waved his secretary away and said, "I can take it from here. Thank you, Linda." The secretary was quietly closing the door behind her as Joseph helped to seat Amanda in a corner chair. Her seat was in close proximity to his seat at the head of the rectangular 40-foot long polished wood conference room table. Amanda could not determine which odor in the room irritated her more: the smell of stale cigar smoke or Joseph Danbury smelling like he bathed in cologne. She wanted to ask Joseph to open a window so she could breathe; however, she did not wish to delay this meeting. This appointment had already occupied more of Amanda's time than she cared to provide, and their discussion had not even begun yet.

Amanda Baxter attempted to find a comfortable position in the excessively padded leather chair she was seated in. She was sitting close enough to Joseph Danbury to notice his ratty stained tie and wrinkled suit. What little hair Joseph had left on his balding head was oily and unkempt.

Amanda pushed to begin their discussion. She stated, "I trust that this family matter you wished to discuss warranted my being brought here on such short notice, Joseph. I believe that the telephone was invented to remove the inconvenience of unnecessary travel."

Joseph really could not care less if he had inconvenienced this client and ignored her petulant whining of discontent. He replied, "This meeting needed to be private, Amanda. I had to be sure that we were alone to discuss matters regarding your children."

Amanda felt this entire subject matter was nonsense. She sternly inquired, "You do realize, Joseph that my children are now grown adults, and my youngest child was removed from my teat almost 50 years ago? Did you think that I still have any authority or say in the matters of how my children choose to live their lives?"

Joseph sensed that Amanda was going to resist any matter that he wanted to discuss regarding her children. He then got more specific with his stated reasons.

"Well then, let's start with your daughter, Emily" stated Joseph. "Edmond Bennett has told me that Emily gave birth to a boy in February of 1955, and it has been confirmed that Edmond is the paternal father of this child. Were you aware of this?"

Amanda's temper began to rise with her reply. "You take a very uncommon interest in my family's personal affairs, Mr. Danbury. To answer your question, yes, I was aware of Emily's decision to conceive a child with Edmond. However, I fail to see where this is any of your bloody business!"

Joseph pleasantly smiled and he responded, "Then please, Amanda, allow me to continue with my justifications. I will presume that you were also aware that Emily gave her son to her niece, Amy Bennett Bradford, to adopt."

Amanda hesitated with caution in her reply, "Yes, I was told about this as well."

Joseph then started to read to Amanda from his hand-written outlined list of legal concerns. "The first problem with this baby's adoption is that I have verified there was no court proceeding which decreed or finalized the Bradford's adoption of Greg. However, a bigger problem exists in this adoption matter, and it involves your daughter, Martha."

Amanda was beginning to feel badgered. She wanted to end Joseph's incessant legal jargon, which she felt did not concern her anyway. "Then, Joseph, may I suggest that you address your concerns to Martha rather than to me?" asked Amanda.

Joseph stayed in his course of inquiry to arrive at his concerns regarding Martha. "Well, Amanda, I would certainly agree with you, and I did attempt to discuss this with Martha. However, she went into a cussing tantrum on the phone and then hung up on me."

Amanda grinned, thinking maybe her daughter Martha had good reason to disconnect her conversation with Joseph Danbury. Martha at least had the opportunity to end her conversation with Joseph. This was something that Amanda unfortunately could not do with this meeting. Amanda yielded, "Well then, Joseph, perhaps you should explain what your matters of concern with my daughter are, so that I shall have the ability to understand them better."

Joseph Danbury was obviously getting flustered because Amanda could see the reflecting beads of sweat forming below his oily, receding hairline. Joseph reached for an envelope and pulled-out a carbon copy of Martha Bennett's revised Last Will and Testament. He gave it to Amanda to examine. Joseph then turned to a page of Martha's Will, and pointed to a portion he had circled. He stated, "Please note that Martha's children, Amy and David, no longer appear as beneficiaries in her Will. She replaced them with the child she states to be her stepson, Greg Edmond Mendel Bradford, who she has listed as her new beneficiary."

Amanda's stomach began to turn, and she struggled to maintain her composure. She noticed that Joseph had specifically underlined Greg's surname, which denoted the name 'Mendel'. Amanda sat silent, making no response to Joseph.

Joseph became more severe as his line of questioning continued. "Please, tell me how in the hell your children had become aware of the surname Mendel!"

Amanda was now more concerned. She had broken a solemn promise never to reveal her previous identity of Julia Frida Mendel to anyone, including her children.

Feeling trapped with no excuse or escape, Amanda gave her explanation to Joseph Danbury. "Shortly after my husband died in 1952, my son, Robert, and his wife, Becky, went on a cruise. They visited the Oldham, England Registries to search for the Mills' family history records, so he could complete genealogy of his maternal lineage. When Robert returned from Europe, he was angry and confused. He told me there were two birth records in the Oldham, England's registry for the name of Amanda Mills, born in 1876. The first record did not match the parents' names of James and Sara Mills. The second birth record was for a child, who matched the parents' names, but this baby had died a few days after she was born. Robert also obtained the death record of this child to confirm that there was no error on the birth registration." Amanda maintained her poise and steady eye contact with Joseph Danbury as she continued, "I did not know what to say to Robert. Even I did not know my alias name of Amanda Mills was derived from the birth record of a deceased baby in Oldham, England. No one, including this law firm, had thought to inform me of this fact."

Joseph softened his questioning approach with Amanda. He inquired, "What explanation did you give to Robert regarding this birth record?"

Amanda sighed, "I told Robert nothing. I asked him to burn the records while offering no explanation to him as to why these records needed to be destroyed. I did not take pleasure in telling Robert an omission of the truth. I feel that an exclusion of the truth is just as bad as a lie. Robert gave me his word that he would destroy the records. He also promised me that he and Becky would never discuss nor mention this matter again."

Joseph interrupted Amanda and said, "The registry records that Robert obtained in England only denoted the surname of Mills. How do you explain the fact that your daughters, Emily and Martha, have knowledge of your previous surname of Mendel?"

Now Amanda had to explain to Joseph Danbury why she had broken her vow of secrecy to never reveal her past. She explained, "Robert went into a state of depression and started to drink profusely. After witnessing my husband Samuel's life, deteriorated through alcoholism, I wasn't about to watch my eldest son follow the same path. I told Robert and the rest of my children the truth—that my given name is Julia Frida Mendel. I also explained that I was actually born in 1871—not 1876, and that I was born in Islington, England—not Oldham, England. I told them about my previous home life with my parents Carl and Agnes Mendel, and that I was forced to come to America with James and Sara Mills because it was deemed necessary for my welfare and safety. I could not offer my children any further information because I truly don't know anything else."

Joseph still had concerns regarding the potential problem Amanda had created by revealing her previous identity. However, in hind sight, no one was ever expected to discover the alias of Amanda Mills' identity, let alone, connect this name with the former Julia Frida Mendel.

Joseph then concluded his outlined review of concerns. He stated, "Martha's Will, which now designates the contingent beneficiary as her stepson, Greg Edmond Mendel Bradford, can never be filed or appear in a court of law. Furthermore, I need the assurance that neither Martha nor anyone else in your family will mention the name of Julia Frida Mendel again. Although, regardless of the assurances your family gives me, I will still have a remaining concern with your daughter, Martha. Apparently, she is not mentally healthy, and my previous conversation with Martha shows her to be a big liability to your family."

Amanda looked sternly at Joseph Danbury because she may have misunderstood his intentions in this matter. She asked, "Joseph, will you please explain your definition of a big liability?"

Joseph expanded his previous statement. "What I am saying, Amanda is that Martha's Last Will and Testament are just one piece of the problem she has created in this matter. Earlier this week I was informed through a confidential source that Martha has also sought another attorney. She asked him to evaluate the legal hurdles of obtaining legal custody of Greg Bradford from his current adoptive parents, Amy and George. Therefore, Martha has become a big liability to your welfare. She is also endangering her husband Edmond, your daughter Emily, Amy and George Bradford, and especially Emily's illegitimate son, Greg. Furthermore, I need to stress and reiterate that this adoption of Greg was not only illegal, but the birth name that Emily gave her son also exposes your previous surname identity of Mendel. This law firm was commissioned over 80 years ago to conceal your identity and to secure your welfare. We currently perceive your daughter, Martha, as a big liability in our safeguarding of these responsibilities."

Amanda was becoming alarmed and did not like where Joseph's supposition of Martha was leading. "Then tell me, Joseph, what you feel needs to be done to assure that my previous identity will remain secure?"

Joseph replied, "This is why I asked you to come in today, Amanda. I wanted you to answer this question for me."

Amanda could feel the squeeze that Joseph had applied, and it was constricting her ability to think. Amanda was also very aware of the methods that Joseph Danbury could utilize to reach a resolution. His choices were only limited by the imagination. Joseph had the resources to remove a problem like Martha and anyone else that compromised his law firm's financial interests or the security of its international clientele.

Since Amanda knew she would never to be able to adequately provide a reassuring answer to Joseph Danbury's dilemma of potential security problems, she sought to minimize Joseph's presumption of risks. Amanda changed the direction of this conversation with questions of her own. She sternly stated, "Then perhaps, Joseph, you should explain to me why the security of my identity is still important. Why is this matter of any significance after the passage of 80 years' time? To this day, no one has given me a rational explanation for this secrecy. My parents, Carl and Agnes Mendel, my sentinel guardians, James and Sara Mills, and the four family generations within the Danbury Law Firm have never offered me any substantive reasoning. My spirited departure from England was hidden like merchant ship contraband. I was relocated to America, and my identity was changed. Still after over 80 years I remain the elusive, alias Amanda Mills. Please provide me with your explanation as to why the exposure of my Mendel surname would create a problem for your law firm or anyone else who is a party in these current circumstances."

Joseph laughed and looked at Amanda with a condescending grin. He replied, "It makes no difference, whether your name is Baxter, Mills, or Mendel. These surnames are closed gates that hide your true identity. If one of these gates is discovered and opened, it will only provide a dead end. Your son, Robert, opened one of these gates in Oldham, England, and it led nowhere. You also thought that you had provided your children with what you believed to be the truth regarding your previous identity in England. However, even the name of Julia Frida Mendel is a gated dead end, because Carl and Agnes Mendel weren't your birth parents. They were the sentinel guardians that acquired you shortly after you were born. So yes, Amanda, you are correct in your questioning. The name of Julia Frida Mendel has never been anything more than a fictitious prop. This decoy informs us when the people who are hunting for you have rediscovered your trail. The falsified identity of Julia Mendel had been discovered in 1881, when you were ten years old. So you were assigned another false identity and moved to another location in the world to be hidden once again. The problem I am trying to resolve here and now is that your gated alias identity of Amanda Mills has been discovered, and you have inadvertently linked it back to your previous identity of Julia Frida Mendel. Furthermore, we don't have just a minor breach of security that entails the relocation of one person. There are too many people who now know. This could affect not only the lives of your family members but also the lives of many other people like you who were hidden, as well as the international network that has devoted their lives to protecting your kind. Perhaps now, Amanda, you can understand why you were always kept in the dark and why you can never be told the truth."

Amanda sat in shock. She felt like she was nothing more than a prized piece of livestock, which had been covertly sequestered since birth. The revelation that her entire life had been a lie, and a secret hidden within a secret, confused her even more. Amanda Mills, as well as her former alias, Julia Frida Mendel, had received the answers that filled a hole containing the biggest questions regarding her life. Joseph's disclosure of truth provided no solace, and only created a deeper hole of questions about her birth origins that would never be answered.

Joseph excused Amanda and had his secretary drive her back to her apartment building. Amanda's distress was growing with each passing hour. She now understood the grave circumstances that concerned Joseph Danbury. She had unknowingly brought these problems upon herself, her family, and the many other unknown faceless people who lived within this International quagmire of hidden secret identities. However, what Amanda presently feared the most was Joseph Danbury and what options he would choose to resolve his law firm's compromised security concerns.

* * * * *

Chapter 12

Circa 1963

Almost one year had passed since Amanda had engaged in her intimidating exchange of truths with Joseph Danbury. She no longer ventured outside of her Clearview Street apartment building. She hired a neighbor's teenage daughter, Toni Rigerio, to run errands for her. Toni had been doing weekly pick up and deliveries of Amanda's laundry, as well as the delivery of her mail, newspaper, groceries and other goods Amanda would order from the neighborhood stores over the phone. Furthermore, Amanda never had the need to go anywhere, and she seldom wrote a check. The Danbury Law Firm would draw a monthly cash allowance from Amanda's family trust fund to pay her debts of rent, utilities, and the tabs she charged with the local merchants. Amanda relented to the fact she was nothing more than a privileged prisoner, trapped in her apartment with nowhere else to go and feel safe.

At 92 years of age, Amanda was becoming atrophied from her lack of activity. She was a reclusive hermit living alone in her apartment. She had the curtains drawn to help her ignore the advanced eye cataracts that made her legally blind. The only discussions she had with other people were the weekly exchanges with her errand girl, Toni. There were also short communications on her apartment intercom to turn away friends and even her church pastor when they would buzz her apartment from the entrance lobby.

Amanda also no longer answered her phone because it was unlikely that she would hear anything from her three children. Her son, Robert, was confined to his house, and drowning himself in a bottle of scotch. Her daughter, Martha, was bed-ridden after having her left leg amputated at the knee, and she was slowly losing her battle with diabetes. Even her daughter, Emily, seldom visited, and she became distant after being unable to gain Amanda's acceptance of her son, Greg. Amanda would forever regret her actions, which unintentionally forced her pregnant daughter, Emily to move out of their apartment to live with her friend, Kathryn.

The only sources of information Amanda received from the outside world was through her radio, the television, and her subscription to the city newspaper. Amanda feared these media distractions because one day the possibility could come when she would see one or all three of her children appearing in the headlines. She dreaded the thought of reading their obituary after some brutal murder or freak accident, and that their demise may have been contrived by Joseph Danbury. Amanda often considered warning her children about what she learned from Joseph. However, Amanda's previous decision to tell her children what she believed to be the truth about her past identity in England is what caused her current problems. Every day which passed, without retaliatory action from Joseph Danbury, gave her hope that nothing would happen. On the other hand, perhaps this was the trap Joseph had set for her. He was only waiting for Amanda to contact her children to reveal the conversation she had with him one year ago in his law office. Her existence was reduced to living in a constant state of paranoia. Amanda's life had started with the need to hide from an invisible enemy who endlessly hunted her. Therefore, she presumed that her life would pathetically end the same way it started.

* * * * *

Chapter 13

Emily Baxter had just completed her administrative rounds through the hospital pediatric ward. She returned to her office to finish her reports, but was interrupted when she received a call from the front desk of the hospital visitor's lobby. "Miss Baxter, there is a Father Monahan here visiting patients. He asked if you would have a few moments to talk with him."

Emily gave a sigh to the desk clerk. She replied, "I guess it will be alright. Please send him up to the third floor, and I will meet him at the elevator."

Emily was accustomed to receiving unscheduled visits from salespeople. Family relatives seeking information would also contact Emily when a patient's doctor didn't return their phone calls. However, visitations by clerical men of the cloth in the pediatric ward were rare, unless a child was terminally ill.

The elevator doors opened and out walked a middle aged Catholic priest, wearing the standard black apparel and offering his gracious introduction. "Hello, I am Father Monahan from the Philadelphia Diocese," he gently stated. "I was completing my visitations with some of our parishioners. You have a fabulous hospital facility here, and it provides a priceless service to our community."

Emily became humble with her response to the priest, "Well, thank you for your kind words, Father Monahan. What brings you to our pediatric ward? I can assist if you need to locate a child whom you wish to visit."

The priest just smiled while gently reaching out to hold both of Emily's hands. He said, "Actually, Miss Baxter, I am presently here to talk with you — not a patient."

The priest's request caught Emily by surprise. "Let's go to my office, Father, and we can talk there."

When they entered Emily's office, she provided Father Monahan a chair facing her desk. She turned to close her office door and asked, "What did you need to discuss?"

The priest looked troubled while thinking for the proper words of response. "Miss Baxter, I am here at the request of a Mary Rigerio. You might already know Mary and her daughter, Toni."

Emily traced her memories and then exclaimed, "Ah, yes. They are my mother's neighbors in her apartment building. They are two doors' down the hall from my mother."

The priest nodded affirmatively and continued with his mission statement. "Mary Rigerio has become concerned with regard to your mother's welfare. She said that your mother, Amanda, never leaves her apartment," explained Father Monahan. "Mary's daughter, Toni, runs errands for your mother and Toni also stated that she feels your mother may have some problems taking care of herself. Tell me, Miss Baxter, when was the last time you visited your mother?"

Emily was embarrassed. "Well, Father, it has been quite a while, but I assure you that my mother is doing quite well on her own," replied Emily. "My mother is limited with where she can venture outside of her apartment because she has difficulty walking long distances, and her eye sight is not well either. However, my mother can phone anyone if she has the need to do so, and we always respect her privacy."

Father Monahan started to retreat in his questioning, "My apologies, Miss Baxter, if my inquiries have intruded on your mother's privacy. I assure you that my intentions are honorable, and I am only following up on Mary and Toni Rigerio's concerns. I also realize that you have a very busy work schedule, but have your brother, Robert, or sister, Martha, been able to help attend your mother's needs in your absence?"

Alarms silently went off in Emily's head because she barely knew Mary Rigerio, let alone her daughter, Toni. Furthermore, it was unlikely that the Rigerios had ever even met Robert or Martha. Emily became suspicious with the line of this priest's questions and sought a cordial way to end this conversation. "I cannot say for certain when my brother or sister last visited our mother, Father Monahan. However, I will stop by to visit with my mother on my way home from work. Thank you so much for bringing this matter to my attention. If there is nothing else you wished to discuss, you will have to excuse me because I have some medical reports that I need to complete."

The priest rose from his chair as Emily opened her office door, and he reached out to shake hands with her in his departure. "Thank you for making time to speak with me, Miss Baxter," stated Father Monahan. He politely added, "I pray that God continues to bless you, and to watch over your family."

Emily walked Father Monahan to the elevator and, after the elevator doors closed, she returned to her office in deep thought. She attempted to make sense out of the conversation she just had with this Catholic priest. He knew much more information than would be relevant to a neighbor's concerns for an elderly woman's welfare. Emily made a mental note to first visit with Mary Rigerio before she saw Amanda. Something seemed very strange, and simply did not make sense to her.

* * * * *

The darkness of evening was approaching as Emily made the 45 minute drive to her mother's northeast Philadelphia apartment building. After parking her car, she then proceeded into the apartment lobby entrance. Emily still had her apartment key, which enabled her passage through the only secured barrier door that separated her mother from the outside world. Emily took the elevator to the tenth floor and walked down the hall. She stopped two doors short of her mother's apartment, and knocked on the Rigerio's door.

Emily heard footsteps approaching the door and could see someone looking out through the peep hole. After releasing two locks on the door, Mary Rigerio partially opened the chain-latched door to greet her visitor. Emily overlooked Mary's sloppy appearance wearing a dirty tee shirt, torn blue jeans, and her hair was matted down with an arrangement of bobby pins. Emily quickly introduced herself, "Hello, Mary. I'm Emily Baxter—Amanda Baxter's daughter from down the hall."

Instantly, Mary remembered Emily and invited her in. "My goodness, Emily, I'm sorry for not recognizing you right away. Please come in, and sit down."

Emily did not wish to extend her stay any longer than was necessary. She got right to her point, "I just wanted to thank your daughter, Toni, for running errands for my mom. I appreciate her helping to support Amanda's needs. Is Toni at home now?"

Mary sighed, "I'm sorry, Emily, but Toni has after-school activities tonight. The students are doing their dress rehearsal for their high school play. I don't expect her back home for about another hour, and it was so sweet of you to stop by to thank her personally."

Emily paused and then continued with her additional reasons for visiting. "Actually, Mary, I was on my way over to visit with my mother to see how she is doing. Has Toni mentioned anything about my mom that I should know about?"

Mary Rigerio appeared confused with Emily's question. She stated, "Not that I am aware of, Emily. Toni just runs errands for your mother. She has scheduled days that she takes Amanda's clothes to the cleaners, and she picks up groceries for her two or three times a week. Toni may also occasionally go to the pharmacy on the corner, and we take turns collecting your mother's daily mail and newspaper. We briefly talk with Amanda when we drop stuff off at her apartment, but she seems fine. Did anyone tell you that something was wrong with Amanda?"

Emily then explained the reason for her inquiry. "Father Monahan stopped by to visit me at work," stated Emily. "This priest said that he came at the request of you and your daughter, Toni, regarding your concerns about my mother."

Mary stood dumbfounded, scratching her forehead. "I don't know anyone named Father Monahan, and I haven't attended Mass, since I was a teenager," said Mary. "Are you sure the priest said that it was me and Toni, who told him this?"

Emily began to get worried. "I am quite certain that it was you and Toni, who Father Monahan had mentioned. Is it possible that Toni may have said something to this priest, and just mentioned you as being her mother?"

Mary shook her head no, and reassuringly answered Emily. "I am quite certain if Toni had any concerns about your mom's welfare, she would have shared them with me before talking with a Catholic priest. Also, if Toni had told me anything about your mom, I would have personally visited Amanda to evaluate any problem."

Emily gave Mary a big hug. "Thank you, Mary. I know that you and Toni have always been good neighbors," said Emily. "Let's just forget about this matter with Father Monahan. I'm running late, so please tell Toni that I said thanks for helping my mom. I'll probably get to see you both again soon." Emily provided Mary Rigerio with her business card and stated, "Please, call me at any time. I have written my home phone number on the back of my card."

Mary accepted Emily's card as she opened her apartment door. "Don't worry, Emily. Toni and I will watch after your mother's needs, and I will call you if there are any problems."

After Mary Rigerio closed her apartment door, Emily was experiencing nervousness over a priest who had lied to her. She also had concerns with what Father Monahan's intentions were regarding her family and how this priest would know her brother and sister's names. Furthermore, how did Father Monahan know that the Rigerios were running errands for Amanda?

Emily walked two doors down to her mother's apartment, and thumbed through a ring of keys to find the one for the door. She inserted the key in the door lock, turned the latch, and walked into a dimly lit apartment. Emily could see a radiant flickering light coming from the television that glowed through the partially closed door to Amanda's bedroom. She felt along the wall to find the switch for the main living room lights, and then entered her mother's bedroom. Amanda was lying asleep on her bed, fully clothed, wearing her winter coat and slippers.

Emily turned around to switch on the bedroom light, and this startled her mother awake. Emily asked, "Shouldn't you be wearing a night gown if you're going to bed, Mom?"

Amanda was still half asleep but recognized her daughter's voice. She replied, "What a pleasant surprise, Emily. I forgot that you still have an apartment key. Are you moving back in?"

Emily could tell that her mother still had a sense of humor. She replied, "No, Mom. I wasn't planning to move back in. I just stopped by to see how you are doing."

Amanda swung her legs off the edge of the bed mattress and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She asked, "What day is it, Emily?"

Emily laughed, "Did you mean to ask what time it is, Mom?"

Amanda looked up at her daughter in all seriousness and said, "I really do not care what time it is. It is dark outside, so I know that it is either early morning or late evening. I desired to know what day it is."

Emily humored her mother and responded, "It is Tuesday, Mom, November the fifth."

Amanda still had a disoriented look on her face, "But what year is it, Emily?"

Emily had previously thought that her mother was joking, but Amanda had obviously lost touch with time all together. Emily replied, "It is 1963, Mom." Emily then left her mother's bedroom and spoke as she walked to the kitchen. "I'm going to put on a pot of coffee and make us both something to eat."

Emily had just finished setting the table and had supper cooking in the oven. Amanda slowly made her way to the kitchen with the aid of a walking cane. Emily observed her mother's slow arrival to the kitchen and asked, "Why don't you use that walker I bought for you, Mom?"

Amanda just grunted and stepped-up her pace, "That bloody thing makes me trip more than walk. It keeps getting caught in the carpet and the doorways."

Emily just shrugged her shoulders and made no reply to her mother's gripe. She then helped Amanda sit down in a dining room chair.

The unanswered questions Emily had regarding Father Monahan started to weigh heavily on Emily's mind. Seeing her mother's deteriorating condition did not make the situation any more comforting. Emily went back to the oven, and brought out a reheated left over beef roast. She placed it on the table along with a bowl of peas, a plate of bread, and butter.

Emily poured two cups of coffee while she questioned her mother's need to remain alone in her downtown apartment. "Like I told you, Mom, I have no intention of moving back to the city," stated Emily. "Why do you want to continue living here?"

Amanda was eating her meal while she contemplated a response to her daughter's inquiry. "I have lived in this apartment for over thirty years, Emily. I have everything I need, and my neighbor's daughter, Toni Rigerio, runs all my errands for me. Why would I want to move?"

Emily dropped the conversation because she wanted her mother to eat something before continuing their conversation.

They finished their meal with the absence of conversation. Emily then cleared the table, and helped her mother into the living room to sit on the couch. Emily could tell that her mother's eye sight had grown considerably worse because Amanda never seemed visually focused. She only turned her head to face the direction that Emily's voice was emanating from.

Emily sat down on the couch next to her mother and gently held her hand. "Mom, you cannot continue living here by yourself. You must be lonely because you have no one to talk with."

Amanda became defensive with Emily's statement, "Everything I have left in the world is in this apartment and, so are the memories of your father. Samuel and I talk together quite often, and God will look after my needs. After all, I have lived to be 92 years of age. I shall decide how I will live my life, Emily, and remember it was you that decided to come here today. I didn't request your company."

Emily felt uncomfortable because she was treading on her mother's chosen preference to live alone. So, Emily again attempted to reason with her mother. "Mom, you could fall, break a hip, and have no ability to call for help or let one of the neighbors in the door," persuaded Emily. "I want you to consider temporarily moving in with Kathryn and me for a while until we can figure out what to do."

Amanda bristled at the thought of moving to Kathryn Jones' home. The harder Emily pressed the need for her mother to move out of the apartment, the more Amanda had resisted.

The other concern Emily had was regarding Father Monahan, which also added to the need for Amanda's relocation. Emily had not intended to discuss anything about her conversations with a priest and her mother's neighbor, Mary Rigerio. However, she decided she would need to inform her mother about this entire matter. "Look, Mom, there is another reason why I feel it is necessary for you to leave with me tonight," said Emily.

Amanda sat quietly as Emily explained her day's events. She started with the mysterious visit by the Catholic priest who was asking many personal questions about their family. Furthermore, the priest's stated reasons for visiting Emily at her office were later discovered to be a lie.

Amanda then became aware of whom this priest was, and Emily saw a look of horror build on her mother's face. Amanda grabbed her walking cane and quickly stood up. She exclaimed, "Help me to pack up my suitcases, Emily! Also, please write a thank you letter to Toni Rigerio for me. Kindly inform Toni that she shall not have to be running errands for me anymore because I am moving out of my apartment."

* * * * *

Chapter 14

Emily and her mother Amanda arrived at the colonial estate house of Kathryn Jones. It was located in the rural, sprawling countryside of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Kathryn had the 200 year old home reconstructed to partition the house into two separate living residences. Half of this six bedroom structure was also occupied by Emily.

Kathryn had looked around the side of her picture window curtains when she saw Emily's car lights come in the driveway. She noticed that Emily's mother, Amanda, was sitting in the passenger seat. Kathryn quickly put on her overcoat, flipped the wall switch to turn on the walkway lamp posts, and went out to Emily's car to help bring in Amanda's belongings. They all entered through Emily's front door entrance and sat down to rest in the living room. Amanda looked around in amazement as she tried to focus her eyes on the spacious surroundings of the house. Emily's living room was bigger than Amanda's entire apartment.

Emily could sense that her mother was still nervous and tried to help her relax. "Can I get you anything to drink, Mom?"

Amanda was jumpy and quickly turned her head to face the direction of Emily's voice. "I could use a short glass of brandy if you have any, Emily."

Her mother's request for brandy seemed unusual because Amanda had seen both her husband and son, Robert, consumed by alcoholism. She considered any sight of this liquid substance as evil. Emily replied, "I have some cooking sherry, Mom, but no brandy."

Kathryn then got up to go to her side of the house, "I believe that I have some brandy in my cupboard, Amanda. I'll be right back."

Amanda was still trying to visualize her blurred surroundings, and she appeared tense as Emily sat down next to her. "You seem to be a little jittery, Mom," stated Emily. "I am curious though as to why you suddenly agreed in coming here with me tonight. Your entire attitude quickly changed when I told you about the priest who came to visit me at the hospital today. Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

Amanda struggled to form a sentence in reply. She had several thoughts converging simultaneously in her mind as she sat bewildered and speechless.

Kathryn walked back into the Emily's living room carrying a bottle of cherry brandy and a small glass. She poured a generous amount in the glass and handed it to Amanda. She drank the glass half empty without stopping.

Kathryn curiously looked over at Emily then returned her attention back to Amanda. She asked, "Are we having problems with our nerves today, Amanda?"

Emily tried to downplay her mother's unusual display of consuming brandy. "I think that Mom is just a little overwhelmed with her move," stated Emily. "She'll be alright. Mom and I were just talking about a Catholic priest who unexpectedly visited me at the hospital this afternoon."

Emily stopped talking. She and Kathryn were both staring at Amanda's hands, which were shaking as she swallowed the remaining brandy in her glass.

Amanda raised her glass to Kathryn and stated, "I would like a spot more, please."

Kathryn poured another round of brandy for Amanda then she looked back over at Emily. Kathryn said, "Perhaps you should both backup and explain this matter to me from the beginning."

Emily began to reiterate the events of the day to Kathryn regarding the priest and her conversations with her mother's apartment building neighbors. While Emily continued talking, Amanda's attention was drifting. She had temporarily disconnected herself from the conversation. The brandy had helped to calm Amanda's mind as she attempted to piece together not only the events of the past year, but also the pieces that were beginning to fit into the puzzle of her entire life.

After Emily had brought Kathryn up to date on the events of the day, Kathryn looked over at Amanda, who was sitting motionless staring into nowhere. "Would you like me to refresh your glass, Amanda?" asked Kathryn politely.

Amanda snapped out of her trance and said, "No, thank you, Kathryn. I believe that I have had enough."

Emily then stepped back to where her conversation had left off with her mother before, and she repeated her earlier question. "Mom, I was previously asking you why your entire attitude about leaving your apartment with me tonight had quickly changed when I told you about the priest who came to visit me at the hospital today. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Amanda was through being silent. The brandy helped to give her the ability to tell Emily what she had fearfully avoided disclosing for over one year.

Reluctantly, Amanda explained to Emily and Kathryn about the meeting she had in Joseph Danbury's office one year ago. Joseph told her about the breached security concerns of his law firm. He explained the problems resulting from Amanda telling the truth to her children regarding her hidden identity. Her previous surname of "Mendel" had also been documented on the birth registration of Emily's son, Greg. Additionally, it appeared in Martha's Last Will and Testament when she listed Greg Mendel Bradford as her new beneficiary.

Amanda then went on to reveal the biggest lie in her life. "Joseph Danbury informed me that my previous name of Julia Mendel is also an alias name. He said that Carl and Agnes Mendel were not my birth parents. They were my assigned guardians shortly after I was born."

Emily quickly interrupted her mother, "Wait a minute, Mom. If Carl and Agnes Mendel were not your parents, just who were your birth parents?"

Amanda's anger began to build, "I shall never know. Joseph said I had to be kept in the dark in all these secret matters, and that I cannot be told the truth."

Kathryn rendered her evaluation of the circumstances. "Well, Amanda, I don't see how Greg's surname of Mendel can be exposed. He wasn't adopted through a court, and this identifying information is stored in a secured hospital file. Furthermore, Joseph can avoid filing Martha's Will if he has her Executor's permission to do so. Therefore, I do not see a security problem or a valid legal concern that Joseph Danbury would have." Amanda was not consoled by Kathryn's assumptions. "Joseph Danbury said there are too many documented links to my former name of 'Mendel'. The people who have been searching for me might now be able to discover my second hidden identity as well as my family descendants. I have lived with anxiety during the last year with regard to what Joseph Danbury might do if I warned my family. I also feared how he may choose to resolve his law firm's perceived concerns of a security breach."

Emily attempted to ease her mother's worries. "Well, Mom, one year has passed. Joseph Danbury has done nothing, so I believe that your problems are over."

Amanda turned and faced her daughter with a stern expression, "This is where you are mistaken, Emily. Our problems have just begun. Have you already forgotten about your questionable visitation today from Father Monahan and his deceitful lies? The acquired knowledge this priest possesses about our family, as well as my neighbors who live down the hall from me, truly frightens me. Joseph Danbury was justified in his security concerns because I suspect that my hidden identity has once again been discovered by the same group of hunters. Even after 92 years they have never stopped searching for me!"

* * * * *

Chapter 15

Emily and Kathryn were eating breakfast in the kitchen, and allowing Amanda to catch up on her rest. They were both discussing the options of where Amanda could live. Since both Emily and Kathryn worked, and their house was in an unsecured rural setting, Amanda could not continue living there indefinitely.

Kathryn took a sip of her morning tea and wanted to provide Emily with a suggestion. "I recently talked with a real estate associate of mine, Stanley Kaplan. He had mentioned to me about placing his father in a local rest home facility because he and his wife could no longer cope with his elderly father's care needs. Stanley showed me pictures of the facility which was originally a very large mansion located in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The entire estate was donated to become a rest home. It has a gated security entrance with a small emergency medical clinic wing adjoining the main building. Perhaps you may want to check this place out."

Emily expressed her interest in this prospective location. "Ambler is only about a 30 minute drive from here. I'm just wondering what the monthly costs will be and if my mother would be willing to live there."

Kathryn was surprised that money would even be an issue. She asked, "Wouldn't you presume that Amanda's family trust would pick up this expense?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "That would be up to Joseph Danbury to decide because he establishes my mother's monthly living allowance."

Kathryn curiously asked Emily for more details. "Have you ever read the conditions and provisions of this family trust? Surely, Amanda must have a copy of it somewhere."

Emily felt ignorant with her response. "Well, I did once ask my mother about the family trust when I was a teenager. I thought that one day I would become rich, and would never have to work. Of course, that didn't happen. My mother said that my father had a copy of it, and he kept it in a safe deposit box at his bank. After my dad died, all the financial oversight to my mom's living expenses was turned over to the Danbury Law Firm. At this juncture, it really doesn't matter how much Joseph Danbury will or won't pay from the family trust. My mother cannot return to her Philadelphia apartment nor stay at our residence by herself. She also needs full-time assisted care."

Emily started to appear depressed. The decision to move her mother into a rest home and the financial costs had weighed heavily on her mind.

Kathryn placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Don't worry," said Kathryn. "I can help you out with the finances, if necessary. Neither of us is a spring chicken any longer nor shall we be fortunate enough to have children to help us when we reach our golden years."

Emily quickly looked up as if to disagree with Kathryn's statement. Kathryn knew what Emily was thinking, but wanted to confirm her suspicions.

"I realize that Greg is your son, Emily," stated Kathryn. "Surely you do not intend on telling him that you are his mother!"

Emily just smiled, "Perhaps, someday I can convince Amy and George to tell Greg. However, I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen."

Emily then laid out her plans. "I will take an extended lunch today, and visit the Ambler Rest Home to check out their accommodations and costs. If I feel that the facilities will be adequate and secure, I will then make an appointment with Joseph Danbury's office. Joseph and I will need to discuss the financial provisions that can be paid from my mom's family trust fund. Will you be home to take care of my mom today, Kathryn?"

Kathryn let out a hearty laugh. "I own my real estate business," stated Kathryn. "What am I going to do if I take the day off, fire myself? Of course, I can stay here with Amanda. Please don't even be concerned with that because you already have enough problems on your plate."

Kathryn was tapping the table's surface in deep, calculated thought as they finished eating breakfast. "Emily, you might want to consider having Amanda appoint you as the executrix of her estate. This way you would be permitted to review the provisions of her family trust. It may also give you some control and oversight of the funding appropriations."

Emily smiled and said, "Why that is an excellent suggestion, Kathryn!"

Emily felt so lucky to have a best friend and a shrewd partner in life like Kathryn. Emily gave Kathryn an appreciative hug and kiss as she went to get ready for work.

* * * * *

Later that day, Emily toured the Ambler Rest Home Facility and was pleased with the adequacy of medical services. She was even more relieved with the fact it was a gated complex with round-the-clock security guards. Emily thought she was sticking her neck out by writing a deposit check for $5800.00 without first receiving Amanda's acceptance of her new residence. However, Emily couldn't think of any other options or alternatives for her mother. The bigger problem Emily had to deal with would be Joseph Danbury, because he controlled Amanda's family trust funds. Emily also wanted to inquire about becoming the executrix of her mother's estate. She knew she could not afford to pay for the monthly costs without cashing out her retirement savings. Emily also felt that Kathryn should not have to help share this expense. Everything would depend on the decision of Joseph Danbury, and what he would be willing to account for Amanda's new living costs.

Emily knew that Joseph did not like walk-in clients arriving without an appointment. Nevertheless, she contended if Joseph was in his office when she arrived, then he would need to make himself available. Emily would insist for his time to discuss this urgent matter, and she would refuse to leave his office until he did.

* * * * *

Chapter 16

Emily arrived at the Walnut Street office building of the Danbury Law Firm. She was determined to obtain consultation time with Joseph Danbury. She liquidated almost all the money in her checking account to ensure that Amanda would have a safe residence with appropriate care to live out her remaining years. Emily wasn't about to let Joseph become a barrier to her mother's living expense needs.

Emily walked into the office waiting room. She was greeted by Linda Parks, who was sitting at her desk glancing through the appointment calendar. Linda was not aware of any more clients who were scheduled to see Joseph Danbury until the following morning. She looked up at Emily with a smile and asked, "How may I help you?"

Emily attempted to hide her nervousness. She replied, "I'm Miss Emily Baxter, and I need to talk with Mr. Danbury regarding my mother, Amanda Baxter."

Linda's eyes lit up with the mention of Amanda Baxter's name. "Mr. Danbury is in a meeting with a client right now, but we can make an appointment for you later this week," stated Linda.

Emily stood her ground and was not going to be put off by Joseph's client-filtering secretary. "This cannot wait, Linda. I have already scheduled my mother's relocation to a rest home for next week, and it is of the utmost importance that I speak with Joseph today regarding my mother's financial needs. I apologize for arriving without an appointment, but since I am already here, I will sit and wait until Joseph is available."

Linda was not prepared for Emily's pushiness, and she decided to briefly interrupt Joseph's client conference. She called Joseph's office from her desk. "Mr. Danbury, Emily Baxter is in the waiting room, and she said she needs to talk with you regarding her mother's financial matters. Will you have time to talk with her today?"

Joseph was rather perturbed with this interruption, but he asked for Emily to wait. He would provide a few minutes to talk with her after his current meeting was concluded.

Linda hung up the phone, and looked over to Emily. She stated, "Mr. Danbury said that he will make time to talk with you, Miss Baxter, after he is finished with his client meeting."

Emily was relieved that she didn't make a wasted trip into downtown Philadelphia. It was also fortunate that she had no pressing matters at her hospital office during the day. She had already anticipated that this meeting with Joseph Danbury would occupy the remainder of her afternoon. Emily sat and silently rehearsed what she needed to say regarding her mother's needs as well as the legal formalities that would be required for her to become the executrix of her mother's estate. Emily also thought back to the previous night's conversations with her mother and Kathryn. The revelations that Joseph had intimidated her mother with one year ago also irritated Emily.

Emily thought Joseph Danbury was unfair to chastise Amanda's willingness to tell the truth to her children regarding her previous hidden identity. Then Joseph informed Amanda that her previous London life was, yet, another fabricated falsehood. The truth regarding Amanda's lineal past was embedded with secrets, which would forever remain unknown. Most of all, Emily resented the stressful fear her mother had to endure for over a year, which had been ignorantly caused by Amanda's children. Emily also could not understand Joseph's past investigations of her personal life. Joseph had discussed his legal concerns regarding Emily's son, with Edmond, Martha, and Amanda. However, he lacked the professional courtesy to call Emily. The longer Emily waited to talk with Joseph the more annoyed she became.

Finally, Linda walked over to Emily. She said, "Mr. Danbury will see you now, Miss Baxter." Emily looked around the room and thought that perhaps Linda was mistaken. Emily never saw anyone exit from any of the four office doors, which entered the waiting room nor did she see anyone leave through the entrance door to the law office. Then Emily caught herself and presumed that Joseph had a phone conference with his client.

Linda led Emily into the main conference room where Joseph Danbury was seated at the head of the table in his king-sized chair. He already pulled out his files on Amanda Baxter, and was reviewing them when Emily walked in.

As Linda was leaving the conference room, she turned to address Joseph. "Are there any other files that you will require, Mr. Danbury?"

Joseph briefly looked up and said, "No, Linda, I have everything I need in front of me. That will be all for now."

Joseph then turned his undivided attention to Emily. "I will assume that what you needed to discuss could not wait for a scheduled appointment," Joseph stated with a tone of displeasure. "What is it that you need to discuss with me regarding your mother?"

Emily timidly replied, "Yes, Mr. Danbury. This meeting could not wait. I needed to discuss the financial arrangements for my mother's admission into the Ambler Rest Home. I have already secured her initial costs at my expense, and she will occupy her new residence next week."

Joseph bent his head forward and stared at the table top for several seconds while attempting to subdue his temper. "Wasn't Amanda's apartment adequate?" asked Joseph impatiently. "We could have provided her with a visiting nurse, if necessary."

Emily then went into the realities of Amanda's living needs. "My mother never leaves her apartment because she needs assistance just to walk from the bedroom to the kitchen. She is also legally blind. I fear that she could fall and break her hip, or worse, have heart failure with no ability to call for help. My mother needs full-time, assisted care, and the home in Ambler will meet all her needs."

Joseph leaned back in his chair while folding his hands behind his head, silently calculating the additional expenses for Amanda's elderly care needs. He let out a long exhaling sigh and asked, "What will be the monthly costs for Amanda to take permanent residence at the Ambler Rest Home?"

Emily opened her purse and removed an envelope containing the admission's contract. Then she looked up at Joseph and said, "Perhaps you didn't hear what I said previously, Mr. Danbury. My mother will be moving into this rest home next week. I am here to inform you that her family trust will need to cover this expense."

Joseph let out a discourteous yawn. "I heard what you said the first time, Emily," stated Joseph. "I also fully understand that you have provided out-of-pocket expenses to place your mother in this rest home. I just need to see what the monthly costs are."

Emily handed the paperwork to Joseph to examine, and he skimmed through the paperwork. "Holy shit, Emily, surely you can find another rest home at far less expense than the Ambler Rest Home!" exclaimed Joseph. "What is this place, a country club for retired movie stars?"

Emily's temper was beginning to build as she proceeded, "I shall repeat what I have already told you twice, Joseph. I have secured a room at this facility for my mother. She is being admitted into the Ambler Rest Home next week, and I need to know what her family trust will pay towards her monthly expenses."

Joseph pulled his glasses off his face, and let them dangle on the attached gold chain necklace suspended from his neck. He firmly stated, "Your mother's current living allowance is less than half the costs of the Ambler Rest Home. Therefore, I would say her family trust will only pay for half of this monthly expense."

Emily wanted substantiation for Joseph's shortfall in funding. She sat forward in her chair and said, "I will need to review the provisions of my mother's family trust to confirm your asserted limitations of what can be funded."

Joseph did not respond to Emily's demands. Instead, he attempted to reason with her. "Please, Emily, explain to me why you feel that your mother needs to go in the Ambler Rest Home when another rest home can accommodate her for less cost?"

Emily realized Joseph was dodging her request to view the family trust provisions. She decided to respond to his question anyway. "I have selected this rest home facility because it has a guard entrance and the grounds have a fenced perimeter," stated Emily. "I believe that especially you, Joseph, can understand why my mother requires a safe and secured location to live!"

Emily stopped talking to give Joseph Danbury the opportunity to challenge her claims. However, he remained silent and did not respond.

Emily then continued, hoping to persuade Joseph's cooperation. "Furthermore, Joseph, my mother will be appointing me as the executrix to her estate," stated Emily. "Therefore, I will need to read the provisions of her family trust to confirm the funding limitations for her new living expenses."

Joseph had no concerns with Emily becoming the executrix of her mother's estate. He calmly stated, "If Amanda wants to appoint you as her executrix then, of course, it shall be done. I will prepare the paperwork, and Amanda will need to sign it in front of a notary." Then Joseph displayed a friendly smile and said, "I need you to back up to something you said earlier, Emily. Would you please explain what you meant about Amanda's requirements for security, and that especially I should understand this need?"

Emily eagerly replied, "I think that this fact is already quite apparent, Joseph. You had security concerns regarding my mother's two hidden identities being exposed. You also insinuated that her children had created the potential for her to be located by the people who have been searching for her for over 92 years. So, can we agree that your concerns establish the need for my mother to have a secured residence to live in?"

Joseph was starting to get riled as shining beads of sweat began to build on his forehead. He then digressed and made a more generous response, "Perhaps I can re-evaluate the expenses for your mother. However, I will need to confer with the grantor of this family trust in Europe before I can establish the funding limits."

Emily pressed him further. "Perhaps you will now allow me to read the provisions of this family trust for myself, Joseph."

Joseph laughed with his response. "Can you read French scripted handwriting, Emily? I can't, and this is why I will need to confer through my translator in Europe. We will need to determine how much funding can be appropriated for your mother's expenses."

Emily was shocked and replied, "But my mother is from England—not France. Why does this family trust originate from France?"

Joseph negatively shook his head in response to Emily's question. "This is privileged information, Emily," stated Joseph sternly. "I will state that this is a very old trust and there are many private aristocratic families tied to the funds' provisions. That is why it is privileged information, and even as your mother's executrix, you will be limited with what may be shown to you."

Curiosity had overwhelmed Emily. "You said this is a very old family trust," said Emily excitedly. "Please tell me, Joseph, how many generations exist within this family?"

Joseph replied, "This particular family trust is only a little more than 150 years old. However, it is part of a chain of grants that were originally established during the Merovingian Dynasty of Frankish kings."

Emily was now even more exuberant, "So, are you telling me that my mother is descended from French nobility?"

Joseph felt he had already told Emily more than was permitted. He continued, "What I am about to tell you, Emily, is strictly confidential, and I wish to keep it that way. I also wish to avoid making the same mistakes my father and grandfathers had made previously. Only your father, Samuel, was told what I am about to disclose to you." Joseph took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He then explained, "Your mother is a descendant of a concealed royal bloodline which dates back more than 7000 years. In fact, this bloodline has descendants who married into the royal families of Europe, which challenged the ruling establishments, and also the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, a decree was made by the religious authorities of the church to destroy all evidence and the remaining descendants of this bloodline. Since your mother was born into this royal bloodline, she had to be hidden from the people who sought to kill her. Your mother's children, which include you, Robert, and Martha, had to be protected, also."

Emily shook her head in disbelief. She made a challenging inquiry to Joseph, "Surely you don't believe this nonsense... do you?"

Joseph was about to respond to Emily's question when another voice entered the room from the side office. "The Vatican believes it, Miss Baxter, and that is the only fact which matters."

Emily turned her head and saw Father Monahan standing in the doorway. She jumped up from her chair and was suddenly caught between the emotions of rage and fear. Now everything was starting to make sense. "So it was you, Joseph, who told this man about our family," stated Emily. "That explains how this priest knew about my brother and sister, as well as the neighbors who ran errands for my mother. You have betrayed my mother and led us to believe that you were dedicated to protecting her. Instead, you have released her to the clutches of a wolf wearing priests' clothing."

Joseph waited for Emily to calm down, and he offered no excuses to debate Emily's arrival at the obvious. He said, "Emily, allow me to introduce you to Monsignor Monahan from Vatican City, Rome. I am also aware that you previously met him as Father Monahan when he visited you at your office yesterday."

Emily's face was as white as a ghost, and she was barely able to stand. Joseph stood up and gently grabbed Emily's arm saying, "Please, Emily, sit down before you fall down."

Emily was now more composed as she addressed the monsignor. "So you are the hunter who seeks my mother?"

Monsignor Monahan smiled as he slowly walked toward Emily. He explained, "Dear woman, I am only a diplomatic emissary of the Vatican, and it is the Vatican that seeks your mother—not I."

Emily's anger began to swell. She asked, "Why would the Pope want to hunt down and kill a woman who is 92 years of age?"

The monsignor slowly sat down in the chair across the table from Emily. He replied, "I feel that Joseph has already adequately explained the reasons why your mother has been sought after since her birth. Your mother's present age has no relevance in this matter. Furthermore, madam, I assure you that I answer to a much higher authority than His Holiness the Pope. As I have explained previously, I am on a diplomatic mission and only wish to discuss a mutually beneficial offer of compromise. I do not necessarily agree with the aged historical decree of my authoritarian predecessors. I also do not see a need for the abolition of bloodline descendants whose existence is currently unknown to exist by the Vatican. I am a very reasonable man. However, I am also a man of sworn duty, just like Joseph Danbury and your mother's previous sentinel guardians James Mills and Carl Mendel. I can utilize my discretion only to deliver the people sought that the Vatican already knows to exist. Additionally, I may disregard their descendants who are not yet known to be bloodline legacies."

Emily's skin began to crawl with the insidiousness of this Roman Catholic diplomat. She felt as if she was about to make a deal with the Devil. Emily then worked up the courage to inquire about the proposed offer of compromise. She asked, "What do you seek in exchange for my mother's life, Monsignor Monahan?"

The monsignor grinned, "Why I seek nothing else except your mother's life. In return, I will allow you and the rest of your family, including your son Greg, to remain living."

Shock appeared on Emily's face at the monsignor's mention of Greg's name. She asked, "But how do you even know about my son?"

Joseph quickly got up from his chair to go to his back office. He returned with a folder that was identified with the name of 'EMILY BAXTER'. Joseph opened the folder and pulled out a document. It displayed the State Seal of Pennsylvania with the Pennsylvania State Department of Health insignia appearing on the header. "Here is the answer to your question" stated Joseph as he threw documents on the table in front of Emily. "You were admitted into Bucks County Hospital under the assumed name of Mrs. Carl Mendel. You used the name of Julia to identify your first name. You also provided your illegitimate son, Greg, with this same surname of Mendel. Even though this unlawful adoption was done in concert with the State Department of Health, these documents were placed in a separate secured filing system because the adoption was not finalized through a court proceeding.

"For 80 years the Vatican has searched for Julia Frida Mendel. However, her trail ran cold in 1881. They knew the name of her sentinel guardian was Carl Mendel and the last known location of Julia was in England, in 1881.

"Remember that your brother, Robert, discovered the source of your mother's assumed identity of Amanda Mills. Later, your mother revealed her previous given name of Julia Frida Mendel to her children, but her identity still remained hidden. However, the Vatican is a secretly embedded worldwide entity which has agents with access to all records. The Pennsylvania State Department of Health is no exception to the far reaching arms of their investigators. When you admitted yourself into Bucks County Hospital under the assumed name of Julia Frida Mendel, this information was also filed with the State Department of Health. Thus, the maternity record had reestablished your mother's hidden trail. Until this document surfaced, Julia Frida Mendel's whereabouts were unknown during the 70 years after she left England. Therefore, Emily, it was you who unknowingly had enabled the Vatican to locate your mother."

Emily felt as if she was going to vomit. She got up from her chair and walked to a window to calm her stomach. Emily took deep breaths, and tried to think straight. She then turned to face the monsignor and Joseph. She said, "I will contend that if I do not accept your offer, monsignor, that I and my entire family will be dead tomorrow."

The monsignor attempted to show flexibility and compassion with Emily. He responded, "You must understand, madam, that what we are discussing in this office is only between us. The Vatican has no knowledge of what I have found or not found. In fact, the discovery of your mother is imminent. In time, Amanda's lack of identity shall lead to her capture. As a consequence, it shall also guide the way to her descendant family's demise as well."

Joseph saw that Emily was hopelessly lost in Monsignor Monahan's riddling words. He offered an easier explanation, "What the monsignor said is true, Emily. There is little I can do to hide your mother from the new federal laws which will expose her lack of a certified identity. Amanda Mills arrived in America without any record of her emigration from England or her immigration into the United States. She had arrived after the 1880 US Census was taken, and a storage facility fire had conveniently destroyed all the New Jersey 1890 Census Records. Therefore, Amanda did not appear in a US Census record until 1900, which was after she married Samuel Baxter, in 1895. Her marriage to Samuel also removed any need to become a naturalized US citizen. Their wedding was private and the surnames appearing on the marriage license were intentionally misspelled to hide their identities.

"Up until this pending change in federal law, Amanda did not even require a birth certificate for her identification. Your mother never worked for an employer, so she didn't require a Social Security Number. When your father died, she used your father's Social Security Number as her identification, which showed Amanda to be the spouse of Samuel Baxter. Nevertheless, all of this will change on January 1, 1965, when Amanda will be required by Federal Law to have her own Social Security Number. She is unable to provide her certified proof of identity. Therefore, her false identity will become exposed, along with her descendant children. However, your mother's identity can still remain as Miss Amanda Mills instead of Mrs. Samuel Baxter because an accurate record of her marriage to Samuel does not exist. There also are no deeds or records denoting her ownership of anything under her maiden or married names. Furthermore, Monsignor Monahan is the only Vatican entity that possesses the facts about Amanda Mills and her descendants."

Joseph then explained what he would like to do. "First of all, Emily, I will prepare the paperwork that will appoint you as the executrix of your mother's estate. Amanda may occupy her room at the Ambler Rest Home with all expenses paid, and I will reimburse your costs for the deposits you paid out today. Additionally, we need to have Amanda's admission paperwork for the Ambler Rest Home changed, and to denote her as Miss Amanda Mills. I will also take care of this matter."

Monsignor Monahan stood up looking at Emily, and he made a verbal offer of compromise. "The discovery of your mother by the Vatican is imminent. Amanda's falsified identity will expose her to the people who have sought to find her for 92 years. It shall also expose her descendants to the same fate. In order to spare your life and the lives of your family, your mother must be shown recorded as deceased before the end of January, 1965. Emily, I will leave the choice in your hands to decide as to whether your mother dies as Miss Amanda Mills, or as Mrs. Samuel Baxter."

* * * * *

Chapter 17

Circa 1964

It was 2:30am when the phone rang. Amy Bradford struggled to reach over her sleeping husband, attempting to reach the phone on the bedside table. "This damn call better be an emergency!" Amy shouted angrily into the phone receiver, "Hello!"

The caller was Amy's father, Edmond. "I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, dear" stated Edmond. "I am calling at this early hour to inform you that your mother has had a stroke, and she was admitted into Temple Memorial Hospital earlier this evening. She is still in intensive care but her condition has stabilized."

Amy looked at the clock and dug her long fingernails into her thigh to make sure she wasn't dreaming, "OK, Dad. George and I will meet you at your house in the morning around 9:00. We can go to the hospital together."

Amy grinned as she hung up the phone, and she attempted to awaken her husband George. "Wake up George, we need to talk," Amy excitedly exclaimed. "My mother had a stroke, and we need to make arrangements for someone to watch Scott and Greg."

George was still in a fog from his beer drinking the night before, and he was trying to grasp the obvious enthusiasm of his wife's words. He looked over at the clock. "Damn it, Amy, its 2:30 in the morning," blurted George. "Can't this bullshit wait until morning?"

Amy stood staring down harshly at George. "Perhaps you didn't hear me, George," stated Amy impatiently. "I told you that my mother had a stroke, and she was admitted into Temple Memorial Hospital last night. Now get the hell up!"

Amy went to the kitchen, and she was happily humming as she prepared coffee. "There truly is a God," she silently thought to herself, "and He has answered my prayers!"

George could be heard drowsily scuffing his feet down the hallway carpet as he entered the kitchen. He sat in a chair, and he folded his arms on the top of the table to place his head. After preparing the coffee, Amy went to the sink to soak a kitchen towel with cold water and dropped it on George's bare back, which quickly caught his attention. George grabbed the wet towel and threw it at Amy. He barked, "I'm awake now, damn it... enough of your bullshit, Amy!"

Amy had overlooked her husband's tirade and throwing a wet towel in her face. However, there was nothing that could dampen her current elation regarding her mother's demise. Amy placed a cup of coffee in front of George and gave her husband a hug while standing behind his chair to calm him down. "We will need to make arrangements for someone to watch Scott and Greg for us today," Amy softly whispered in his ear. "I told my dad that we would meet him at his house. Then we can go with him to the hospital to see Mom."

George thought for a minute as he sipped his coffee. "I guess that my parents can watch the kids for us," said George. "My mother always likes her grandchildren visiting."

Amy walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Good, then you can call your parents before we leave," said Amy before she started humming again.

George was observing his wife's lack of sorrow. "Damn it, Amy, you seem unusually happy considering the fact that your mom just had a stroke."

Amy did not reply. She simply sat down in a chair, grinning and giggling.

George rolled his eyes and then stared at his wife in bewilderment. "I'm going to take a shower, Amy," George groggily stated. "It will help wake me up more comfortably than by being hit with a cold wet towel."

George realized that Amy and her mother, Martha, had a falling-out in their relationship for many years. However, he had never witnessed the lack of compassion that his wife was currently exhibiting. It was bizarre and unexpected, to say the least.

Around 6:00am that morning, George called his parent's home in Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania, to make arrangements for dropping off the kids. Amy went to wake up Scott and Greg. George's parents' house was also conveniently en route to the Bennett's new residence in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Edmond and Martha had moved away from northeast Philadelphia to live in the northern suburbs. They built a five bedroom house in one of the upper middle class subdivisions. Edmond and Martha had lived practically rent-free for 30 years in the Baxter family's Philadelphia row house residence on East Wyoming Avenue. Thus, they purchased the entire cost of their new home with only the need for a small mortgage loan. Martha insisted on having a large house with the expectations of having her grandchildren and family members visiting for extended stays. Sadly, this was one of Martha's many dreams that had diminished along with her health. Edmond and Martha had only occupied their large abode in Warminster for approximately two years. Most of the bedrooms were furnished, but never utilized. After Martha's left leg was amputated at the knee, Edmond had purchased an adjustable hospital bed and wheel chair, which were both located in the living room on the ground floor. This also made for an easier access to get Martha into the car. She was simply too heavy to be carried up and down the stairways by Edmond.

* * * * *

Amy and George finally arrived at her parents' house, and Amy tried her best to put on a face of sadness with a few forced tears of sorrow. Edmond met them at the front door. While Amy gave her a father a hug, George was the first to offer his condolences.

"How's she doing?" asked George. "Amy told me that her mom's condition has at least stabilized."

Edmond looked worn out. "Yes, the doctors are monitoring Martha and said that her condition will remain guarded for at least one more day," stated Edmond. "They may be able to move her out of intensive care possibly as early as tomorrow if her present condition continues. However, Martha's stroke has left her paralyzed on the left side of her body, and she can't swallow or talk. She is now given liquids intravenously and needs to be fed nutrients through a nasogastric tube into her stomach."

George gave a grimacing look regarding the mere vision of the feeding tube described by his father-in-law. By contrast, Amy's silent thoughts were focused on the satisfying reality that Martha could no longer talk.

Edmond went on with his wife's prognosis. "Martha will require a lot of physical therapy sessions to regain the use of the left side of her body. Furthermore, the doctors have been unable to determine the extent of brain damage that the stroke has caused."

Edmond gathered a few items from the house to take with him. He stated, "Your Aunt Emily said for us to have her paged when we arrived at the hospital, and we could all visit Martha together."

They departed from the Bennett's house, and George followed in his car while Amy rode with her father. Edmond had driven for several miles before any conversation had started, and he turned to address Amy.

"I don't know how I am going to handle these hospital bills, dear," said Edmond in despair. "Your mother has exceeded the limits of my medical insurance. I also had to re-mortgage our house, and now I am digging into our life's savings."

Amy tried to be understanding to her father's plight, "I'm sure that it is very expensive Dad. However, if you liquidate your assets, Mom should be able to receive welfare benefits."

Edmond affirmed that this is where he was headed. "Yes, this was already explained to me by Joseph Danbury but my current problem is lowering the hospital costs. Even when your mother gets out of the intensive care unit she will still temporarily require around the clock nursing care. I simply cannot afford this. Emily said she will be able to use her vacation time to provide Martha private duty nursing care. However, she cannot be expected to stay at Martha's bedside for 24 hours every day."

Amy could sense where her father was leading. He was hoping that Amy would volunteer her nursing services to help. Amy thought this need would only be temporary, or until her mother improved enough and no longer required a full-time private duty nurse.

Amy sighed, "I really should talk with George about this first."

After pausing for several seconds, Amy stated, "George has three weeks' vacation accumulated at work. I'm sure his mother would be willing to watch Scott and Greg for a while, so I guess I can help you and Mom out."

Edmond had tears building up in his eyes. "Thank you, Amy," said Edmond, with great relief. "I realize that your mother has not been one of your favorite people to deal with, and I appreciate your offer for whatever help you can provide. You can have your choice of any of the four unused bedrooms at our house to stay in."

Amy knew that George would be royally pissed off, but it was George who implied that she was not being compassionate to her mother. Thus, Amy was only following her husband's sympathetic concerns regarding her mother's time of need.

* * * * *

When they arrived in the lobby at Temple Memorial Hospital, Emily was already waiting. She walked over to greet them.

"Hi, Ed," stated Emily as she gave him a hug, and turned her attention to Amy and George. "Thank you both for coming," said Emily with a grateful smile. "Let's go up to see how Martha is doing."

When they got to the intensive care ward, George stopped short. "I'll wait out here, Amy," said George nervously. "I don't think it will be necessary for all of us to be crowded in there."

Emily could see George's paled complexion, "That's fine, George. You can sit in the waiting room. We should only be a few minutes, and then we can go downstairs to have breakfast."

George was relieved after Emily had excused him. He had troubles in just dealing with Edmond's verbal description of Martha with tubes running out every orifice in her body. Furthermore, he did not want to spoil his appetite for breakfast, or worse, throw up or faint in the hospital's intensive care ward.

Martha had regained consciousness and her vital signs remained in a good but a guarded condition for possible complications. Martha was weary but lucid, and recognized everyone who stood in front of her.

Edmond bent over to kiss his wife on her forehead. "You're doing fine honey," he said offering encouragement. "You gave us all quite a scare. Emily will make sure that you receive the best of care."

Amy did not feel the need to make any words of best wishes for her mother. She covered her lack of personal remorse by using her nursing background. She inquired, "How much longer will Mom need to be monitored in the ICU?"

Emily looked at Martha's chart, and saw what the doctors noted. She smiled and said, "It appears that she may be permitted to leave intensive care by tomorrow if no other problems develop."

Amy then looked at her father while she addressed Emily. "Dad told me that you have offered your services to watch Mom after she is moved out of intensive care. I told Dad that I can also help. Perhaps, Emily, you and I can do 12-hour shifts to cover Mom around the clock. It appears that this private duty nursing care may only be required for a little while anyway."

Emily tried to hide her surprise regarding Amy's offer to help her mother. "How will you manage this with two kids, Amy?" asked Emily. "Will George be alright with this arrangement?"

Amy downplayed the inconvenience to her family's concerns. "George's parents will be glad to watch Scott and Greg, and George has vacation time that he can use if necessary," she stated. "So we both feel that my mother's needs come first."

Emily was happy to hear Amy's words of support and gave her a hug. Then Emily turned to speak to her sister. "You see, Martha?" asked Emily with reassurance. "You shall have the best care available because Amy and I will both share in your nursing."

Of course, Martha wasn't able to make a verbal response. Her eyes showed concerns for two people she analogously regarded as foxes that would be keeping watch over her hen house.

Edmond kissed his wife on her forehead as he said, "We are leaving now, Martha. I will be back to visit you this afternoon."

As they exited the intensive care ward, they walked by to retrieve George in the waiting room. Emily waved her arm to George and said, "Let's go to the hospital café to get some breakfast."

The four family members entered the small hospital restaurant and were seated at a table. Emily felt that it was good to have family get together events, even if it took a tragedy to bring them together. The waitress brought four cups of coffee, and handed out menus.

Emily still had concerns with Amy's volunteering to help with Martha's nursing care. She wanted to make sure that George would agree to this temporary arrangement. She said, "George, Martha's condition has stabilized for now. However, she will require private duty nursing care for a short period of time after she is released from intensive care."

George was not listening to the conversation as he read his menu. Amy moved her foot under the table to kick his leg, and George abruptly looked up. Amy was pointing across the table to indicate that Emily was talking to him.

"I'm sorry, Emily" said George apologetically. "I'm still half asleep. Would you please repeat what you said?"

Emily smiled and repeated her statement, "I said that even though Martha's condition has stabilized, she will still temporarily require around the clock nursing care. Amy has offered to share this nursing care of Martha with me. Do you see any problems in this arrangement for a short period of time?"

George looked over at Amy, who was delivering a menacing, piercing stare at her husband. This signaled that George needed to agree with this temporary nursing arrangement. He quickly responded, "I don't see any problems, Emily. That will be OK. We both understand her mom's medical needs, and my parents can help out with watching Scott and Greg when I am at work."

Edmond gave a sigh of relief because he had expected the worst with George's response. Amy broke off her stare and she returned to reading her menu. Emily reached over and gently touched George's arm. She said, "Thank you for your support, George."

Although George had effectively concealed his displeasure, he did not relish the idea of temporarily having to do house chores or cooking. The thought of his being a single parent to two children would be an extremely difficult task. George also did not like making this sacrifice to help out his wife's relatives. He sensed that they had always disliked him, as much as Amy disliked his family relatives. George thought it would be highly unlikely that Amy would be willing to provide voluntary nursing care for one of his parents if the need arose. However, he also did not wish to appear ungrateful to the years of financial support he received from Amy's family. George just kept smiling, and took a sip of his coffee to help swallow his grief.

* * * * *

Chapter 18

Within two days Martha was moved to a private patient room. Emily had taken the first 12-hour day shift of providing nursing care for her sister, which started shortly before 6:00am. George made arrangements for Scott and Greg to stay with his parents. George's father, as well as other members of the Bradford family, had offered to share turns taking Scott and Greg to and from their elementary school. George's concerns of having to fill in for his wife's chores of cooking and doing laundry would also be removed. His sister, Irene, had offered to do their laundry, and George's mother, Sara, would provide all of their meals.

Amy packed her bags and assured George she would be helping Emily with her mother's nursing care for no longer than two weeks. Emily said she would make arrangements with another private duty nurse if Martha's needs exceeded this period of time.

* * * * *

Almost one week had passed since Martha was moved from the intensive care unit. She had shown signs of making some progress. Fortunately, she still had the use of her right arm. She could answer questions by holding up one finger to answer "yes" and two fingers to answer "no." Since Martha was unable to talk, the only conversations that took place in her room were when a doctor, lab technician, or Edmond had visited and discussed Martha's progress with Emily or Amy. Emily passed the time by watching television when Martha was sleeping. Amy read the many books she had brought with her during her shift hours.

The only person that came to visit Martha who had sincere wishes for her recovery was Edmond. He also wanted to improve Martha's ability to communicate, and he brought in several small spiral-bound tablets for Martha to write on. He would attach a tablet to a clip board to provide a stable writing surface for Martha. Since Martha still had the use of her right arm, and she also wrote right-handed, Edmond thought this method of communication would work. However, Martha's handwriting was mostly unintelligible scribbling. Even so, in time it had improved enough for Edmond to have the capability of transcribing what Martha had written. Emily appreciated Edmond's visits because it provided hope for her sister to make a faster recovery, and she admired Edmond's devotion to his wife. Emily had never seen them both working together more closely.

Amy took the night shift starting at 6:00pm, and her hardest task was staying awake. She had chosen to work nights because she would seldom see her father. Her mother was given an evening sedative to help her sleep through the night. If reading started to put Amy to sleep, she watched television and turned down the volume. The night floor nurse also routinely checked in to see Amy during her floor rounds to ask if she needed coffee.

Edmond arrived punctually at 6:30pm after he got off from work. He would always keep working with Martha to improve her writing skills. He went through at least one tablet in an evening, but he always replenished the supply of tablet paper with his next day's visit.

One evening Edmond arrived as he had always done, and propped up the clip board with an attached tablet for Martha to write on. Amy would usually just ignore them and read her book. However, Amy was being distracted because her father seemed to be having difficulty with Martha.

Edmond said, "Martha, please look at the tablet when you are writing, and don't look at me."

Edmond had to remove the tablet from the clip board. He flipped to the next empty page of the tablet, reattached the pad, and held the board up in front of his wife. Martha briskly wrote her message, but her eyes were focused on her husband, and not the pad of paper. Edmond's patience was getting worn down through this tedious writing process.

"Martha, I'm going to crank up the bed for you. Then you will be able to see what you're doing," Edmond stated.

After he brought Martha up to a partially sitting position, he held the clip board in front of his wife. "Now, Martha, this time, please look at the tablet so you can see what you are writing."

Amy stopped reading her book. She was starting to enjoy watching her mother getting into an argument where Martha didn't have the capability of getting in the first or the last word. Amy hid her grin of pleasure behind the book she was reading. Martha was now looking at the tablet and making a painstaking effort to write clearly for her husband. Edmond removed the clip board to examine the note.

After reading what Martha had written, Edmond got angry and directly replied to Martha, "No, I can't do that!"

He tore off the sheet containing Martha's message, and stuffed it in his pants' pocket. Edmond then broke off his communications with Martha and went to look out the window. Amy looked over at her mother, and could see tears streaming down her cheeks.

Amy walked over to her father and inquired, "Is there a problem, Dad?"

Edmond turned away from the window and answered, "No, Amy. I think I'm probably pushing your mother too hard." He added, "Perhaps your mother and I need to rest tonight, and resume tomorrow."

Edmond went to his wife's bedside, and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back tomorrow after I get off work, Martha," he calmly stated. "Please try to get some sleep, honey. I love you."

After Edmond left Martha's room that evening, his wife continued to cry until the nurse came in with Martha's evening sedative. Soon, she was fast asleep. Amy's curiosity began to build the rest of the evening. She wondered what had inflamed her father, and upset her mother. Amy eventually disregarded the whole matter because, as far as she was concerned, her nursing duties with her mother would end in four more days. Then, Martha would remain the problem of Emily and her Dad.

Emily arrived at 5:45am to relieve Amy. She asked, "How's your Mom doing?"

Amy shrugged her shoulders and said, "She slept well through the night. She had a few moments of writing skill problems with Dad last night, but I think she is making good progress."

Emily motioned for Amy to step into the hallway. When they were in the hall, Emily backed tracked to Amy's previous statement. "What kind of problems did your dad have with Martha... did you say writing skills?"

Amy just laughed. She explained, "Mom kept looking at Dad instead of the tablet, and he couldn't read what she was writing. I was wondering whether my dad's patience or the writing paper would run out first. I really think that Dad is just exhausted. The sooner we can get Mom out of this hospital, the better it will be on everyone."

Emily smiled with her response, "I agree, dear. You should go back to the house now, fix yourself something to eat, and get some rest. I bought groceries for you and your father yesterday after I left here last night, but you might want to help out your Dad with the laundry. The last time he did the clothes his white shirts turned a pale blue."

Amy grabbed her coat and left the hospital to return to her parents' house in Warminster. After arriving at the house, she changed into her pajamas, had something to eat, and then she proceeded to the laundry room. Amy was stunned to find a mountain of clothes lying in a heaping pile on the floor. She didn't think that her father had owned so many clothes. After a closer look, she saw clothier store bags and wrappers thrown into the corner of the laundry room. In actuality, Edmond wasn't doing any laundry. He just kept buying new clothes. Amy started with the task of separating the white and colored clothes. Then she went through pants pockets to remove loose change and rolled-up wads of tissues. As Amy reached into one pair of pants, she pulled out a rolled up piece of tablet paper. She opened the paper and realized that this was the note that her father had torn off the tablet which her mother Martha was writing on last night. Amy opened the page to read it, and the message read: "TELL GREG." Now Amy understood what her father meant when he replied to Martha, 'No, I can't do that!'

Amy's temper was steadily building as she approached the maximum threshold of her rage. She screamed, "That bitch... she will never give up!" Amy started throwing everything in sight. A storm of clothes, boxes of detergent, jugs of bleach and fabric softener were strewn through the air of the laundry room.

Suddenly, Amy stopped because something within her finally snapped. She had brought herself physically back to reality. However, her mind was wandering in another dimension; into a quiet place where there was no need for joy, which softly eclipsed the exceeded human limitations of anger. Amy flopped backward onto the large pile of dirty clothes. She just stared at the piece of tablet paper while reciting the note that her mother had written. She parroted Martha's message, "Tell Greg, Tell Greg, Tell Greg!" Amy went into uncontrollable laughter, and then broke into tears of misery. Amy cried herself to sleep on the floor, lying in the pile of laundry while getting lightly coated by the settling dust of airborne laundry detergent as she slept.

* * * * *

Amy was later partially awoken by the noise of two cats that were fighting outside near the laundry dryer's vent duct. She held up her arm to read her wrist watch. It was 3:00pm and she needed to get ready for her nursing shift at the hospital. After pushing herself up off the pile of dirty clothes Amy looked around at the mess she had made in the laundry room. She laughed as she cleaned up the area. Amy felt no need to do the laundry, and she walked away from the laundry room to go on upstairs and take a shower.

After getting dressed in her nursing uniform, she went to the kitchen, and made coffee. She then cut off a piece of the Danish pastry buns that were on the counter. Amy sat at the kitchen table and stared at her reflection in the mirror-tiled wall. Her mind was still departed from reality as she relived her past life experiences with her mother. Amy recalled the day when she was 8 years old. She was being scolded by her mother, who had cruelly picked that moment to inform Amy that she was adopted. Martha told Amy that she would return her to the orphanage if she didn't do what she was told. Her memories then moved forward in time to the arguments she had with her mother when Amy was a teenager. She had stated her desire of becoming an operating room technician, but her mother made the decree that if Amy was going to go to college that she would become a teacher. How ironic this past ruling from her mother seemed presently, since her parents now required Amy's nursing skills to reduce her mother's hospital expenses.

Amy's collage of memories with her mother continued. Amy was brought to that infamous moment with her mother on the Ocean City boardwalk. She had received Martha's blackmailing threat to take custody of Greg by exposing his unlawful adoption if Amy denied her visitations with him—without the inclusion of Scott. Furthermore, no matter what Amy and George did in the past to appease Martha's unjustified demands to see Greg, her mother still sought to reveal to Greg that he was adopted.

Amy neared the end of her timeline of memorial events. She recalled the many times she had successfully utilized her Aunt Emily to help remove her mother's domineering control. Emily had once again intervened to investigate Amy's allegations regarding Martha's blackmailing threats to take legal custody of Greg. Afterward, Emily phoned Amy to express her concerns. Emily's emotionally charged words were permanently implanted in Amy's memory:

"Amy, you need to understand that the woman I talked to earlier this week is no longer Martha. She has changed into a horrible creature."

Amy's reminiscence of her haunting memories ended, and she sat talking to her reflected image in the mirrored wall of the kitchen. She said, "Perhaps the time has come for someone to slay this horrible creature." Amy pulled the note from her pocket that Martha had written the previous night and read it out loud, "Tell Greg."

She looked up as her image in the mirror spoke to her. "Well, Amy, perhaps this is your destiny. Your mother has written her own death sentence, and your father can no longer afford to pay the hospital bills. He, as well as your family, has prayed for an angel of merciful death to deliver them from the horrible creature who resides in Martha." Amy had convinced herself this was a decree of death from God, and she was assigned the mission of answering her family's prayers.

Amy put on her overcoat and left to go to the hospital. She had a delusional, self-proclaimed purpose of ridding her family of the biggest torment that remained: her mother, Martha. After all, Amy was on a mission from God, and the world would be a better place with one less horrible creature tormenting humanity.

* * * * *

When Amy arrived in her mother's room at the hospital, Emily was barely awake watching television, and Martha was sleeping soundly. Emily got up from her chair and stretched. "Nothing to report, Amy," stated Emily with a pleased smile. "It appears that we won't need to provide private duty nursing care much longer for your mother. Her doctor said she may only be required to stay in the hospital for one more week. Martha can drink fluids through a straw and will soon be able to eat solid food again."

Amy replied with a glassy-eyed smile, "That's wonderful, Emily. I'm sure that Dad will be happy to hear this good news."

Emily had noticed something peculiar with Amy because she had a strange grin on her face as she stared at Martha. "Are you alright, dear?" asked Emily. "You appear exhausted... are you getting enough sleep?"

Amy broke off her locked focus on her mother and looked at Emily. "I'm fine, Emily," Amy replied, "I probably just need some more coffee."

Emily left the room and came back with a carafe of coffee for Amy. "Here, dear, take this coffee and the floor nurse will check up on you later if you need more. I'm going home now."

Soon after Emily left the room, Martha had awakened to see her daughter sitting in a chair next to her bed, staring at her with a smile. Amy did not break off her intimidating stare until her father arrived to resume his usual writing exercises with Martha. The whole time that Edmond remained, Amy just gazed into the open book she was holding, pretending to read. She patiently waited for her father to end his visit. When visiting hours had ended, Edmond placed the clipboard and pen on the side table. He kissed his wife good night, and left the hospital to return home.

Shortly after her father left the room, a nurse came to give Martha her sedative shot. After the nurse left, Amy resumed her stare at Martha with cold, piercing eyes. Martha was becoming alarmed with Amy's intimidations and struggled to remain awake.

The floor nurse, Sally Fleisher, was completing her rounds and asked if Amy needed more coffee. Amy looked up with a smile, "No thank you, Sally. I won't need any more coffee."

When Sally left Martha's room, Amy waited several minutes. Then she got up from her seat to look up and down the hallway to make sure nobody was present. She returned into the room, and moved the emergency call button out of Martha's reach. Amy then turned to face her mother and smiled. Martha's eyelids were half closed as she struggled to fight off the sedative to remain awake.

Amy reached in her pocket and pulled out Martha's note that was written to Edmond the evening before. "Look what I found, Mom," teased Amy with a sinister voice as she displayed the note to her mother.

Terror could be seen in Martha's eyes when she saw the note that Amy was holding.

Amy continued with her final words to her mother. "You just didn't know when to quit, Mom, and you still made continued attempts to ruin my life, as well as Greg's. Well, this bullshit ends tonight!"

Amy walked to the left side of Martha's bed. She quickly placed her hand over Martha's mouth, while pinching her mother's nose closed. Martha struggled to breathe as she reached over to the side table with her right arm to grab her pen, which she stabbed into Amy's forearm. Amy could no longer feel pain, and she was blindly focused on ending her mother's life. Martha's struggling finally ceased as her right hand released its grip on the pen, and her arm dropped over hanging off the side of the bed. Martha lay motionless with her eyes open. Amy pulled the pen out of her bleeding forearm, and threw it under the bed. She then reached over to feel her mother's jugular vein to be sure that her mother was dead, and quickly located the emergency call button to alarm the floor nurse.

Sally Fleisher was the first to arrive in the room. She saw Amy giving her mother CPR while putting on a convincing act of attempting to resuscitate Martha. Sally saw the bloody sleeve on Amy's arm, and pulled her away to take over the CPR until the emergency team arrived.

"Amy, please take care of your arm. You're bleeding and there isn't anything else you can do here," stated Sally.

Amy looked at the blood-soaked sleeve of her uniform. She said, "I must have caught my arm on something."

Amy casually walked down the hall with a dazed smile of relief on her face. Blood was running down her arm and dripping from her finger tips. Amy was leaving a trail of blood behind her on the floor as she continued down the hallway.

One of the nurses en route to Martha's room saw Amy and looked at her bleeding arm. "There are medical supplies and bandages in the infirmary station down the hall across from the nurse's desk," the nurse stated. "Clean your wound and I'll be there in a few minutes to dress it for you. I have to answer this emergency call now."

Amy found the infirmary station and was rinsing her wound under cold water in the sink, watching the red whirlpool of water as it washed down the drain. After about 15 minutes, the nurse returned and attended the deep hole that penetrated about an inch into Amy's forearm. "That's a pretty nasty wound," the nurse curiously stated. "How did this happen?"

Amy appeared to be in shock as the nurse checked her eyes. Amy just wearily looked up at the nurse. "I must have hit my arm on the bed when my mother went into convulsions," she replied. "Were you able to revive my mother?"

The nurse had a sad look on her face. She said, "I'm sorry. It appears that your mother had a fatal stroke, and we couldn't save her." The nurse did her best to console Amy. "Perhaps God saw this as your mother's time to go to Heaven," stated the nurse compassionately. "Your mother is in a better place now."

Amy summoned her tears and gave the appearances of deep sadness, as the nurse completed dressing Amy's arm with a bandage. The nurse then sat Amy in a chair in a corner of the room to rest. "I will be right back," stated the nurse. "You probably won't need stitches, but you will need to have a tetanus shot because this is a deep wound."

After the nurse left the infirmary station, Amy's smile returned to her face as quickly as she had turned off her tears. The horrible creature, which had embodied the former Martha Baxter Bennett, was dead. It had been effectively removed through the presumption of natural causes. Amy also recalled the nurse's statement regarding God having a hand in deciding to take Martha away to Heaven. However, Amy was certain that only Hell would accept the forbidding soul of her mother.

* * * * *

Chapter 19

Martha's funeral was planned for the following Friday. Amy and George made arrangements for Scott to stay with George's parents. They also decided to allow Greg to attend his grandmother's funeral. George walked over to give his wife a comforting hug as she was looking in her dresser mirror, putting on her makeup.

"Are you sure that you want to bring Greg to your mother's funeral, Amy?" asked George. "Greg is only 9 years old. I really don't think he needs to live through his final memories of his grandmother with a funeral. Furthermore, if Greg is going to the funeral, shouldn't we bring Scott also?"

Amy pushed George's arms away. "Yes, I'm sure, George," stated Amy angrily. "It's important that Greg attends, and I'm only staying consistent with Martha's wishes by not bringing Scott. After all, Martha never gave a damn about Scott when she was alive, so there is no reason for Scott to make an appearance for Martha's death either. Go help Greg put on his neck tie for the funeral, George, instead of wasting time belaboring me with what you think!"

George was somewhat annoyed with his wife's statements. However, he thought it was better to avoid them rather than start an argument by confronting her. He also had concerns with Amy's lack of mourning. Even though Amy had never had a close relationship with her mother, this was surely not the time for her to express it.

George helped Scott pack his school books and toys to bring to his grandparents' house. He then went to help Greg, who was struggling to button his top shirt button before he donned his new clip-on tie.

As Greg finished getting dressed, he asked, "Why isn't Scott going to Mom-mom's funeral too?"

George's difficult response to Greg was slow, "Mommy thought that you and Scott might squabble. She felt it was best that only one of you would go to the funeral. Now I don't want to hear any more about this, Greg. Do you hear me?"

Greg quickly stepped back from George. Every time his father made this questioning statement it usually meant that George's belt would be coming off. Greg knew he would be whipped if he didn't keep his mouth shut.

After they had arrived at Martha's funeral memorial service, Greg's inquisitiveness had resumed again because he was the only young child sitting in the room. The other relatives who Greg recognized were Emily, who escorted Edmond to the front row of seats, and Robert and Becky Baxter, who sat beside Emily. Greg was scared when he saw Robert Baxter with dark rings around his eyes; he looked like a sick raccoon. However, what was misunderstood and unknown to Greg was that Robert was dying from cirrhosis of the liver. His perpetual drinking habit of more than 10 years had finally caught up to him. His remaining days appeared numbered as evidenced with his inability to sit up straight in his chair with his bulging abdomen. Robert sat with his chin resting down on his chest because he was too weak to hold his head upright.

Emily got up to use the restroom. She was looking around at the relatives, friends, and Martha's high school teaching associates who had come to pay their last respects. Surprisingly, there was also a Catholic nun who stood by herself to the back of the room. Emily thought it was strange that a nun would make an appearance at a Baptist funeral. She then stopped by to review the ledger of guests on her way back from the restroom. Emily didn't find anyone who had signed the guest book that addressed herself as a Catholic sister. When Emily returned to the seating area, she noticed Greg sitting next to Amy. He had turned around in his chair and was curiously staring at the nun. She was smiling at Greg and pleasantly waving at him. This started to give Emily objectionable flashbacks to her conversations with Monsignor Monahan, and she hoped this nun's presence had no connection to those past events.

There was another matter that Emily was trying to discern regarding Martha's alleged fatal stroke. At first, Emily had contended the entire matter was just an untimely circumstance and unforeseen problems had caused Martha's demise. However, doubts surfaced that evening when Emily arrived at the hospital after Martha had died. Sally Fleisher was the floor nurse who was on duty, and she was holding up a paper bag as she approached Emily that night. Sally was an alumni nursing student and had attended the pediatric class that Emily taught in the nursing school. After Sally had graduated from nursing school, Emily had encouraged her to stay on with the hospital for her career as a registered nurse. She and Emily had grown to become close work associates as well as good friends.

On the evening that Martha died, Sally had a concerned look on her face as she opened the paper bag to disclose the contents of Martha's belongings. There were the expected items of a hair brush and other toiletries. Then Sally pulled out an ink pen wrapped in plastic and handed it to Emily. "One of the hospital orderlies brought this to me after he had cleaned Martha Bennett's room," explained Sally. "He found it under her bed."

Emily examined the pen which had a dried blood residue that extended a little more than an inch from the ball point tip. Emily responded to Sally, "You say that an orderly found this under Martha's bed?"

Sally nodded yes, and then she reached into the bag again to pull out a crumpled piece of tablet paper. "The orderly also found this when he was removing Martha's bed sheets," said Sally.

Emily examined the paper, and read the scribbled message out loud, "Tell Greg." Emily was trying to make some relevant connection between a bloody pen and this hand-written note. Then she looked over at Sally. "Does anyone else, besides you and the orderly, know about this?" asked Emily.

Sally saw a worried expression on Emily's face, and she replied, "Why no, Emily. I just thought it would be best to bring this to your attention, and let you decide what to do."

Emily appeared relieved after hearing Sally's response. "Good," said Emily. "Please, let's just keep this between us... you never saw these items. OK?"

Sally agreed with Emily, and the matter would never be mentioned again. After that evening, Emily was waiting for the right moment to approach Edmond Bennett. She thought it would be best to wait until after the funeral.

The service was long, and after Martha's burial, everyone was invited back for refreshments at a reception hall located close to the cemetery in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Greg was getting fidgety and bored because there weren't any other children to hang out with. He wandered around the small wall alcoves which were dimly lit to display various pieces of crafted art work and paintings. As he turned the corner, he was startled to see the nun standing by herself drinking a cup of punch.

The nun bent over to greet Greg, and he shyly backed away, "Hello, Greg. How are you doing today?"

Greg became curious and asked, "How'd you know my name?"

The nun avoided Greg's question and just smiled with her response. "Well, allow me to introduce myself," said the nun while extending her hand to shake. "My name is Sister Michelle."

Greg smiled and shook her hand while admiring her dangling gem-encrusted crucifix, which was suspended from a golden chain. "That's a pretty necklace," said Greg.

The nun removed her necklace to allow Greg to make a closer examination. She took him by the hand to sit with her on the alcove bench seat. She then stated, "Greg, you know that you were very special to your grandmother, Martha."

Greg looked at the nun with sad eyes, and he then replied, "Yes. I will miss her because now I can't go to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's house at the beach anymore."

The nun placed her arm around Greg's shoulders trying to offer him comfort—until Emily had appeared. She glared sternly at the nun.

"Greg, your mommy is looking for you," said Emily in an attempt to lure Greg away from the nun. "She has a piece of cake for you. Why don't you go and find her?"

Greg handed back Sister Michelle's crucifix to her, as he slid down off the bench seat. He politely said good bye to the nun before he left to find his mother.

Emily then turned her attention back to the nun and sat down next to her. The nun made a quick introduction, "Hello, Emily. I am Sister Michelle. I greatly enjoyed the company of your son, Greg."

At first, Emily was stunned by the nun's statement. Then she quickly came to the realization of who Sister Michelle represented. Emily responded, "You know my name, and you also know that Greg is my son, so I assume you are attending this funeral at the behest of Monsignor Monahan."

The nun placed her hand on top of Emily's and replied, "Yes, Emily. Monsignor Monahan sends his condolences and his prayers for your family's quick recovery from the loss of your sister. He also prays that your brother, Robert, recovers from his illness. However, I see that your mother was unable to attend her daughter's funeral. How is Amanda's health?"

Emily was getting rather irritated with the nun's sugar-coated intimidations. "Please inform the good Monsignor Monahan that my mother is doing well. Also, assure him I have not forgotten his gracious compromise," Emily stated.

Sister Michelle's eyes sparkled with Emily's words. "Well then, Emily, I shall bid your family farewell and relay your statement back to Monsignor Monahan," Sister Michelle politely stated. "It has been a pleasure to meet your acquaintance and little Greg. I can understand why your sister, Martha, loved him very deeply."

As she walked Sister Michelle to the entrance of the reception hall, Emily briefly turned away from the nun. She was distracted for a few seconds by an elderly couple that offered their condolences before they left to go home. Emily turned back to escort Sister Michelle outside, but the nun had disappeared. Emily walked out to the parking lot. When she turned the corner of the reception building, she had to use her hand as a visor to block the sunlight. For a brief moment, Emily thought that she saw Monsignor Monahan standing at the end of the sidewalk smiling at her, and then he suddenly vanished. "I must be going nuts," Emily muttered. "Now I'm seeing things that aren't there." Emily continued waiting to see Sister Michelle leave in her car, but the mysterious nun couldn't be located in the parking lot, or in the reception hall.

The funeral reception was already starting to thin out. Edmond was standing to help Becky Baxter assist her husband, Robert, to their car. Emily had followed along, and after Robert and Becky were driving out of the parking lot, Emily asked Edmond to come with her and sit in her car for a minute to talk. When they were seated, Emily reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper. "Please tell me, Ed, have you seen this before?"

Edmond was stunned and responded, "Yes, Martha wrote this on a tablet one evening when I was visiting her. However, I tore this off the tablet and stuffed it in my pants pocket. Where did you get this?"

Emily's voice started to quiver. She explained, "A hospital orderly, who was cleaning Martha's room, found it in the sheets of her bed the night she died."

Edmond sat quietly, trying to recall the events of that evening. He stated, "I was sure that I had put this in my pants pocket. The only person who could have found it would be..." Edmond's body started to shake. "Are you trying to tell me that my daughter, Amy, had something to do with Martha's death?" asked Edmond angrily. "I cannot believe this, Emily!"

Emily rubbed Edmond's shoulder. "I'm not saying anything, Edmond," she replied. "I was just asking if you knew where this piece of paper came from—that's all. Let's go back inside and say good bye to everyone before they leave."

Emily felt that Edmond had been through enough heartache already. Therefore, she intentionally avoided showing him the blood-stained pen which was found under Martha's bed on the night she died. The ball point pen was the only sharp object in Martha's room that could have been used with force to leave a hole which penetrated one inch into the flesh of Amy's forearm. Edmond and Emily slowly accepted the reality that Martha was killed by Amy. However, neither of them would ever discuss it again.

Two months later, Emily's brother, Robert, endured a slow and agonizing death, resulting from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. It pained Emily to see her brother languishing, during his final days. His death, in such a close proximity of time to Martha's, took its toll on Emily. Emily had requested Robert's wife, Becky, to have a private funeral service with only an open casket viewing the night before. Emily never gave Becky an explanation for her unusual request. However, Emily also did not wish to explain a repeat appearance from any Catholic representative who Monsignor Monahan may choose to send. Emily did not need to be reminded again of the pending compromising decision that she must make regarding her mother, Amanda.

* * * * *

Chapter 20

January 8, 1965

Linda Parks was busy typing at her side table with her back turned away from the law office door entrance. She became startled when she turned around and saw a monk wearing a hooded robe standing in front of her desk. The monk looked down at Linda's desk nameplate. He softly stated, "Ms. Parks, I have a letter, and it needs to be hand-delivered. Is Mr. Joseph Danbury available?"

Linda was still trying to catch her breath while she used the desk phone to call Joseph in his back office. "Mr. Danbury, there is a courier here with a letter, and he said it must be hand-delivered to you," stated Linda nervously. "Please come to the waiting room."

She hung up the phone and addressed the courier. "Mr. Danbury will be right with you," she stated. Linda watched the monk with curiosity as he quickly walked across the seating area to stand in front of a door. She thought it was rather strange that this monk already knew which of the four adjoining office doors to the waiting room that Joseph would use. The monk stood patiently as Joseph's footsteps could be heard approaching.

When Joseph opened the door, he paralleled his secretary's shock when he saw the hooded monk. "Holy shit," was the reflexive words that rolled off Joseph's tongue. He asked, "You have a delivery for me?"

The monk smiled showing no concern regarding Joseph's crude outburst. "Yes, Mr. Danbury," stated the monk. "I have a letter from the Vatican which I have been directed to deliver to your personal attention." The monk took a small leather satchel from under his arm, and opened it to provide an envelope that was plainly addressed to: 'Mr. Joseph Danbury, Esquire'. The envelope displayed a red wax seal pressed onto the back across the over-lapping folded enclosure.

The monk grinned before he bowed to Joseph, then he quickly turned, and left the office. Linda said nothing while she observed the reflecting trails of sweat that were rolling down Joseph's forehead, and soaking into his bushy eye brows. Joseph cleared his throat and quickly left the waiting room. Linda could hear his footsteps stomping down the hallway all the way back to his office, which ended with a loud slam of his door closing.

* * * * *

Joseph nervously opened the envelope and removed the letter, which displayed the insignia of the Vatican on Monsignor Monahan's official stationary. The short message read:

Dear Mr. Danbury,

I will be arriving in Philadelphia in one week. Please make time for my visit in your office with Miss Emily Baxter in attendance, on January 15th, at 9:00am."

Fond regards,

-Monsignor Monahan

Joseph's blood pressure was spiking as he poured himself a glass of brandy. Then he pulled a cigar from the humidor that sat on his desk. He did not even have to think twice concerning what this Vatican emissary wanted to discuss. Joseph also did not know what decision Emily would make regarding her mother, Amanda. This diplomat from Rome was a person who didn't need to bluff with a provision of the compromise that he made to Emily. The Monsignor would be arriving in order to assure that his sworn duty is fulfilled. The Vatican's business would have to be finished before he would return to Rome. Joseph made haste in calling Emily Baxter to inform her of this appointed date with Monsignor Monahan, and to ensure that she would be attending this meeting.

* * * * *

January 15th rolled around faster than desired. Emily left her house and slowly walked to her car to drive into downtown Philadelphia for her meeting at the Danbury Law Office. As she turned the corner of her house, she was surprised to be greeted by Joseph Danbury. He stood beside his large polished Cadillac, which was parked within close proximity of Emily's rear car bumper.

"I believe that you are blocking my car, Joseph," said Emily with a sarcastic grin. "I need to leave for an appointment at your office."

Joseph sternly replied, "I personally came to drive you downtown. I didn't want you to get lost, or to possibly have second thoughts on your way to my office." Joseph opened the passenger door for Emily, and she got into his car.

The seat of Joseph's pants made a restrictive rubbing noise when he maneuvered his position on the cold black leather seat to adjust his driving position. As he pulled out of the driveway, Emily became inquisitive. "How long were you in my driveway waiting for me?"

Joseph turned his head to smile at Emily, "I was sitting there since six o'clock this morning. There have been people monitoring your location since the day I informed you about this appointment. I couldn't afford to take a chance on you leaving town or going on a last minute cruise somewhere. So tell me, Emily, have you decided what you are going to do about your mother, Amanda?"

Emily made no reply, which raised Joseph's level of anger. "Damn it, Emily... do you think that Monsignor Monahan was just making veiled threats? Your decision affects me and many others, as much as it does your family. If you don't have the courage to save your own ass, then I will do this for you. Just give me the word, and I'll carry out this responsibility."

Emily glared at Joseph and thought about his lack of moral conscience. She asked, "Why don't we wait to hear what the monsignor has to say first, Joseph. OK?" Joseph just grunted, and he slammed his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.

* * * * *

They arrived in downtown Philadelphia, and Joseph took Emily by the arm to escort her to his office. He had left all appointments empty on his calendar schedule for that day and also generously gave Linda the day off with pay. He unlocked the law office door entrance to walk Emily back to his office through the conference room, and he had noticed that Linda forgot to turn out the lights the previous evening before she left. "Damn it, Linda," said Joseph in anger. "My secretary thinks that electricity is free."

He opened the conference room door and was shocked to see Monsignor Monahan seated at the conference room table. Joseph's face looked furious when he addressed the emissary, "How in the hell did you get in here?"

The monsignor smiled with his reply, "I am here, and how I arrived is not your concern, Mr. Danbury. I always endeavor to reach my destination early when I have an important international assignment."

Joseph was getting nervous and he walked to the side table to pour a glass of brandy. He asked, "Would anyone like a drink?"

The monsignor remarked, "My body is still running on Rome's time. However, I never indulge in alcohol because it may impair my better judgment. Perhaps Miss Baxter would like to partake in your courtesies."

Emily glared at Joseph. She said, "It's only 8:30 in the morning, Joseph. This surely isn't a good time to be drinking."

Joseph ignored both of his guests, and slowly drank the entire glass of brandy. He took his seat at the head of the table. "Emily, I was asked by Monsignor Monahan to have you present in this meeting," stated Joseph in a professional manner. "I feel that we both know why he has come here, all the way from Rome."

The monsignor rose from his chair to stand and applauded Joseph's statement. He said, "Bravo, Mr. Danbury, your keen insight serves you well. However, there is more I wish to discuss, before the issue of Miss Amanda Mills."

Joseph looked perplexed and responded, "Well then, Monsignor, please enlighten us with what you wish to talk about."

The monsignor began slowly pacing around the large conference room table as he spoke. "I feel that I have given Miss Baxter a heartbreaking and arduous task. To be fair, I feel that she should be told the entire truth in this matter."

Joseph started to get nervous, and he asked, "What other truths are you referring to, Monsignor?"

Monsignor Monahan pounded his fist on the table, "What other truths indeed, Mr. Danbury! I am talking about the entire truth that created this circumstance. Miss Baxter needs to hear the historical facts which have been suppressed for centuries. She also must be told the more recent events, and the subsequent actions of people such as yourself and the Knights Templar."

Emily sat in awe. She looked upon the intensity of the monsignor's black eyes, and noticed the panic on Joseph's face.

The monsignor regained his composure, and he continued his slow pace around the conference table. He then continued, "Perhaps we should give Miss Baxter a history lesson. I will bring the facts of this matter from the beginning to the present, and you, Mr. Danbury, shall finish this lecture with your part in this history."

The Monsignor took off his jacket and placed it over the back of a conference room chair. Then he began his account of the historical facts. "The events of our present circumstances started long ago with an ancient royal bloodline's seeds which had been spawned and tabulated before the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. The seeds of these descendants spread to other parts of the world. They were covertly planted within the Celtic Fisher Kings of the Jewish kingdom of southern Gaul during the first century AD. Eventually, they went into North Britain during the third century AD. Later, this bloodline had married into the Merovingian Dynasty during the fourth century AD. Furthermore, these bloodline descendants were known to exist by the Roman authorities. Even though this bloodline was now protected within royal monarchies, it was also becoming diluted through the intermarriages of wealthy noble and aristocratic families... or so the Vatican had presumed. All of this changed in the tenth century AD shortly after the Roman Catholic Church officially endorsed what was called the Order of the Temple. Today, we know them as the Knights Templar. This military order of warrior monks became a favored charity throughout Christendom, and grew rapidly in membership and power. The Knights Templar had taken a vow of poverty, and each member surrendered their land and possessions upon entering this order. The Order also managed a large economic infrastructure with the first form of banking. The knights safely transacted a checking system of gold and silver for the religious pilgrims before they were escorted between the Mediterranean ports and the Holy Land.

"The Knights Templar also offered their services to Baldwin II, the King of Jerusalem, who gave them space for a headquarters on the Temple Mount. This Temple was the remaining ruins of the former Temple of Solomon that was destroyed during the Roman siege in 70AD. There were nine knights who stayed at this headquarters. Each night they excavated looking for treasure throughout the underground tunnels that were located under the Temple Mount. The treasure they discovered far exceeded the value of gold or gems. The Knights Templar found genealogical parchment scrolls under the Temple Mount. The scrolls recorded the lineage of an ancient royal bloodline, whose descendants were the rightful heirs to rule over the Kingdom of Earth.

"The nine knights returned to Rome to present their findings to the Pope. These ancient scrolls uncovered fraudulent inaccuracies within the historical writings of the Holy Bible. They also exposed the Church's authoritarians of the Vatican to be falsified oligarchs. The Templar knights threatened to expose the historical deceptions created by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, this order of warrior monks effectively had blackmailed the Church's highest authorities. In time, the Knights Templar became very powerful and could freely pass through all borders. They were not required to pay taxes, and they were exempt from all authority except that of the Pope. The Knights Templar became extremely wealthy by amassing huge tracts of donated land in both Europe and the Middle East. The Order also built a large fleet of ships and several fortresses, and they received tax-free interest through their substantial loans. One of their biggest financial patrons was King Philip IV of France.

"Since the Order of the Knights Templar was the only entity besides the Vatican which possessed the truth of this ancient royal bloodline, then it was eventually decreed for all members of the knights to be destroyed. King Philip also had financial incentives to dissolve his debts that he owed to the Order. The King fabricated charges of heresy against the Knights Templar. He had also convinced Pope Clement V to arrest the knights, to abolish their organization and seize its holdings. However, the vast network of people within the Order of the Knights Templar had been informed of this impending raid. Even though many knights were captured, tortured, and executed; many made their escape before the arrests by the King's authorities had been carried out. The entire Templar fleet of ships vanished from the port of La Rochelle, carrying with it, a vast fortune and the ancient secret genealogy scrolls of the royal bloodline. The fate of this treasure remains a mystery, to this very day.

"The Knights Templar had found sanctuary in Portugal and Scotland. They also began the colonization of New Scotland. This colony was located on the North American coast of what is now Nova Scotia, over 100 years before Columbus had arrived at this shoreline. However, soon after the Order of the Knights Templar was driven underground, they utilized their massive wealth clandestinely to topple monarchies and world governments. The Knights Templar later changed the name of their Order to the Knights of Christ. Eventually, they became a secret society hidden within the secret societies of the Freemasons. Above all, this order carefully guarded the secrets of the scrolls they found under the Temple Mount. They also took over as the guardians and gatekeepers of this hidden royal bloodline. The Knights Templar had been tracking and tabulating each birth, as well as arranging the descendant marriages which have continued to maintain the purity of bloodline heirs for approximately 700 years.

"The actual monetary wealth of the originating Order of Knights Templar is unknown. However, it is enormous and networked throughout the international banks and chains of financial trusts. Their ultimate goal is to create a one-world government and a common world religion. They believe that world peace can never be achieved until the controlling factions of all monarchies, national governments, and multi-denominational religions are dissolved. When their goal is achieved, the royal bloodline descendants shall be revealed and be given their rightful heritage to rule over their kingdom on Earth. By contrast, there has been one question that the Vatican has asked for many centuries. At what cost shall this New World Order of peace be achieved and maintained? The Vatican believes that the goal of the Knights Templar can only lead to Armageddon. Furthermore, that is why the Roman authority's decree of death to the bloodline descendants has never been rescinded. Thus, ever since this Roman decree was issued, the bloodline descendants have been hunted down. Bountiful rewards were placed on their heads, leading to their capture. This decree also created the need for a dissident organization of people to be developed. The organization would not only hide the royal heirs but would continue to plant the descendant seeds to assure the continuance of this bloodline. All the children who had descended from this ancient bloodline were hidden and relocated throughout all areas of the civilized world. Many children, like your mother, Amanda, were taken from their mother shortly after birth. They were given new homes with organization members who were selected to raise these children. Every one of these births was catalogued. Later, as they grew into adults they were betrothed through arranged marriages with other descendants from this bloodline in order to maintain the purity of this race. Since these children were taken at birth they would neither know where their origins came from nor why they may have been coerced into a marriage that was not of their choosing. The royal bloodline descendants became nothing more than a breeding livestock that was being preserved and continually replenished for a day which has never come. With every day that passes, they are still hunted down by the Roman authorities."

Upon completing what he had to say, Monsignor Monahan took a seat. He stared across the table at Joseph Danbury while Emily sat in utter astonishment reflecting on what had been said. Joseph got up from his chair to pour another glass of brandy. He stood slowly drinking down the contents of the glass with his back turned to his two guests.

The monsignor gently coaxed Joseph to finish this historical review. He asked, "Mr. Danbury, would it be best to start with the reasons why Julia Frida Mendel was brought to this particular region of North America in 1881? Moreover, how your law firm's greed and neglect of duties had contributed to our current circumstances?"

Joseph quickly downed the remaining portion of his brandy and returned to sit in his chair. Then he loosened his tie, and forced his response. "The problem started in 1875 with Carl Mendel, who was Julia's first sentinel guardian. Carl continually demanded more funds to be drawn from Julia's family trust. He wanted to expand his private boarding school, and to pay for the boarding costs of the many hidden royal bloodline children who came into his temporary guardianship with his wife, Agnes. However, it was discovered that these trust funds were being spent on extravagant purchases of luxury items, and to cover his large gambling debts. Carl came under investigative scrutiny by the London authorities for tax evasion. The investigation disclosed the source of his unaccountable assets as being derived from Julia's family trust. As a consequence, his actions revealed the hidden identity of Julia Frida Mendel to the Vatican.

"In 1881, my great-grandfather, Richard Danbury, was commissioned through our European affiliates to bring Julia to America. He established a new identity for her, as Amanda Mills. Our law firm also assisted in the matters of Amanda's welfare with her sentinel guardian parents, James and Sara Mills. We specifically relocated Amanda to Berlin, New Jersey with the intent for her to eventually be introduced to Samuel Baxter. He was also one of the royal bloodline descendant children whom we had been commissioned to relocate to America. This was done shortly after his birth in Quebec, Canada. When Samuel turned 18 years of age, he became an employee of Amanda's guardian father, James Mills. James owned and operated several textile factories that were financed through his bank in Berlin, New Jersey. James introduced Samuel to his daughter, Amanda, in the early 1890s. We then let nature take its course, which led to the marriage of Samuel and Amanda, in 1895.

"Within the first two years of marriage, Amanda became pregnant. After a child's birth, our organization's protocol was to inform the mother that her first-born child was stillborn. We would then give the child a falsified identity and relocate this infant to live in another part of the world with new parents who were selected sentinel guardians within our organization. However, James Mills would not permit this required procedure to take place. He had stopped short of threatening to expose our operations if we sought to seize Amanda's baby. In return for our law firm's silence, James paid us additional money from his bank in Berlin, New Jersey. He also gave our law firm oversight of the building and loan banking charters he was expanding into the greater Philadelphia area. One of these banks was later given to Samuel Baxter to administer. Furthermore, our law firm had falsified the accounting. We continued to spend the newly expanded funds from Amanda's European family trust, which were intended to be used for her first born child's relocation and living expenses."

Joseph then looked at Emily as he continued. "Just as it was with your parents, we had arranged the marriages of your brothers, Robert and Isaac, as well as your sister, Martha. We also arranged your engagement, Emily, which you ended in 1937. Robert was sterile and he and Becky could not conceive a child. Isaac suffered through many years with bone cancer and he and his wife, Doris, chose to adopt a child. Your sister, Martha, was unable to conceive a child with her husband, Edmond, and they chose to adopt two children."

Joseph's face showed a smirk. He continued, "Then you, Emily, with your chosen lesbian lifestyle, had seemingly removed any potential for your parents to have a lineal blood descendant, until you decided to conceive a child with your brother-in-law Edmond Bennett. Your actions have changed everything. In hindsight, our law firm did not tell Amanda about her ancestral royal bloodline heritage. Therefore, you never knew the reasons for maintaining the secrecy of your mother's hidden identity. Your decision to conceive a child with Edmond, and using Amanda's previous covert identity for your own selfish purpose, has brought us to this day of reckoning."

Joseph again rose from his chair to pour another glass of brandy to calm his shattered nerves. He did not like the truth being exposed in the matters of his organization's secrets. Furthermore, Joseph did not like being forced to confess to his law firm's 90 years of profitable greed and deceptive practices. After all, he had been a willing lineal participant in the matters.

Monsignor Monahan then turned his focus to Emily, who was visibly shaking. "Miss Baxter, you now have been provided the entire truth in the matters which have brought us together today for this meeting," stated the monsignor. "I contend that you completely understand the circumstances, and why I have placed the responsibility of resolve in your hands. My compromise, that was offered to you over one year ago, still stands. You will have the remaining days of this month to carry out the death of your mother. If you decide this obligation needs to be carried out through the authority of the Vatican, then it shall include the elimination of you, and your son, Greg. Anyone else whom was an accomplice in this matter will also be eliminated. We may need to meet only one more time—after January 31, 1965."

The monsignor rose from his chair to put on his jacket, then he turned to address Emily and Joseph. "I bid you a fond farewell, and I shall pray for both of you to have continued health and well being through the coming New Year." Monsignor Monahan walked to the conference room door. "I will see my way out. Thank you for your gracious presence here today," stated the monsignor. "It was indeed a very enlightening conversation; especially for you, Miss Baxter."

Joseph and Emily both sat in silence. Joseph listened to the monsignor's footsteps walk across the waiting room floor, and he remained still until the office entrance door closed with a loud thud. Joseph then rose from his chair to walk back to his office. He returned with a paper bag, and pushed it across the table to Emily. She opened the bag and pulled out a small box that enclosed a sealed glass bottle containing a clear liquid.

Emily sat silently pondering the contents and asked, "What is this, Joseph?"

Joseph displayed a face of desperation. "It is liquid opium, which I have gone to great expense to obtain for you," stated Joseph. "There is enough fluid in that bottle to kill a horse, so it will certainly be adequate for your mother, Amanda. The time is nearing, Emily. As I told you in the car this morning... if you do not possess the courage to carry out your responsibility in this matter, then I will do it for you."

* * * * *

Chapter 21

January 30, 1965

Emily's choice was clear. Either her mother, Amanda, is euthanized before January 31, 1965, or else Emily and her son Greg, along with countless other people would perish. Emily was beginning to understand the sacrifices that were inherited from this hidden royal bloodline, which included innocent people like her mother. These family descendants were unknowingly born into a death sentence, and the Vatican had sought to eradicate them from humanity for centuries. It was still a mystery to Emily as to why the monsignor would abrogate his sworn duties as a Vatican emissary. She also wondered why he would place the responsibility to carry out Amanda's execution on one of her own children. Emily concluded that this was her penance and the cross that she alone would have to carry.

Monsignor Monahan made no apologies for the actions of his Catholic predecessors. This emissary could not be held responsible for the decree made by the Roman authorities centuries ago, any more than Amanda should be found guilty and put to death for being born into an ancient bloodline that she never knew about. The Vatican was principally driven in its justifications to destroy this bloodline, along with the Knights Templar, because this order of warrior monks' religious beliefs sought for the world to be ruled through a royal bloodline right of descent. Conversely, the Vatican sought to maintain the current systems of oligarchic rule, which divided and controlled the world populace for thousands of years. The Knights Templar and the Vatican had been in an unseen warring conflict for centuries. Both of these adversaries' actions were, allegedly, done in the name of God. However, neither one of these conflicting causes would lead to anything other than humanity's destruction. Emily unintentionally stepped into the middle of this battlefield. She unknowingly placed herself, her son, and countless other innocent people in the direct line of fire.

The prophetic statement Emily had received from her mother over a decade ago again echoed in her mind:

"This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility, and you alone shall bear the consequences for your actions!"

Emily could not get over the profound farsighted accuracies of her mother's statement. Amanda had predicted the unfortunate future circumstances that Emily would bring upon herself. However, it presently appeared that her mother would bear the final consequences for Emily's actions.

Emily had prepared for what would be her last Saturday visit to see her mother at the Ambler Rest Home. She was interrupted when Kathryn Jones had knocked on the closed door that separated their adjoining living quarters. Kathryn then entered into Emily's living room.

"Good morning, Emily," said Kathryn, as she reviewed her list of things to do. "We will need to stop by the cleaners on our way to visit Amanda. I forgot to pick up my dry cleaning order yesterday."

Emily looked at Kathryn with solemn eyes, "You will need to pick them up, Kathryn. I will be seeing my mother alone today."

Kathryn could tell that something was bothering her loving partner. "Is there a problem that we need to discuss, Emily?" inquired Kathryn. "Why do you want to change our regular weekend routine with visiting Amanda?"

Emily had tears streaming down her face. She stated, "I need to discuss some very personal family matters with my mom. Trust me, Kathryn; you really don't want to get involved with them."

Kathryn was miffed by Emily's riddling response. In the 30 years that they had known each other, there was never a personal family matter that had been barred from discussion. Nevertheless, Kathryn respected Emily's choice to visit her mother alone.

Emily reluctantly left the house, went to her car, and opened the driver's door. Before she sat in her car, Emily reached under her seat. She pulled out the paper bag she had received from Joseph Danbury. Emily then placed the bag into the bottom of her purse. A paper-wrapped package, containing a hypodermic syringe she had taken from the hospital, was also in her purse. Emily prayed for the courage to start her car and to be given the strength to drive to the Ambler Rest Home to fulfill her responsibilities.

As Emily sat in quiet contemplation, she was startled to see Kathryn standing next to the driver's side of the car. Emily rolled down her window. Kathryn looked down at Emily with concerned eyes. "I believe that you need to turn the key in the ignition to start the engine, Emily," stated Kathryn. "You have been sitting out here in the cold for over 15 minutes. Perhaps you should allow me to drive you to the Ambler Rest Home to see Amanda, and I will wait in the recreation room while you visit your mom. You're in no condition to drive, and I don't need to be dealing with the trauma of having to identify your remains after you blindly run off the road and hit a tree."

Emily smiled in agreement. "You're right, Kathryn," Emily responded. "I'll let you drive me there." Emily slid across to the passenger side of the seat, and Kathryn got in to drive.

As they departed and drove on towards the Ambler Rest Home, Kathryn had made several attempts to make conversation with Emily. She was not even aware of Kathryn being there because Emily had removed herself from reality. She hopelessly focused on her appointed duty as the Vatican's executioner. Emily considered that if her child could be spared, that she would prefer being put to death with her mother, rather than being an assassin, forced to kill her own mother. However, this was a hind sighted wish that no longer had any current relevance because Greg was not the only potential victim in this matter. Either Joseph Danbury or the Vatican would fulfill her compromised duties if she failed to carry them out. Therefore, Emily had no other rational choices.

* * * * *

Kathryn Jones was waved on by the security guard, and she drove the car through the gated entrance to the Ambler Rest Home parking lot. Emily sat quietly looking at her purse. She made no attempt to get out of the car. Kathryn got out of the car, walked around to open the passenger door for Emily, and escorted her to the facility. Kathryn had great concerns with Emily's emotional state.

"Are you alright, Emily?" asked Kathryn. "Maybe we should consider visiting your mom later because there is definitely something wrong with you. I wish that you would be willing to discuss the matter with me."

Emily turned to smile at Kathryn. "Everything will be fine, Kathryn," said Emily as she started walking toward the facility entrance. They both entered the lobby entrance. Kathryn went into the recreation room to sit while Emily continued walking to her mother's private room.

When Emily walked into her mother's room, the sunlight was shining through the window onto Amanda's bed. Her mother was sitting upright, trying to focus her eyes on the window. The noise of several birds, fighting with a squirrel over the contents of a bird feeder hanging from a tree branch outside of her window, filled the air. Emily pleasantly remarked, "Watching some local wildlife activity this morning, Mom?"

Amanda answered while she continued to observe the activity, "Yes, the birds and that same squirrel fight over the bird feeder every morning. Even though a groundskeeper refills the bin with more birdseed each day, these creatures continue to squabble for control. Perhaps this is the plight for all of God's living creatures. The Lord has provided enough for all of his creations to survive, but they will still fight to have more than they need. Wouldn't you agree, Emily?"

Emily could sense that her mother's empathic inquisition had begun, and that Amanda could tell that something was deeply troubling her daughter. "Where is Kathryn this morning?" asked Amanda as she continued to stare out of the window. "Is she ill?"

At this point, Emily decided to come clean. "No, Mom, Kathryn isn't sick," stated Emily. "She is waiting in the recreation area so that you and I could talk privately."

Amanda turned her attention from the window to look in the direction of her daughter. "I sense that you have come for something more than conversation, Emily," stated Amanda abruptly. "Please come closer, and sit down on the bed next to me."

Emily sat down on the bed and embraced her mother while drenching her in tears. "Oh, Mom, I truly don't know what to do," cried Emily.

Amanda gently rubbed her daughter's back. "I already know what is bothering you, Emily, and what you have been forced to do against your will," stated Amanda calmly as she embraced her daughter. "Joseph Danbury visited me two days ago, and he explained everything."

Emily pulled back in fright, "Joseph told you everything? How did he get in to see you?"

Amanda smiled with her response, "Since the Danbury Law Firm is paying my bills, I shall assume that he has the right as my attorney to make visitations. Would this be a valid presumption?"

Emily let out a short laugh while wiping her eyes. "Yes, I guess that would be a valid presumption, Mom."

Amanda looked upon Emily with inquisitive eyes as she continued, "I was always curious though, Emily. Why did you restrict visitations by my friends and distant family members? You even failed to inform me when Martha and Robert had died."

Emily was again caught in her omissions of tragic family events, and explained her reasons. "I was sheltering you, Mom. I wanted your final days to be peaceful and void of any emotional pain."

Amanda gave Emily a pardoning response. "You meant well, Emily. However, death is part of life. We can neither escape these hardships nor remove the circumstances that we are born into," stated Amanda. "Didn't Monsignor Monahan make these facts clear to you?"

Emily jumped up off the bed in astonishment, "What do you know about Monsignor Monahan?"

Amanda replied, "Everything. He had visited with Joseph Danbury two days ago. I truly pity the monsignor because he must continually fulfill duties that are not within his conscience to perform. I believe that the monsignor even questions his religious faith, which is why he has compromised his sworn appointed duties to enable you and Greg to live."

Feeling that part of her burden had been lifted, Emily wanted to know more regarding what the monsignor had revealed to her mother. She asked, "Did the monsignor tell you about your true birth parents?"

Amanda was nervously rubbing her leg as she replied. "The only information that I received is what Joseph Danbury told you," Amanda stated with a sigh. "I was born into French nobility and placed in Carl and Agnes Mendel's care when I was an infant. You should know by now, Emily, which things are better left unknown. Your father, like you, learned this fact the hard way. I had always wondered what had driven your father to drown his unspoken misery in alcohol. He knew everything that you and I know now, and he sought to shield me from these facts to protect my sanity. Both your father, as well as my sentinel guardian father, James, painfully carried the burden of this secret and took it to the grave with them rather sharing this grief with me. However, just having the partial truth revealed has set me free after living in a quandary with these unknowns for over 93 years. After running and hiding my entire life, Emily, I have grown weary. I truly miss your father and feel that my work in this life has been fulfilled. The monsignor has enabled my family to continue without my descendants having to live in fear of being hunted. An obligation now falls upon you, Emily, and you will eventually need to tell your son, Greg, who he is, as well as his responsibilities in the continuance of our family's legacy."

Emily looked bewildered and she then inquired, "I'm confused, Mom. Just what responsibilities is Greg expected to continue with?"

Amanda smiled with her reply. "Greg will eventually seek the truth. God shall divinely lead Greg on his predestined path just as God did with you, Emily, when you had decided to conceive a child. The works of life are so clear to me now. Humanity is caught in the spiritual consequences of individual conscience, where good and evil are interpreted through the realities and circumstances of each beholder. Monsignor Monahan had explained that in life there never is a clear-cut division in any matter that is seen as being entirely black or white. There shall always be compromising shades of gray, which can change the course of human events and provide hope. This has been the unseen story of my life, and this is the truth that your son will encounter on his path in life. I truly believe that Greg's destiny will have a profound impact on the future and that his life has been divinely spared through the interventions of Monsignor Monahan for this purpose. Guide Greg well, Emily, because he shall always need your help until the day you die."

Emily again felt she was at an impasse as she attempted to respond to her mother's statement. "I made a promise to Amy and George that I would never reveal to Greg that I am his birth mother."

Amanda looked sternly at her daughter. "Then the Vatican has already effectively killed your son," said Amanda. "As I had previously stated, Greg's life was spared to fulfill an unknown mission that was bestowed upon him with your decision to conceive a child, just as your actions have determined my fate. Emily, if you do not tell Greg the truth, this will mean that my sacrifice will have had no purpose other than to satisfy the Vatican's decree of death. Is this how you wish this to end? Let me ask you this question, dear daughter. If Amy and George are good loving parents, then why would they fear revealing to Greg that he was adopted?"

Emily stood in deep thought with her mother's compelling question, but she could not offer a response. Amanda then pointed her divining finger of fate at Emily. "The day will come when your son Greg shall approach you for the truth. You must find the strength to tell him everything he needs to know, or you shall bear the consequences for avoiding this responsibility!"

Emily looked at her mother with a surreal understanding. She responded, "I promise you, Mom. I will make sure that Greg is properly guided, and I will eventually tell him the truth in all of these matters."

Amanda laid her head back on her pillow to look out the window, and she pulled up the sleeve of her nightgown. "I'm ready to leave and join your father and my children Isaac, Martha, and Robert," said Amanda. "Please finish what you came here to do."

Emily wept as she fumbled through her purse for the bottle of liquid opium and the syringe. After filling the syringe to its maximum capacity, Emily injected the solution into her mother's arm.

As Amanda started to close her eyes, she looked up at Emily. Amanda then said her final words, "I do forgive you, dear, and I know that you had no other choice. I love you."

Amanda fell into a deep sleep while Emily pulled a stethoscope from her pocket to monitor her mother's heart, until it stopped beating. Within a few of seconds, her mother was dead and Emily's tears had stopped. Emily had reluctantly ended her mother's life. She was now only focused on her son, Greg, and fulfilling the last promise that she had made to her mother.

* * * * *

Kathryn was seated in the recreation room watching television as she saw Emily walking out the facility entrance. Grabbing her purse and coat, Kathryn quickly walked to intercept Emily as she aimlessly walked towards the car. "I have the car keys, Emily," shouted Kathryn, "unless you were intending to walk home!"

Emily appeared to be in a state of shock as Kathryn unlocked the passenger door to help her get in. "How's Amanda doing?" asked Kathryn. Emily did not attempt to reply. Kathryn felt that something was terribly wrong as she darted around the car to get in the driver's door. "Perhaps you didn't hear my question, Emily," said Kathryn raising her voice. "How is your mom?"

Emily stared out the window with her response, "She is fine now, Kathryn." Kathryn just shook her head in bewilderment. She was having a hard time getting over Emily's zombie-like appearance.

* * * * *

That evening after they had arrived back at their home in Germantown, Kathryn had prepared their supper, and they were both watching television in Emily's living room when the phone rang. Kathryn motioned to Emily to stay seated. "I'll get the phone," said Kathryn. After answering the phone she determined that the caller needed to talk with Emily. "It's the Ambler Rest Home, and they need to speak with you, Emily," said Kathryn while muffling the phone receiver against her sweater.

Emily placed her plate on the side table and walked over to the phone. After less than a minute of conversation, Emily hung the phone up, and returned to finish her meal.

Kathryn quickly made an inquiry, "What was that all about?"

Emily continued watching television as she calmly responded, "Mom died. I will need to make the funeral arrangements."

Kathryn's plate slid off her lap and landed upside down on the living room carpet. "My God, Emily," exclaimed Kathryn in an alarmed state, while tears started to pool-up in her eyes."What in the hell did you do to your mother?"

Emily didn't answer Kathryn's question. She resumed eating her supper, while blankly staring at the television set and displaying no signs of emotional distress.

* * * * *

Chapter 22

Circa 1967 -1968

Emily was now the lone surviving child of her direct family. She had watched as her mother, sister, and brother, became deceased within the span of one year's time. Now Emily depended on her close friendship with Kathryn Jones as her family. However, Kathryn had witnessed the peculiar events of the day which led up to Amanda's death. This had put a strain on their relationship. The situation was very similar to the falling out Emily had with Edmond after she cryptically revealed that it was his daughter, Amy, who had murdered his wife, Martha. Thus, Kathryn was placed in the same circumstance of suspicion regarding what Emily had done to her mother. Kathryn simply did not want to know the truth. The hardest part for Emily to accept in all of these matters was that the blame fell directly on her, from the decision, which she alone had made, to conceive a child with Edmond. The consequences of her actions were shared by her family members and her closest friend, Kathryn. Emily had to learn to accept what she could not change and to forgive herself enough to move on with her life.

Her son, Greg, was now 12 years old, and he was moving into the hormonal changes of adolescence. Emily would receive at least one phone call per week from Amy Bradford saying how horrible Greg was becoming. Whether it was his school grades failing, or his getting into trouble and having to stay after school for detention, Amy never said anything nice about Greg. Emily sensed that perhaps Amy was making excuses for her own failure as a parent. Amy often reflected the tendencies of her mother, Martha, by placing the blame everywhere but where it belonged. Amy also found it easier to blame the birth parents' inherent genetics for the precarious tendencies of her adopted son, Greg. Emily was really in no position to be throwing criticisms at Amy, who was allegedly trying to raise two children. Emily had only experienced a pregnancy through child birth without having to deal with raising the child. However, to be fair in rendering an unbiased judgment, Emily felt she needed to observe the Bradford family together. She decided set a date to meet with them at a restaurant for dinner to evaluate the matter further.

* * * * *

The Bradford family had arrived at the Fiesta Restaurant in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, with Emily's generous invitation. Emily was amazed by the growth of the Bradford children. Scott was tall and lanky, while Greg was an average height and chunky. This restaurant was not the typical eating establishment the Bradford family frequented, because greasy spoons, fast food places, and walk-up hotdog stands, seemed to be their regular choices. Thus, the Bradford family was seemingly out of place in this posh restaurant and stood out like a sore thumb. The hostess stopped the party of five in the lobby. She escorted George and his two sons to a coat rack to be fitted with the proper attire of a suit jacket and tie, which were mandatory attire in the dining area. Emily had forgotten to mention that there was a dress code. Although, if she had done so, it would be unlikely this restaurant would have been willingly attended by Amy and George.

After being seated at a table and given a menu, Greg was looking for something that he would be familiar with enough to desire eating. "They don't have any hamburgers on the menu," stated Greg.

Amy rolled her eyes and angrily pointed to a Salisbury steak on the menu, "This is the closest thing you'll find to a hamburger. You can order that!"

Emily had noticed that Scott was unusually quiet. His face was hidden behind his menu, trying his best to make a menu selection. Emily reached across the table and pulled down Scott's menu to peek at him. She had noticed a bruise on his face, "What happened to your face, Scott?"

Scott glanced over at George, who shared cold stares at his son along with Amy. Scott quickly looked back at Emily, and Scott stammered, "I... err... hurt myself playing sports at school."

Scott had failed dismally in his attempt to cover up a beating he received from George. Emily observed the body language that was presented at the table between Scott and his parents. She was now getting a much different picture of the evident problems within the Bradford family. The problems were in total contradiction to what Amy had told Emily over the past several months. Emily had seen enough of this family to conclude that she definitely made a very poor choice of parents to raise Scott, as well as her son, Greg. However, there was nothing that Emily could do, other than view this predicament as a relative spectator.

After they finished dinner, they had casual conversations over dessert. When they all had left the dining area, George, Scott, and Greg gladly shed their dinner jackets and clip-on ties, while Emily paid for the meal.

Upon exiting the restaurant, Emily grabbed Greg's hand and turned to look at Amy. "Greg and I are going to sit in my car for a couple of minutes," stated Emily. "Will that be OK?"

Amy and George had strange looks on their faces. George said, "Sure, I'll warm up our car until you're done."

Greg thought that something was odd with Emily wanting to talk to him. He thought that perhaps Emily was going to give him money. They both got into Emily's car, and she looked admiringly at her son. "How is your school, Greg?"

He looked down at the car floor and shrugged his shoulders. "Not very good, I guess," said Greg timidly. "Right now I just want to pass 8th grade without being held back a year."

Emily then reached behind the passenger seat, and pulled a paper bag up onto her lap. "I brought some books that you might want to read, Greg," said Emily. "Has your dad ever talked to you about the facts of life, and sex?"

Greg was very slow in his response. "No, my Dad and I don't really talk about that stuff at all. They will give me sex education in high school." Greg was feeling very uncomfortable, and he wanted to get out of the car. "Thanks anyway, Aunt Emily," said Greg as the blood rushed to his face in embarrassment.

Emily returned the books to the back seat. "OK, honey," said Emily with compassionate understanding. "If you change your mind, I'll keep these books for you to read. Just let me know. You better go back to your parents' car now. Please write to me if you can find the time."

Greg kissed her goodbye. He exited his door and walked over to his parent's car. Emily waved and tooted her car horn as she left the parking lot to return home.

Greg was buckling his seat belt, and Amy inquired, "What did your Aunt Emily want to discuss?"

Greg was still perplexed. "It was really weird, Mom. Aunt Emily wanted to give me books on sex education. Why would she do something like that, and why didn't she ask Scott to come over too?"

George was completely silent while Amy was noticeably angered with this news. She turned around to look at Greg, and asked, "What did you say to Emily?"

Greg just gave out an exhausted sigh. "I told her that I would be getting sex education in high school... but I thanked Aunt Emily anyway."

* * * * *

The drive home was dark and quiet. Amy and George became concerned with Emily butting into matters that usually were only reserved for parents and not the responsibilities of a great-aunt. Emily's message of discontent regarding Amy and George's parenting skills had been effectively conveyed through Greg. At this juncture, Amy sought to remove Emily from Greg's life, and she stopped making her weekly phone calls to Emily. By contrast, Greg started to write to Emily more frequently. His childhood memories of Emily were very fond. These recollections of Emily from the past would always continue to overshadow any strange misgivings that he encountered with her during his later years. Even though Emily's actions made no sense to Greg, her gestures would be remembered by him. It would be many years before he fully understood the events of that evening. Emily was slowly planting the seeds of discovery for her son, which would eventually blossom to reveal that she is his birth mother.

* * * * *

Chapter 23

Circa 1969-1973

Greg barely had squeaked by his 8th grade year, and he entered high school. His learning disabilities had become apparent to everyone, especially Greg's teachers. Even though he could not grasp the abstract concepts of algebra, Greg still excelled in the sciences, and was at the top of his class in English writing skills. Greg also possessed a cognitive understanding for three-dimensional mechanical drafting and electronics. His high school math grades would not support his ability to enter college, so Greg enrolled in an alternative vocational electronics school during his junior and senior years.

One of the biggest fears that any male student had in the early 1970s as they neared their graduation year in high school was the military draft. The unending Vietnam War had already claimed the lives of over fifty thousand American youths. Greg saw many of the older kids he grew up with, return home physically disabled, or mentally shell-shocked. Greg's brother, Scott, entered college in 1971 with an athletic scholarship and he received his draft deferment. However, fate had swung in Greg's favor. President Richard Nixon ended the draft for this unpopular war during Greg's senior year in high school. The fact that the dissenting USA populace of 18-year-olds had been recently granted the right to vote, coupled with Nixon's desire was to be re-elected in 1972, helped to determine this president's path of conscience.

By the time Greg had graduated from high school in 1973, the world was his oyster. There was a glut of engineers within a large labor pool who had attended college to receive draft deferments. At the same time, a recessional economic period forced employers to fill their job positions with the minimum essentials of candidates who were the least expensive and most qualified workers. Greg's high school counselor, Mr. Lutman, helped direct Greg's best qualities to land a job within the field engineering department of the local Flemington, New Jersey phone company. The United Telephone Systems Company was a part of the balance created by the Federal Trade Commission, which recently broke the back of the Bell Telephone monopoly. However, all of this telephone company's non-exempt positions were union workers. Employees who were only janitors could utilize their union seniority to bid for the desirable position openings that became available in the department of field engineering. The phone company's administration became alarmed because many of these union employees did not have a high school diploma, and some even had difficulty reading. To remove this potential risk of uneducated people entering the ranks of the phone company's field engineering department, there was an initiation test. This exam had to be passed by any candidate who wished to qualify for a position in the department. The employee was required to read technical materials, and then pass tests based on what they had read. Again, fate had swung in Greg's favor. The content of this two week battery of tests was based on basic electronics, in which he had just completed a two year vocational education course. Greg only had to skim the reading material. He completed the two weeks of testing in less than one week. He also passed with almost a perfect score. This achievement had never been accomplished by anyone since the qualifying testing hurdle had been implemented. At this point, it appeared that Greg, at the age of only 18 years, was destined to move up the ladder as this phone company's field engineering department's golden boy.

A very bright and highly respected contract engineer, Jim Dagenbaur, who temporarily worked in the field engineering department, soon positioned Greg to become his apprentice. He quickly brought Greg through the politics and supplied him with the tricks of the trade. Jim was a very accomplished communications field engineer. He started his contract career on the battlefields of Vietnam, setting up radio communication centers. His muscular, trim body, casual appearance, and Beatle rock star hairstyle, provided him with a youthful appearance. However, this was innocuous camouflage that he hid behind in order to blend into his surroundings.

Jim and Greg became good friends. Within three months, Jim had brought Greg up to speed with what he needed to know. Even though Jim was over eight years older, he treated Greg more like a younger brother than a work associate. Jim decided to give his apprentice an opportunity to take the next step up in his career.

"Hey, Greg, you really don't need to rot in this phone company," stated Jim with his voice of concern. "I can get you a better job as a contractor with my company. You will make twice the money you are now."

Greg wanted to move out of the rural New Jersey area, and he jumped at the carrot that Jim was dangling in front of him. Greg accepted the contract job offer. After being only four months out of high school, his pay had doubled. Greg's father, George, was embarrassed to see that his teenage son was already making a higher income than him. Furthermore, Greg took this opportunity to move out of his parents' house forever.

Greg had just assumed that his luck and timing were unprecedented. He could not get over the people who had helped him. His high school counselor, Mr. Lutman, and this elite contractor, Jim Dagenbaur, had both gone out of their way to launch Greg's career into orbit. Greg was unaware that he had been a 'marked' entity since his birth. He also failed to see that the people, who had taken him under their wings to accelerate his career, were actually agents of a hidden group. An unseen network of people had created a shortcut bridge for Greg, over the mountains and valleys of tenured years of experience that were normally required to achieve his current work status.

Greg's mentor, Jim Dagenbaur, had also received an early push-start to his career. Jim's father was a sixth-generation Templar knight. He had referred his son, Jim, at the age of 15 years, to be indoctrinated through the advanced education of the Knights Templar Mystery Schools. Telephone communications were Jim's profession to which he had been assigned through his Templar lodge. His educational background in theoretical physics, chemistry, and microbiology made him considerably overqualified for the mundane occupation of a communications field engineer.

Jim had also been assigned through his Knights Templar lodge to be Greg's guardian and mentor. Greg was totally ignorant in noticing the fact that Jim had mysteriously continued to follow closely within his guided path throughout every step of his rapidly advancing livelihood. Jim was also building Greg's steadfast trust as each month of their friendship had grown and progressed. Jim was preparing his apprentice student for the next step of development. However, after unforeseen problems with Greg started to develop, Jim determined that his planned tasks would need to be altered.

* * * * *

Chapter 24

Circa October, 1973

Greg's fast-paced working lifestyle came with perks with which he had rewarded himself. He soon felt the need to display his success with a new car. The car loan, insurance, and maintenance costs would have been no concern while he was still living at home. This financial safety net disappeared after Greg moved out of his parent's house. His liberties diminished with the additional expenses of his apartment rent, furniture, food, gas, electric bill, and clothing. Greg was also unprepared with where he had chosen to live. He selected an apartment more than he could afford, and fifty miles from the location of his business office. Even so, Greg had chosen this location because it was the apartment complex where Jim Dagenbaur lived. Jim was always more than willing to help Greg out when he would need extra cash, and he never insisted on having this loaned money paid back on a timely basis. Jim was becoming concerned with Greg's careless needs for bar hopping and trolling for a girl's companionship. Jim also realized Greg was too young to be given the freedoms that he was not accustomed to. Greg needed to be brought under control before he destroyed himself.

The administrative security of Greg had been long since removed from Joseph Danbury's Law Firm. It became indirectly overseen by a more dependable sentinel guardianship, which was also the Grand Master of Jim's Philadelphia lodge. Jim discussed his concerns with the Lodge Grand Master. It was decided that Greg's program schedule would need to be moved up to the next step: the selection of his female companion. Generally, the arrangements of matching couples took years of preparation far in advance of a bestowment. The Knights Templar selection process usually started before each child had reached ten years of age. The Grand Master told Jim that he would coordinate this matter through the women's Eastern Star Lodge. Within the next two weeks, he would be in contact Jim.

Jim was quite impressed with the speed at which this selection had proceeded through the Grand Lodge in Philadelphia. Within one week an arrangement was made. Jim would meet with an Eastern Star Lodge Sister, Staci Maguire. He was provided a picture of Staci, so he would recognize her when they met. Jim was told she would help him in arranging for Greg to meet a selected young lady who lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

This was Jim's first major assigned task, which would enable his degreed progression within the Order of the Knights Templar. He silently questioned why the Lodge had sought to hand-select a female companion for Greg. Jim felt that he had already invested too much time and money out of his own pocket for Greg. It would have been easier and less expensive to hire a hooker for his apprentice once a week. However, Jim knew what his duties were, and he was never to question the decisions of his Lodge Elders.

Jim had taken the day off from work to meet for lunch with Staci in Philadelphia, where she attended school. When Staci arrived at the restaurant, she was wearing her student nurse uniform. They made quick introductions before sitting down in a booth.

Staci pulled a picture from her purse and presented it to Jim. "This is Mary Ellen McMillan, but she prefers to be called Mimi. She is also a nursing student at Temple Memorial Hospital."

Jim gave the picture back to Staci with a smile. "So how did you want to bring Greg and Mimi together?" Jim inquired. "It would probably be best to have a blind date so that we can observe them. Greg is my first apprentice, and my Lodge has put forth a lot of time and effort in getting him this far. We would like to see this couple's relationship succeed. Lately, Greg has become a little reckless, and he needs a companion to share his time with. What can you tell me about Mimi?"

Staci closed her eyes as she spoke. "Well, Mimi is 20 years old. She lives at home with her parents, four brothers, and one sister. She is quite attractive, and sometimes careless, but she's fun to be with. I don't think there will be any problems, Jim, if we both work together patiently in this matter. In my opinion, the Lodges are rushing way too fast into this and we all must give Greg and Mimi time to bond. I am curious though, as to why Greg needs to have this special arrangement to meet a girl. Furthermore, why did my Lodge select Mimi McMillan to be his date, when she isn't even a member?"

Jim started to become resistive to Staci. "Why do you ask so many questions?" asked Jim sternly. "We have both been given a task to do, Staci. If we needed to know everything about this couple then we would have been told. So please, let's leave it that way."

Staci seemed to be a little hurt with Jim's reaction to her question but resumed with setting up a future date to meet. "I have written down the directions to my parents' house with my phone number," said Staci as she handed Jim a piece of paper. "Please meet us there at 8:00pm on Friday evening, and we can all go out to the local Steak and Brew restaurant. It's a nice place with a live band and a dance floor. I feel that it will provide the proper atmosphere, and we will see what happens."

Jim got up from the table and replied, "Thanks so much for your help in arranging this date, Staci. Greg and I live about 10 miles south of your house, and we will be there at 8:00 sharp. Since my company car has a decal logo on both car doors we will probably be going in Greg's Chevy Camaro. It has a small cramped back seat, but it will have to do."

Staci replied with a smile, "That's alright, Jim. You said that you wanted to keep an eye on both Greg and Mimi. Sitting in the back seat gives you that vantage point, right?"

* * * * *

Later that evening, Jim contemplated how he would convince Greg to go on a blind date. The fact that Greg never had any spare cash would also mean that Jim would be footing the bill for the evening. He thought back to what Staci had questioned regarding this cupid-like act. Even Jim began to question why Greg required special consideration, or why a girl named Mimi McMillan was selected to be Greg's soul mate. Jim only knew that Greg and Mimi were highly protected entities. Their future purpose held great importance to the long range plans of the Knights Templar. The entire matter was bizarre, but it was none of his business to question his mission. His only concern was to make sure the relationship between Greg and Mimi succeeded. Despite Jim's seemingly relaxed outward appearance, he always took his work very seriously, particularly when he was fulfilling a special assignment given to him by the Lodge Grand Master.

* * * * *

Greg's limited budget did not provide for the expense of a phone installation. Therefore, Jim had to walk across the apartment courtyard to speak with him when he arrived home. Everyone who lived in this remote section of apartments knew each other. They seldom locked their doors when they were at home. Jim casually walked into Greg's apartment to find him sitting on a worn out couch watching television, and eating a bowl of dry cereal.

Jim quickly stated, "Hey, man, I'm in a jam. I need your help."

Greg broke off his attention from the television, "Name it, Jim."

Jim had an uneasy look on his face as he made his request. "I met a girl, Staci, who is a nursing student, and we are going out on a date this weekend. She has a friend, Mimi, who will be staying with her that night. Can you please help me, and be Mimi's date for the night?" asked Jim.

Greg had paused, "Well sure, Jim... but I don't have any money to go out on a date."

Jim already anticipated the fact that Greg would be strapped for cash. He added his verbal incentive, "That's no problem, Greg. I'll pick up the tab if you will drive for us."

Greg smiled with appreciation and said, "Then it's a date." Greg asked, "When is this going to take place?"

Jim started for the door to leave as he ran down the schedule. "It will be this Friday evening at 8:00. The girls will be about 10 miles north of us at Staci's house, so be ready to leave by 7:30. I'll see you later." As Jim left Greg's apartment, a happy grin appeared on his face. Everything was proceeding perfectly.

Greg sat trying to imagine what his mystery date would look like. He pictured some girl's desperate cousin who would be so big she would not even fit into the bucket seat of his car. He always expected the worst of possibilities when he was asked to be a fill in on a blind date. His experience with these types of dates had almost made him want to use a fork to gouge out his eyes to become blind if a paper bag wasn't available. However, Greg owed Jim Dagenbaur much more than money. His entire success had resulted from his mentor's guidance and care. Therefore, any time Jim needed anything, Greg felt obligated to help.

* * * * *

The next morning, Staci Maguire's tasks weren't as easily carried out with Mimi McMillan. Staci was carefully searching through the crowds walking in the hallway between classes. She located Mimi and walked up to her. "Mimi, do you remember when I helped you with the term paper last month, and you said that you really owed me? I need to ask you for a favor. There's this guy I'm seeing, and he has a friend who needs a date. So, what are you doing Friday evening?"

Mimi rolled her eyes, "I don't know, Staci. I just broke off a relationship with my boyfriend, and I have no desire to entertain the thought of a blind date. Can't you find someone else?"

Staci glared at Mimi with pleading eyes, and said, "Come on, Mimi. It's free dinner and drinks, and we'll have a great time. Besides, you owe me, girl!"

Mimi let out an annoyed sigh, "Oh, alright."

Staci got a grin on her face and said, "Thanks, Mimi. They're going to pick us up at my parents' house at 8:00 on Friday evening. We're going to the Steak and Brew restaurant. Remember, these guys are engineers. They have big bucks, and who knows? You might really like this guy."

Mimi shrugged her shoulders, "Whatever, Staci. I'll get to your house around 7:30."

As Mimi walked away, she wasn't happy about a blind date. However, the favor had to be repaid if she ever expected Staci's help in the future. Since Mimi was barely passing her courses in nursing school, she wanted to stay on Staci's good side. It seemed that all the students who knew Staci Maguire had owed her favors at one time or another. For merely being a third year nursing student, Staci was very well connected, not only with all the nursing students, but also with the instructors as well as many of the doctors and nurses staff. Mimi knew she had no other alternative, and had to help Staci in her time of need. Mimi really didn't care about her blind date, and she wasn't concerned with whether or not she would like him. She simply had no other choice, and was now obligated to go.

* * * * *

Chapter 25

Jim and Greg arrived at the Maguire family's house promptly at 8:00pm. Staci warmly greeted Jim with a long embrace and introduced Mimi McMillan to Greg. The appearance of Mimi far exceeded Greg's previous pessimistic expectations. She was five feet seven inches tall with long blonde hair and side bangs, combed-back and held in place by a pinned leather band. These features were only exceeded by her beautiful blue eyes. Mimi's matching vest and flared-pants outfit looked custom tailored because they perfectly fit the contours of her shapely curved body. Greg's apprehensive concerns were now mentally focused on his outward showing to Mimi. His shoulder-length hair and bushy sideburns made him look more like a Grateful Dead rock concert hippie. He was wearing his only pair of dress slacks, flashy polyester Peter Max designer button-down shirt, and polished platform shoes which, by comparison, made him feel severely underdressed and outclassed by Mimi's flawless looks. Mimi's warm friendly smile provided Greg with reassurance that his blind date was just looking to have a fun evening. They all departed the house, hopped into Greg's car, and drove to the restaurant for dinner.

The blind date went fairly well, although Greg was very anxious. Unknown to everyone, Mimi suffered with a bad stomach virus, and she excused herself from the table to throw up in the restroom. Later, when Mimi returned to the table, after a second trip to the ladies' room, she was embarrassed. She apologetically assured Greg that her illness was not caused by him. Due to the obvious fact of Mimi's illness, the evening was cut short. Greg and Mimi agreed on a future date to meet. The noisy environment of the Steak and Brew restaurant was not the best place to get acquainted anyway.

As the two couples left in Greg's car to take Staci and Mimi back home, Greg interjected with a conversation. "Jim tells me that both of you ladies are nursing students at Temple Memorial Hospital," said Greg. "Do you know Emily Baxter?"

Both girls started to giggle, and Staci responded, "Oh, yes. We both know Emily Baxter. She is the interim Administrative Head Nurse at the school."

Greg thought that this was a major coincidence. He added, "Well, she is my great-aunt."

Staci looked at Jim while she responded to Greg from the back seat of the car. "Mimi knows Miss Baxter quite well, because she had to talk with her on a couple of occasions."

Mimi appeared uncomfortable when Staci brought up her school difficulties. She offered an explanation to Greg, "I'm barely passing my courses, and I was thinking of dropping out of nursing school. My parents are pissed-off and my mom had to talk with Emily Baxter last week regarding my grades."

As Greg listened to Mimi's plight with Emily, he offered his assistance. "Perhaps I could help you. After all, I am Emily's favorite nephew," Greg chuckled. "Emily even told me so."

Staci teasingly poked Mimi in her side from the back seat, and heartily laughed at Greg's comment. Mimi jokingly smacked Staci's hand, and smiled at Greg with her reply, "I don't think that will be necessary, Greg. My parents want me to stay in school, but I'm really thinking of dropping out. Thank you anyway."

The car arrived back at Staci Maguire's house. Jim and Greg walked their dates to the door. Mimi pulled a pen and a piece of paper from her purse to sketch out a map to her parent's house, and wrote down her phone number. She handed the paper to Greg and said, "Give me a call in the middle of the week after 7:00pm. We can get together next weekend, and you will also meet my parents." Mimi gave Greg a kiss on the cheek and again offered her apology, "I'm sorry for ruining the evening. I should be over this virus in a few days."

The kiss was all it took to win Greg over. He did not understand the strange feeling that overcame him. Greg had never experienced this emotion of infatuation with any girl whom he knew previously. It was an overwhelming attraction to Mimi, and he intended to pursue it.

Mimi saw Greg as a lost little lamb with an innocent, easy-going quality that she liked. After Mimi struggled through several relationships, which all ended in bleak failure, she was now looking beyond the shallow qualities that most boys her age demonstrated. Greg exhibited a professional confidence, and a secure future. He also appeared to be a safe choice for Mimi's rebound into a new relationship. Jim and Greg left the girls at the door and returned to Greg's car. As Jim turned around, he gave Staci a smile along with a wink.

When Greg was driving back to the apartment, Jim asked, "Well, what did you think about Mimi?"

Greg had an ear-to-ear grin, and he answered, "I think she's great. I was a little concerned when she had to keep going to the restroom to throw up. I'm just glad I wasn't the cause of her sickness."

Jim gave Greg a friendly jab in the shoulder. "I don't think Mimi would have given you her phone number and address if that was the case," said Jim. "Just take it slow, man. Remember that you will be meeting her parents next weekend, but don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Greg wasn't really listening to Jim's pep talk. He was focused on helping Mimi out with her schooling, and he contemplated a visit with his Aunt Emily. If he could convince Emily to provide Mimi with an opportunity to remain in nursing school, there would be no difficulties when he met Mimi's parents next weekend. Even after an abbreviated first date with Mimi, Greg had relentless desires of winning her heart. He did not want to screw up this wonderful opportunity to help her.

The following Monday, Greg called Emily at her home. He set up a time to visit with her and Kathryn at their house in Germantown. His office was conveniently located only 5 miles from where they lived, which made it easier to visit her early in the week. Greg knew he was very special to Emily even though he never understood why. He would capitalize on this close relative relationship with Emily in order to help Mimi.

Before he arrived at Emily's house, Greg stopped at a florist to buy a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He was utilizing all his charm to persuade Emily's support for Mimi to stay in nursing school. Greg wanted to be assured that Emily could not refuse a request from her favorite nephew. If only Greg knew that Emily was, in actuality, his birth mother, a phone call may have sufficed. Then, this visit would not have been necessary. Greg was too young to understand the fact that there is an unseen division line which usually separates business from personal matters. He was also unknowledgeable in all the facts of why Emily had problems with Mimi McMillan.

Every year the Temple Memorial Nursing School procedurally dropped a percentage of students who had the lowest grades in their class. Mimi just happened to be within that lower grade listing of students who were subject to removal. Mimi's mother, Theresa McMillan, was also a nurse. She had gone to Temple Memorial Hospital on two occasions to speak with Emily Baxter in attempts to allow her daughter to continue with her classes. One important issue that everyone had overlooked was the fact that Mimi was working two part-time jobs as well as attending nursing school. Whether she stayed in her classes or not was a moot issue. She had already decided that it would be easier to drop out of school rather than struggle to maintain her position there as a student. However, Greg was ignorant of all these issues. He proceeded with his attempts to make a pleading with his Aunt Emily to spare Mimi's removal from nursing school.

* * * * *

Greg arrived at Kathryn's home in Germantown, and he was happily greeted at the door by Emily. When he gave Emily the bouquet of flowers she looked like she was going to cry. "What is the occasion for giving me flowers, Greg?"

Greg thought fast and said, "I know that your birthday is coming up. I would rather give you flowers early than forget your birthday, and give them to you late."

Emily gave him a kiss and quickly went to fill a vase with water. Greg gave a sigh of relief with his quick thinking, and his credible excuse for giving Emily flowers.

When Emily returned, she was accompanied by Kathryn, who gave Greg a kiss and a hug with her warm verbal greetings. "So how's the engineering business going, Greg?" she asked.

Greg replied, "It's pretty hectic. I will have to start traveling soon because we are doing surveying work in Maryland. I really do find this work very rewarding, though."

Emily was pleased to hear Greg was doing well, and she inquired, "I guess your busy schedule doesn't give you much leisure time. Do you get out very often?"

Greg then saw this opening as his golden opportunity. He quickly responded, "Yes, Aunt Emily. As a matter of fact, I am dating one of the nursing students from Temple Memorial Hospital."

Emily sat forward in her chair with excitement, "Really, Greg, and who is she?"

Greg smiled and replied, "Her name is Mary Ellen McMillan."

Emily's face sank with Greg's reply, and she cleared her throat to respond. "Oh, you're dating Mimi?" Emily's lack of jubilation did not initially give Greg a good feeling.

"Yes, we met on a blind date, and we will probably continue dating," stated Greg with great enthusiasm. "I like her a lot, Aunt Emily."

Emily had turned away from Greg to look over at Kathryn, who could see Emily's displeased expression. Kathryn then answered for Emily, "Why this is wonderful news, Greg. We are both happy for you aren't we, Emily?"

Emily was slow and careful in her response to Greg. "Of course, Greg, you do realize that Mimi is failing her courses in school, and she may be asked to leave. I have already discussed this with Mimi, and her mother. At this point, I don't know what will happen."

Greg attempted to show his appearance of shocked concern. "No, I wasn't aware that Mimi was having trouble in school, Aunt Emily," stated Greg. "Surely there must be something that can be done to prevent this from happening. I would be very grateful for whatever you could do to help Mimi in this matter."

Greg effectively put the pressure on Emily. He saw that he had his Aunt at a very good advantage, by using his pleading charms of persuasion.

Emily sighed and said, "I will see what can be done Greg, but I cannot make any promises. Most of this decision will depend on Mimi pulling up her grades if she intends to remain in school."

Greg smiled and got up from his chair to give Emily a hug. "Thank you, Aunt Emily. All I'm asking is for Mimi to be given a fair opportunity to remain in school. I greatly appreciate your consideration to help her."

After 30 more minutes of additional pleasant conversation, which did not include any further comments about Mimi, Greg looked at his watch. "It's getting late, and I have about an hour's drive ahead of me," stated Greg. He rose from his chair and added, "I need to head home now."

He kissed both Emily and Kathryn as he left, and returned to his car. When Greg was driving home, he was pleased with the way he handled the matter for Mimi to stay in nursing school. He also felt he would have a very good first meeting with Mimi's parents, on the weekend.

Later that evening, Emily realized that she had been suckered by her nephew but more so by her son, who knew effectively how to pull her at her heart strings. Emily was somewhat confounded. What a major coincidence this matter was with Greg dating a girl in the nursing school under Emily's administration. Mimi was also a student who was slated to be removed from the school that semester. Emily felt that she had no other choice but to accommodate Greg's request. The following day Emily convinced the nursing school instructors to give Mimi McMillan additional help with her studies. She reluctantly removed Mimi's name from the list of students who were to be dropped that semester. Emily had also placed a phone call to Mimi's mother, Theresa McMillan, to inform her that Mimi would be allowed to graduate if she maintained a passing grade point average.

* * * * *

On the following Wednesday, Greg located some loose change. He drove his car to a corner phone booth, and called Mimi to set up their date. He had intentionally avoided buying food all week in order to have enough cash to pay for a movie and a modest meal for two. When the phone rang at the McMillan residence, it was answered by Mimi's little brother, who ran to get his sister.

Mimi came to the phone and said, "Hello, Greg. I'm glad you called, and that you didn't lose my number. I trust you still have my address and the directions I gave you. Which day did you want to go out this weekend?"

Greg thought briefly, and then he responded to Mimi. "Saturday night will be good for me. I guess that you want me to meet your parents, right?"

Mimi laughed, "Yes, Greg. My Dad always wants to meet my dates. He will give you his stern warning to make sure I get returned home before midnight."

Greg hesitated, "What should I talk to your dad about to make conversation?"

Mimi chuckled, "Just talk about cars. I think he will like your Chevy Camaro. He has a little Fiat sports car that is his favorite toy. If you compliment his taste in sports cars, that will help win my dad over, too." Mimi then changed the topic of their discussion. "You talked with Emily Baxter, didn't you, Greg?"

Greg was happy to hear that his request to Emily had made an impact. "Why, yes Mimi, I did talk to her," Greg stated. "Did this help you out?"

Mimi sighed and answered, "Yes and no. I really wish you hadn't done that. I can't talk about it now, but we can discuss the matter more on Saturday. My family usually eats supper around 6:00 in the evening, so arrive here about 5:00."

Greg replied, "OK, that sounds great. I still have your map, and the directions. I will see you around 5:00 on Saturday."

* * * * *

That Saturday, as Greg drove to pick up Mimi for their date, he was trying to discern what Mimi had meant. She said his interceding with Emily had helped, and not helped, in the matters at her school. Greg feared his actions may have done more harm than good. The last thing he wanted to do is screw up his relationship with Mimi.

Greg slowly drove into the Gwynedd Estates subdivision in Maple Glen, Pennsylvania. He was quite impressed with the large, decadent houses. He located the house, pulled into the driveway, and saw Mimi's father, Bob McMillan, putting the final touches of wax on his racing red Fiat Spider convertible. Bob was wearing a captain's hat, and dressed casually in slacks. His round protruding belly was concealed by a tight terrycloth polo shirt that had been splattered by the final washing rinse to his spotless car.

Greg got out of his car and introduced himself. He was quick to make complimentary remarks about Bob's sports car. "Nice convertible," said Greg as he gazed into the interiors of the car. "Is that real wood paneling on the dashboard?"

Bob McMillan wiped the sweat from his forehead. His boat shoes squeaked as he stepped backward walking through a standing puddle of water in the driveway. "Yes, Greg, its real mahogany wood trim," Bob proudly stated with his arms folded over the top of his bulging abdomen. "This car is very deceptive with its top end performance. Your big eight cylinder would beat me off the starting line. However, by the time that I hit 5th gear in this baby, I'd be just a blurred flash of red passing around you."

Greg quietly laughed at Bob's statement. He was ready to respond when Mimi came out of the house. "I see that you met my dad, and his red baby," stated Mimi. "Please come in and meet my mom."

Bob tossed his wiping rag to the ground and followed behind Mimi and Greg as they entered the house. Theresa McMillan was coming down the stairs carrying a small vacuum cleaner. Her bright sundress softly brushed along the banister hand rails as she gracefully descended the staircase which ended at the front door entrance. She appeared to be an energetic woman with short, wavy blonde hair and a slender body. Theresa expressed a courteous smile upon seeing Greg.

Theresa gently extended her hand, "Hello, you must be Greg. I'm pleased to meet you. It's my understanding that you are the nephew of Emily Baxter?"

Greg was caught off guard and was not totally prepared for this question. He answered, "Why, yes, Mrs. McMillan. Emily Baxter is my grandmother's sister, so she is actually my great-aunt."

Theresa was pleasant with her response to Greg. "I've talked with Miss Baxter on several occasions," said Theresa. "She's a very nice lady."

Mimi started to get an uneasy look on her face because she did not wish to talk about school. She quickly stated, "We're leaving for dinner now, Mom." She looked over at her father and said, "I will be back before midnight, Dad."

Greg courteously shook hands with Bob and Theresa, and escorted Mimi to his car. As they drove away down the road Greg inquired, "What was that all about?"

Mimi looked stressed with her response. "It's like I told you on the phone the other night, Greg. When you talked to Emily on Monday, it did maintain my position in the nursing school. What you and Emily did not know is that I put in my notice to drop out of the program on Tuesday morning, with the school secretary. Emily talked to all of my instructors on Tuesday. She even called my mom that day to tell her I could stay in school, and I would graduate if I maintained passing grades. My mom and dad were really pissed-off when they found out that I already put in my notice to resign on that day. Emily also didn't receive my notice until late Tuesday afternoon, after classes were done for the day. I'm sure she has issues with me due to my resignation, and the groveling she did with my instructors. My exit interview with her on Wednesday was horrific, but I expected that. It was best that I left before the midterm grades were posted. A grade of incomplete is better on my transcript than an 'F', if I wanted to return to school next year.

"Don't worry about it, Greg, because I'm glad it's over. I have already found a full-time job as a payroll clerk in Willow Grove. My mom will eventually get over my dropping out of school, and my dad has to swallow the cost of the tuition money he paid. It's just that your timing in talking with Emily Baxter wasn't very good. It was on the day before I decided to leave." Mimi could see that Greg looked upset with the problems he had caused. She reached over and placed her hand on his, "Like I said, don't worry about it. You were only trying to help me, and I will be fine."

As time went on Mimi's parents did not take the matter of her dropping out of nursing school lightly. It often led to heated arguments, which became very apparent every time Greg picked up Mimi for a date. Mimi's stress level reached the boiling point, and she mentioned that she wanted to move out of her parents' house.

At that point, every nerve in Greg's body stood on end, and he made a suggestion. "I'm hoping to move closer to work," he stated cautiously. "Why don't we move in together? I promise that we can keep it platonic. I really don't want to give you the wrong impression."

Greg's proposal appeared to be credible. For three months, he and Mimi dated, yet he never pushed the need for sexual intimacy on her. Mimi had a smile on her face with her reply, "Let me think about that, and I'll let you know. Let's get something to eat, and this time it will be my treat."

As it turned out, Mimi accepted Greg's proposal of moving in together. She and Greg found an apartment in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, which happened to be the town in which her father worked. Mimi's parents were originally under the impression that Greg still lived in New Jersey. They thought Mimi was living by herself in Hatfield. However, each weekday morning Greg saw Bob McMillan on a two-lane road. They were going in opposite directions, as they were both commuting to work. Bob and Theresa McMillan then realized that Greg was living with their daughter. Nevertheless, they felt Greg continually demonstrated honorable qualities in looking after their daughter's welfare. Even though Greg and Mimi's new living arrangement was originally intended to be platonic, it had become a very intimate experience and the start of a sharing relationship which would continue throughout their remaining lives.

* * * * *

Chapter 26

Over a week had passed since Greg moved out of his New Jersey apartment to live with Mimi in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Shortly after Greg's move, Jim Dagenbaur agreed to take a new job position in Houston, Texas. Jim had successfully completed his assignment with his young apprentice, Greg. He also succeeded in helping to bring a covertly bestowed, hand-picked couple together. Jim now had his final task of informing Greg that the telephone engineering work at this Pennsylvania office was nearing an end.

On the day that Jim was getting ready to leave for his new job assignment, he stopped by Greg's office. He stuck his head in the doorway, and said, "I need you to come with me, Greg. There are a couple of guys who want to talk with you."

Jim took Greg to the second floor. They walked into the large lavishly furnished office of Bill Colburn, who was seated next to his assistant, Jack Atwell. Jim made the introductions and Greg was asked to take a seat. The air in the dimly lit office appeared thick with a floating cloud of cigarette smoke, which was highlighted by the reflected narrow bands of light streaming through a partially open window blind. Bill and Jack looked like the perfect match of opposites. Bill was tall and thin, while Jack was short and fat. They both exhibited the standardized posturing of tenured job shop headhunters. Their short-trimmed, shellac pasted hairstyles and unyielding quick talking sales pitches could have easily rivaled the best cutthroat used car salesman. Since Bill and Jack were trusted work associates of Jim Dagenbaur, then Greg contended that he had no reason to doubt their good faith intentions for his welfare.

Bill Colburn smiled at Greg and exclaimed, "Well, young lad. We've heard some wonderful things about you from Jim and your co-workers. We have a new assignment that we would like you to consider taking. The telephone engineering work is winding down, and we have a client in the darling state of Delaware. Of course, this assignment will come with a promotion and an increase in your salary. It should last at least one year or possibly longer. So, Greg, how would you feel about this new job assignment?"

Greg smiled and responded, "It sounds great. When do you want me to start?"

Jack Atwell then entered into the conversation. "I will be going down to this plant location with you next Monday to introduce you to our clients," explained Jack with an uneasy voice. "It's about a two hour drive from here, Greg. You may want to think about relocating because it will be a long commute to drive every day from where you live in Pennsylvania."

Greg did not like the idea of relocation. Mimi had her job and they would find it hard to maintain their living needs with only one income. Greg then passed over Jack Atwell's concerns regarding driving distance. "Let's just go down there next Monday. I can make my decision on relocating later," said Greg. "Does that sound OK with you, Jack?"

Jack stood up to shake Greg's hand. "No problem, son, and you can handle the matter with your relocation when you're ready to do so."

Bill then firmly shook Greg's hand. "You have a great career ahead of you, Greg. I want you to call me if there is anything you need. We realize that Jim Dagenbaur has been involved in your training over the past several months. I just wanted to let you know that Jack Atwell and I will pick up where Jim left off."

Bill Colburn's closing statement was indeed a fact. Jim Dagenbaur was merely passing Greg to another hand of his Lodge organization. It was still unknown to Greg that the Knights Templar would always be keeping watch over the protected path of their young apprentice.

* * * * *

Mimi was amazed with the news of this promotion, and that Greg had once again taken another step up the ladder in such a short period of time. Despite her concerns with the distance that he needed to commute, Greg took the job assignment with the client, American Hoechst Corporation, in Delaware. He endured the drive of over two hours each way to the client location in Delaware City, which was a large industrial park located south of Wilmington. This client became very impressed with Greg's design capabilities in their plant, which produced monofilament strand and plastic tubing products.

After only two months of working there, the plant manager approached Greg to offer him a direct job with their plant. They offered him a salary comparable to his contract hourly rate with a lucrative benefits' package. Greg was also warned if he turned down this offer, his contract assignment would conclude at the end of the month. The plant manager said that relocation to Delaware would be necessary, because he had the similar concerns with the distance Greg was commuting each day from Pennsylvania. In addition, the manager also offered a generous relocation package to cover Greg's costs of moving and security deposits.

Greg was ecstatic with the opportunity to receive a salaried position with this prestigious German plastics' manufacturer. He could not wait to get home to tell Mimi. However, after getting home and announcing what he presumed would be good news, Mimi's reaction was anything but receptive to the idea of moving.

She demonstrated her anger within her response. "So you expect me to quit my job and start hob-knobbing around the country with you?" Mimi inquired. "Well, you will have to show me a commitment before that happens!"

Greg was perplexed by Mimi's angry response. He thought long and hard, attempting to understand her concerns. Then he smiled and asked, "Are you proposing marriage to me, Mimi?"

Mimi finally calmed down and gave Greg a teasing pout. "Well, it's a little backwards, dear, but I think you got my point."

Greg immediately got down on one knee and took Mimi's hand. "Mary Ellen McMillan, will you please marry me?"

Mimi smiled and gave Greg a warm, embracing hug. "I will, only if you promise not to call me Mary Ellen—I hate that name!" They spent the rest of the evening as they always had since they moved in together. Greg and Mimi coasted on the passionate energy of two young lovers throughout most of the evening.

* * * * *

Greg called the plant manager in Delaware the following morning to accept his offer of employment. He said that he was taking the day off to turn in his resignation at his engineering office. After eating breakfast, Greg drove to his Pennsylvania home office to talk with Bill Colburn, who was somewhat surprised to see him.

"Is there a German plant holiday that I'm not aware of?" asked Bill. He then laughed, and stood up to shake Greg's hand.

Greg was still locked in Bill's hand shaking vice grip as he awkwardly stared back into the piercing eyes of his contract manager. Greg explained, "American Hoechst has offered me a salaried position. I have decided to take it, Bill."

Bill's face turned beet red. "Dammit, Greg, I told you to call me if you had any needs or concerns. If it was money that you wanted, I could have got that for you."

Greg explained the matter further and said, "You don't understand, Bill. I was told if I didn't take this job offer, then I would be laid off at the end of the month."

After hearing Greg's excuse, Bill got even more fired up. He yelled, "And you believed that bullshit? Even if that was the case, I have other assignments I could send you to. Most of these job locations are closer than Delaware." Bill's blood pressure then started to recede. "Tell me, Greg, have you verbally agreed to take this job offer with American Hoechst?"

Greg nodded affirmatively. Bill exploded, tossing his coffee mug over Greg's head and smashing it against the wall behind him. The sound of falling ceramic shards echoed throughout the room. Bill glared at Greg with condescending eyes and calmly stated, "Then I guess there isn't anything else to discuss. I wish you good luck, Greg."

Greg quickly exited Bill's office, without shaking hands. He wrote his letter of resignation, and handed the letter to Bill's secretary. He did not wish to be the target for flying projectiles in Bill Colburn's office again. Greg was very surprised with Bill's somewhat violent reaction. He mistakenly assumed that Bill would be pleased to see that a young ex-employee had received an opportunity to better his career. However, Bill Colburn made it appear as though Greg had heartlessly betrayed a confidant's trust. He felt that this was Bill's problem to deal with. At this point, it was no longer any of Greg's concern.

After Greg left the building to return home, Bill closed his office door and returned to his chair to make a phone call. After waiting on hold for almost 5 minutes, he was finally connected to the Grand Master of his Knights Templar Lodge. Bill provided his regretful news. "I'm sorry to say that we have another problem with Greg Bradford. He is leaving our company to take a job with our client in Delaware. It appears that the plant manager had convinced Greg that his assignment would end if he did not accept the position they were offering him. Surprisingly, I have been given another requisition from this same Delaware client. They requested us to fill a temporary position for another electrical designer whom they will need for a future construction project. This new recruit will need to start at their plant in about six months."

The Grand Master responded, "This will not be a problem, Bill, because Greg will not be working in Delaware for very long. Big changes in the economy are coming. I shall also locate a lodge brother to fill the electrical design position for you in Delaware. I am very pleased with the progress that we have made with our young apprentice. The information I have received from Jim Dagenbaur indicates that Greg is exactly where we want him."

* * * * *

Chapter 27

Circa April 1974

Everything was moving very quickly, and some of the most important tasks at hand had to be dealt with. The first was for Greg to ask for Bob and Theresa's blessing to marry their daughter. The hardest part in this matter for Greg was Mimi's parents. They did not know Greg was only 19 years old, and assumed him to be in his early twenties. Since they never asked what his age was, then Mimi and Greg felt there was no need to tell them.

Even though Greg and Mimi had only been dating for less than one year, Bob and Theresa were satisfied that Greg had demonstrated integrity, and that he would be a good husband for their daughter. Therefore, they gave their blessing to his request to marry Mimi. Bob broke out a bottle of champagne to toast their engagement announcement. The wedding date was set for August 1974, which was four months away. Greg's nervousness subsided and he was relieved with the ease of his task in asking Mimi's parents for their blessing to marry.

Bob then made an unexpected, yet warranted request. "We need to bring your parents into this celebration, Greg," stated Bob. "When can we meet them?"

Greg felt his nervousness setting in again. He cautiously deflected Bob's inquiry, "Well, Mimi and I will probably break the good news to them in person next week. Then we can set up a date when we can all meet."

Theresa was still excited over all the wedding plans that she wanted to do. She exclaimed, "Please, Greg, have your parents come here for dinner!"

Greg shrugged his shoulders, "If you insist, Mrs. McMillan."

Theresa walked over to Greg to give him a hug. "Please call me 'Mom'. After all, we are going to be family now."

Greg had some anxiety hurdles with any matter involving his parents; especially given the fact Mimi had not met them yet. Greg had only been out of high school for less than one year. He was still dealing with the dismal reflections of his childhood memories. Thus, his need to share anything in his life with his parents was never a high priority. However, in this case it would be mandatory and a preliminary stepping stone in order to get to the altar with Mimi.

Mimi watched Greg's anguish after her father requested to meet his parents. Mimi politely asked her parents to be excused. She said, "Greg and I are going out for a walk, Mom. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Theresa waved them on. She was too busy making her wedding list of preparations. Mimi's father was summoned to the phone with a business call, which eased their temporary escape to take a walk.

Mimi gave Greg a strong, embracing hug. "My parents were excited with our announcement. I told you not to worry about asking them."

Greg tried to force a smile. "Presently it isn't your parents whom I am worried about."

Mimi then outlined their next steps and calmly stated, "So, now I meet your parents, and both of our parents will meet here for dinner. Is there a problem with that?"

Greg hesitated, "No, that isn't the problem, Mimi. I really don't give a damn about my parents, and this feeling has always been reciprocated by them. Haven't you ever wondered why I never took you to meet them?"

Mimi shrugged, "Not really because they live a long distance away. It wasn't like we had the luxury of time to go there on a weekend. You drive over four hours, back and forth to work, five days a week. You needed the weekends to rest. We'll go there for a short visit, announce our engagement, and then leave. It's no big deal."

Greg had accepted his formal duties to introduce his parents to his future wife. However, he still dreaded the thought of doing so. What Mimi saw as a minor formality in this matter was a very difficult task for Greg.

They slowly walked around the sidewalk of the neighborhood block. Greg offered a suggestion, "Perhaps we could break the ice by telling Emily first."

Mimi shook her head and said, "No way, Greg. If you want to tell Emily anything, then you'll be doing this by yourself. I have nothing to say to that woman." Mimi was very surprised regarding Greg's apprehension with his parents. What could be the problem that she may be overlooking? Why would he require the need for his great-aunt to smooth things over? Mimi had always seen Greg as having a good level of self-assurance and his fast moving career was evidence of his confident abilities. Until now, Mimi had never seen Greg in such a stressed out state of mind and, especially, with such a trivial task. Perhaps there was a dark side to his family that he did want his future wife to see. For now, she would let Greg deal with these problems in whatever way he thought was necessary.

* * * * *

The next morning Greg called Emily Baxter at her hospital office and asked if it would be alright if he stopped by her house to visit after work. Emily was always pleased to see Greg. She said she would be there, along with Kathryn, to greet him. This time Greg was not going to visit Emily with a request for help. Rather, he was planning to use Emily as a backboard to see what her reaction would be to his engagement announcement. Greg felt if he received Emily's blessing with his plans to marry Mimi, then it would not matter what his parents thought. It had always been presumed by Greg since his early childhood that Emily held the keys to the Philadelphia family's estate fortune. Furthermore, his mother, Amy, would not dare to go up against any matter in which Emily had given her approval. However, Greg never did consider what would result if Emily did not provide consent to his wedding plans.

When Greg arrived, he was greeted at the door by Emily and Kathryn. They both gave him a warm hug. After they went into the living room, Greg jumped right to the issue at hand. "I have wonderful news to share with you. Mimi and I are engaged!"

Kathryn excitedly jumped out of her chair. "Greg, I am so happy for you. I wish you could have brought Mimi with you, so I could meet her."

Greg looked over at Emily, who sat with a blank expression on her face. Emily motioned for Greg to come and sit next to her. "Aren't you moving a little fast into this marriage, Greg? You are only 19 years old, and you hardly know each other."

At this point, Greg wanted to be honest with Emily. "Actually, Aunt Emily, Mimi and I have been living together for a while now. We both have decided to make our relationship permanent."

Emily had turned to look over at Kathryn, who was looking back at her with foreboding eyes. Since Emily had not shown any support to Greg's decision to get married, she sought to warrant her concerns. Emily explained, "Greg, I'm sure that you love her, but Mimi is a Catholic, and you are a Lutheran."

Greg held back his urge to laugh at Emily's narrow-minded statement. He replied, "Well, Aunt Emily, Mimi and I both have red blood, and we love each other. This is all that matters to me."

Emily had been gently put in her place, which also prevented Kathryn from having to do so. Emily then backed off, "You are right, Greg. Religion should have no bearing on your decision to marry Mimi. I'm very... happy for you."

Greg was displeased by Emily's dubious response to his engagement news, but he gave it his best shot. He quickly brought his visit to an end, and politely said goodbye as he left to return home.

As he was driving back to his Hatfield apartment, he wondered how this news would be relayed by Emily to his parents. It was obvious to Greg that Emily did not approve of this marriage plan. He ignored Emily's stated concerns because they were nothing more than old fashioned, religious prejudices. Greg just assumed this was the way Emily had been brought up and, in her mind, a marriage between a Catholic and a Lutheran was considered to be a mixed marriage. As Greg continued driving, his anger started to build. He had questioned why Emily thought she had the right to interject and impose her opinions in his life. None of this made any sense to him. Additionally, Greg was still oblivious to the reasons why Emily had portrayed the tendencies of a mother more so than she did a great-aunt. He was also unaware of the history Emily had endured with the Roman Catholic Church. Emily's bitter and inhumane experiences within the dominion of the Vatican had forever marred her opinion of any congregant of this religious denomination. She despised them all with her self-justified hatred.

Emily and Kathryn returned to the living room after Greg's car pulled away. Kathryn unleashed her anger to speak her mind. "My God, Emily, where in the hell do you feel that you have the privilege to pass judgment on Greg's decision to marry anyone? If Greg hadn't put you in your place, I was ready to slap you. He came here personally to give us good news, and you made it appear like it was the preparation for his funeral. I think that Greg is now probably very confused as to why you reacted the way you did. He still believes that you are his great-aunt. I was getting ready for you to tell him that you are his birth mother in order to justify your negativity. Furthermore, what is all this bullshit about Mimi being Catholic and, because of this, Greg shouldn't marry her because he is Lutheran? If you consider how you and I have been living together for over 20 years, I fail to see where you are in any position to be casting stones at Greg... thou art a hypocrite!"

Emily had heard enough. "Are you through criticizing my behavior, Kathryn? Allow me to back up 10 years and explain myself, as well as my concerns regarding Greg's plans to marry a Catholic girl."

Kathryn spent the next two hours sitting silently and listening. Emily finally told her the history of her mother's royal bloodline heritage. Emily described how Amanda and her ancestors were subjected to a decree of death, which had existed for many centuries. She also revealed the Vatican as the entity that hunted Amanda throughout every day of her life. With tears of anger, Emily explained how a monsignor, acting as an emissary from the Vatican, offered her a compromise which would spare her life, as well as the life of her son, Greg, and his future descendants. However, in order to fulfill her obligations, she was forced her to kill her mother. Thus, the Vatican had placed Emily in an indefensible position which offered no other choice.

Kathryn sat for the longest time trying to piece together this intriguing timeline of family history which Emily had waited over 10 years to reveal to her. Emily sat distraught and crying as Kathryn tried to compassionately sooth her feelings. "I now understand the anger and pain you have carried over these last 10 years, Emily. However, you cannot justify your condemnation of an entire religion because of the acts of a handful of Roman Catholic authoritarians. That would be like condemning all Germans for the acts of Hitler! Greg apparently loves this girl. He intends to marry her, and there is nothing you can do to stop him. Since Greg doesn't know you are his birth mother, you also had no right to express your opinion as though you were."

Emily stopped crying as her sorrow became replaced with anger. She exclaimed, "We shall see about that, Kathryn!" Emily stormed up the staircase to her bedroom and slammed the door closed.

Kathryn slowly returned to her side of the house, shaking her head while trying to determine what Emily was planning to do. Kathryn was sure it was nothing of which she wanted to be a party.

* * * * *

Chapter 28

The following morning Emily phoned Amy Bradford in hopes of initiating her help in dissolving Greg's wedding plans. With the exception to occasional holiday phone calls, Amy and Emily both had apprehensions with each other. Thus, they had avoided communications with each other. Emily did not want to be reminded of her bad judgment in allowing Amy and George to raise her son, Greg. Conversely, Amy had constant concerns that Emily may reveal to Greg that she is his birth mother.

Amy had just come in the back door from hanging up laundry on the clothes line when the phone rang. She felt uneasy when she heard Emily's voice on the other end. "Hello, Amy," said Emily in a pleasant voice of greetings. "I'm calling to see if Greg has contacted you with any news recently?"

Amy paused long enough for her curiosity to be aroused, and responded, "Why no. I haven't heard anything or seen Greg for months. What is the news that he hasn't shared with me yet?"

Emily cleared her throat and calmly proceeded. "Since Greg told me first, I will presume that he wanted me to tell you. He is engaged to be married. I don't know if he has set a wedding date yet. Greg has never brought this young lady by to introduce her to Kathryn and me. However, I know this girl because she was once a nursing student at Temple Memorial Hospital. She dropped out during her third year of school before she was asked to leave. I have called in advance of Greg telling you his engagement news, because of my concerns. Greg is only 19 years old, and I don't feel that this girl is right for him. Greg has a promising future ahead of him and this girl has very little ambitions. Even after I bent the nursing school rules to enable her to stay, she still quit rather than putting forth the effort to finish her last year and graduate. I would expect her to do the same thing with her marriage if it would ever run into problems."

Amy was starting to comprehend where Emily was leading in this conversation. "So tell me, Emily," Amy inquired, "what is this girl's name and where did she come from when she attended nursing school?"

Emily's response sounded somewhat sarcastic. "Her name is Mary Ellen McMillan, but she uses the nickname of Mimi. Her family lives in Montgomery County and they are also Catholics."

Amy attempted to visualize Greg's future wife. "Does Mimi's physical appearance bear a resemblance to her nickname?"

Emily continued with her flawed characterization of Mimi. "Well I can certainly understand Greg's desire for this young lady because she is quite attractive. I also heard a rumor that her ex-boyfriend was stalking her after she broke off that relationship. I am quite certain that Mimi has done the rounds with the boys, which is another reason why I feel that she is bad news for Greg. He's in heat – not in love. Furthermore, Greg is far too young to know what love is. I felt that you would agree that he does not need to have his life ruined before he is barely an adult."

Amy thought Emily's remarks about Greg were wrought with ironic criticism, considering her lesbian lifestyle. Amy also understood why Greg avoided telling her anything about his engagement. However, she was silently angered that he chose to announce this news to Emily, instead of her.

Amy presented Emily some optimism with Greg's choice for a wife. "Well at least Mimi isn't an Italian or a Puerto Rican, and it could have been worse. She could have been black."

Emily ignored Amy's racist comments and quickly returned to the reason she called. "So, do you agree with me, Amy?" Emily asked. "Would you please try to persuade Greg and Mimi to delay their marriage plans?"

Amy gave Emily her verbal commitment. "Don't worry, Emily. George and I will do our best to disengage Greg's wedding plans. I'll let you know what happens after he and Mimi tell us their good news."

After Emily hung up the phone, she felt satisfied and was convinced that she was doing Greg an immense favor. Emily also knew that she could depend on Amy's abilities to throw a wrench in the gears of anything that needed to be broken. Emily didn't have a bad conscience with her malicious intentions. After all, it was Greg who had come to her before to request her help in maintaining Mimi's position in nursing school. It was also Greg who sought Emily's blessing in his marital plans. Greg would need Emily's motherly intervention to make sure that this ill-conceived marriage never took place. In her opinion, Greg was too young to see that he was making a grave error.

Emily had conveniently disregarded what Kathryn had told her the previous evening. Greg had his heart set on marrying Mimi and there was nothing that Emily could do to stop his plans. Emily had already gone into her vindictive mode. She sought a way to prevent Greg from enjoining the family trust, until he saw the errors of his ways. One problem remained: she would need to reveal that she was his birth mother before she could effectively persuade him. Emily determined that a visit with Joseph Danbury would be necessary to fulfill her plans. She was reluctant to disinherit her only child from his family's legacy, but Emily was also ignorant with what Greg valued in his life.

Emily was a young adult during the 1930s decade of the Great Depression. Her tendencies were attributed to what she had learned through observations of her father, Samuel. He was a frail man who came from the southern New Jersey lower class. What Samuel lacked in physical brawn was compensated with his personable wit and charm. These traits enabled him to win the heart of Amanda Mills, and marry into her wealthy affluent family. Samuel's paled facial features and sickly five foot tall stature made him appear to be a meek, timid bookworm or librarian. His prearranged career path, commissioned by his father-in-law had forced Samuel to toughen his soft-hearted stance. Samuel was given the chief administrator's position of a bank that was founded in Feltonville, Pennsylvania in 1905. During the years that followed, he made many enemies from defaulting bank patrons, especially those who became strapped for cash or bankrupt during the Great Depression. By contrast, Samuel always had generous time for his family. He wore two different faces each day: a stern, obstinate face at his bank business office, and a pleasant, yielding face at home. He made profitable business transactions through conflict ridden financial deprivations and foreclosures of unwanted competitors. Samuel demonstrated that liquidated money always proved to be thicker than blood, and that the allure of money was stronger than the sanctity of love.

When it came to money, Emily mimicked many of her father's tendencies. Nevertheless, Emily was making a grave error with her plans to end her son's marriage plans through the temptation of monetary bribery. Greg's need for loving companionship was priceless. His personal needs for love inversely exceeded the extremes of Emily's selfish greed, as well as her blind presumptions that the power of money could extinguish the flames of his passion for Mimi.

* * * * *

Chapter 29

Greg called his parents on a Wednesday evening to ask if they would be at home the following Saturday morning. He wanted to share some wonderful news with them. Amy was already prepared for this visit, and she would be home with George to meet with Greg.

On Saturday morning, Mimi could see Greg's apprehension building. It intensified as their drive neared his family home in the rural setting of Milford, New Jersey. When they pulled into the driveway, Amy was waiting at the front door to greet Greg and his girlfriend, whom Amy and George had not met until that morning.

Greg was quick to introduce Mimi to his mother. Amy could sense Greg's uneasiness because his worst fears of his parents embarrassing him in front of his future wife were warranted. Amy led them both into the kitchen where George was already seated at the kitchen table. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed, with his unkempt hair. He was wearing a tee shirt, boxer shorts, and his bedroom slippers. Greg felt as if he was going to die. Mimi was getting a better understanding of why Greg had always put off introducing her to his parents.

George let out an ear piercing belch while offering Greg and Mimi a beer. Greg could feel the blood rush to his face in embarrassment with George's offerings of a breakfast beer. "No thanks, Dad," said Greg, attempting to suppress his anger. "Mimi and I don't drink, especially not at 10 o'clock in the morning."

George sheepishly grinned while staring at Mimi's breasts. "So, what is this wonderful news that you and Mimi wanted to share with your mother and me?"

At that point, Greg wanted to deck his father and leave, but he gathered the integrity to continue with the intended objective of their visit. "Mimi and I are engaged to be married," announced Greg. "We have set the date for August 24th. Mimi's parents would also like to meet you both for dinner to discuss the wedding plans."

Amy eagerly jumped into the conversation. "You both are rushing into this a bit too quickly, aren't you Greg?" Amy then expressed an intimidating grin, "I must admit that I have the same concerns as your Aunt Emily. Perhaps you should both just continue with your engagement for a while longer to decide if marriage is a good choice. After all, you both barely know each other."

Greg's anger was again beginning to build shortly after Amy parroted Emily's remarks. He stated, "Well, Mom, I'll tell you the same thing I told Emily. Mimi and I have been living together. Therefore, we have chosen to make our relationship permanent through marriage."

Mimi sat silent and speechless. She was aware that George was staring at her with bedroom eyes. Greg noticed it, too. He felt the need to take his father aside to talk to him.

"Hey, Dad, why don't you put on a pair of pants, and we can go outside to talk," suggested Greg. "This will give Mimi and Mom an opportunity to talk together."

George shrugged his shoulders and scuffed back to the bedroom to finish getting dressed. As Greg turned to look at Mimi, he could sense that she did not wish to stay any longer. She especially did not want to be left alone with his mother. Mimi now fully understood Greg's stressed out apprehensions regarding his parents. She also realized that this visit was not as trivial as she had originally presumed. When George came back into the kitchen, Greg was already standing by the back door waiting to go outside. They both departed to talk together while Mimi and Amy were left to have their own conversation.

After they were out of hearing range of the kitchen, Greg got directly in George's face, "What in the hell are you doing, Dad? You and Mom already knew in advance from Emily why I was visiting here today. It appears that you and Mom are trying to derail my wedding plans with Mimi. It was bad enough that you were wearing nothing but underwear and drinking beer for breakfast when Mimi met you. To make matters worse, you just sat there staring at her breasts. Why are you doing this to me? I had to endure this kind of bullshit in this house for over 18 years. I left home because you and Mom obviously did not want me to be living here after I graduated from high school. Are you and Mom attempting to screw up the rest of my life as well?"

George was not prepared for Greg's intense posturing. He also did not want to contend with a physical confrontation from Greg's building anger. George asked, "I have just one question, Greg. Mimi is a very attractive girl, so what in the hell does she see in you?"

Greg took a step backward with George's demeaning inquiry. "First of all, Dad, thanks for your fatherly vote of confidence! To answer your question, I can contend that Mimi is not after my money because I have none. In fact, when Mimi moved in with me, she pulled me out of debt. Furthermore, I feel that Mimi's attraction to me is not because I have an exceptionally handsome appearance. Therefore, I can only conclude that she truly loves me as much as I love her. However, I could ask you the same question, Dad. What in the hell did Mom ever see in you?"

Greg knew he had stepped over the line and pushed George's button, which unleashed his temper. George stepped toward Greg, as though he was ready to pull off his belt to lash him, but Greg stood firmly in his footing. At the very least, Greg had ended this conversation. He left George speechless, with no resort other than to retreat.

Greg extended his hand to his father as a peace offering, "Please wish us well with our future marriage, and end your bullshit now, Dad. I want you and Mom to meet Mimi's parents, and I'm asking you nicely to be properly dressed and cordial."

George shook hands and offered his short addressed assurances. "OK, we can do that."

Greg further stated, "I really don't care what Aunt Emily thinks about my getting married. I also don't care what you and Mom thought you were trying to do here today, but nothing will change our wedding plans. You need to make sure that Mom also understands this."

George looked down at the ground and nodded, affirming his support.

George and Greg casually walked around the house, and stared into the distant serene valley from the front terrace. In the meantime, Mimi and Amy were having their own spirited conversation in the kitchen.

Amy got up to pour another cup of coffee and started to pry into the matters of Mimi's nursing school years. "Emily told me that you were once a nursing student at Temple Memorial Hospital. We both have something in common because I graduated from there in 1950."

Mimi could sense that Amy was attempting to stab at a vulnerable sore spot. Mimi made no effort to hide her past and replied with what Amy wanted to hear. "Well, I dropped out during the first semester of my final year. I never looked back, and I also have no regrets."

Amy was a little perturbed that Mimi had already jumped ahead of her intended setup. She had originally thought that Mimi would try to avoid this topic, so Amy attacked her from a different perspective. "You do have something in common with Greg because he almost flunked out of 8th grade. He did make it through high school, but he also had problems there as well. His teachers claimed that Greg had a form of dyslexia, which attributed to his learning disabilities. However, in my opinion, Greg was just being bullheaded and never tried to do his best."

Mimi could not get over the criticisms and the lacking of support that this mother had for her son. "Well, Mrs. Bradford, if Greg had these problems as a child, they certainly aren't an issue now. He has been promoted twice in his career, since I met him. He has also accepted a salaried engineering position with a new employer in Delaware. We will be moving to Delaware after we are married." Mimi then verbally turned the table on Amy. "I was originally curious as to why Greg had avoided introducing me to you and Mr. Bradford. I also wondered why he was so stressed about coming here today. I no longer have any questions regarding these matters. Furthermore, I did learn during my pediatric classes in nursing school that dyslexia and learning disabilities are cognitive disorders. They are more prevalent with boys than girls, but perhaps you did not remember these lessons from when you had attended school at Temple Memorial Hospital. Since Greg no longer exhibits any of these disabilities, we have to assume that he has either outgrown or learned to cope with them. Maybe his learning difficulties at school were derived from another related problem that he had to deal with."

Amy did not care for the direction that Mimi had taken their conversation. Mimi's justified insinuation that Greg's problems were resulting from his home life, rather than learning difficulties at school, struck a nerve. Amy quickly changed the topic. "So when and where did your parents want to meet us?"

Mimi courteously replied, "They would like you to come to their house for dinner, Mrs. Bradford. I will set up a date at your convenience."

Amy nodded, "That will be fine, Mimi. Please call us Amy and George. We don't need to follow any formalities of parental etiquette."

Mimi silently could not agree more with Amy's statement. She could now see why Greg had also avoided them as parents. Looking at her watch, Mimi inquired, "I wonder what is keeping Greg? I'll go out to see if he is ready to leave. We still have food shopping to do."

Amy offered Mimi lukewarm congratulations on their engagement. She opened the door to walk outside with Mimi to look for George and Greg. They were both found standing in the driveway, looking under the hood of Greg's car.

"We'd better be going, Greg. We still have shopping to do," said Mimi with a hinting urgency to leave.

Greg's smile was followed with a good bye to his parents. He opened the passenger door for Mimi to get into the car. As they made the trip back to Hatfield, Greg and Mimi discussed their separate conversations with his parents. A better understanding had been reached by Amy and George, regarding Greg's upcoming wedding, which would proceed without delay. Greg and Mimi were quite certain that the forthright conversations, individually shared that Saturday, would never be forgotten by Greg's parents. Amy had the unpleasant task of explaining to Emily that nothing would be changing the plans for Greg and Mimi's wedding in August.

* * * * *

Chapter 30

Emily received the unexpected news from Amy stating she was unable to stall Greg and Mimi's wedding plans. George and Amy also would be meeting Mimi's parents. They were invited to dinner in Maple Glen to make the final wedding arrangements. Amy made no apologies for her unsuccessful attempts to delay Greg's wedding, and her phone conversation with Emily was brief. Amy certainly did not wish to rehash the candid conversations that she and George endured during that infamous Saturday morning, with Greg and Mimi.

This was not a problem for Emily, and she already had a backup plan. She made an appointment with her family's lawyer, Joseph Danbury, to discuss the matters from a legal perspective. As she drove into downtown Philadelphia, Emily was energized with a determined purpose to save her son. However, when she approached the law firm's Walnut Street location, her memories from 10 years ago started to deflate her vehement ambitions. Emily had promised her mother, Amanda, that Greg would be properly guided by her. He would eventually be told the truth in all the matters regarding his lineal heritage. Nevertheless, Emily had raised the bar of prerequisites that would have to be met before any revelations would be divulged. Additionally, Greg's plans to marry into a Catholic family fell well below what Emily determined to be the minimum essential requirements.

As Emily entered the waiting room of the Danbury Law Office, she began to question her actions. She wondered if her motives were in Greg's best interests, or if they were being projected from her self-justified prejudices of the past. Emily convinced herself that she was approaching this matter from an administrative perspective. She selfishly presumed that, as the executrix of her mother's estate, she also had the right to establish who would have entitlements to her family's trust and its financial disbursements.

The office secretary, Linda Parks, got up from her desk to greet Emily. "Hello, Miss Baxter, it has been a long time since your last visit to our office. Please have a seat, and Mr. Danbury will be right with you."

Emily was surprised to see that Linda was still an employee of Joseph Danbury. Her age started to show, and gravity was affecting her previous shapely attributes. However, being the solo secretary who was exposed to all the questionable dealings of the Danbury Law Firm made Linda Parks a protected species. She knew too much to be replaced.

Joseph Danbury came out to the waiting room to greet Emily. "You look wonderful, Emily. I see that the last ten years have been kinder to you than they were to me."

Emily was amazed that Joseph was being so nice. He seldom liked her visits in the past, but those circumstances had been an entirely different matter. The infamous days that Emily previously shared with Joseph had concluded with the death of her mother, Amanda. Joseph was pushing the age of 70, but he still had seemingly good health, a sharp mind, and oozing charm when he wished to express it.

Joseph gently took Emily by the arm to escort her to the conference room. He seated Emily at the table and inquired, "What brings you back to this office today, Emily? To be completely honest, I am somewhat surprised you would even desire returning here."

Emily remarked, "You are correct in your assumptions, Joseph. My memories in this office are unpleasant for me, but I need to discuss some financial matters regarding my family's trust. As the executrix of my mother's estate, I wish to have my son, Greg, excluded from any entitlements."

Joseph was stunned by Emily's request. "May I ask why you are attempting to disinherit your son? Did you two have a spat or is there another reason that you may wish to discuss... such as his future wife?"

Emily was shocked. "How did you know that Greg is getting married?" she asked. "The engagement announcement hasn't been published in the newspaper yet."

Joseph's face was turning red with anger. "Perhaps you weren't listening to me or Monsignor Monahan 10 years ago when we explained these matters to you. I will briefly reiterate all of this to you, again. First, I need to point out the facts regarding your limitations as the executrix of your mother's estate versus the administration of your mother's family trust. You are, indeed, the executrix and administrator of your mother's estate and everything Amanda owned. However, all of your mother's assets were tied to the family trust. Amanda owned nothing and received a monthly allowance of income along with her husband's Social Security payments. Furthermore, regarding the family trust and its benefactors, neither you nor Amanda ever had any authority to determine how these funds are distributed. Only this law firm, through the vested authority of the trust's European grantor, has the power to make these decisions. Even your father's Feltonville Bank was not his. He administrated this bank charter for a salary which more than adequately supported his family's secured financial lifestyle. So, essentially, you are the executrix to an abstract estate which has no value or assets."

Emily had the wind knocked out of her sails. She sat quietly, feeling like a fool for being the delusional executrix of a penniless estate.

Joseph then rose from his chair staring directly at Emily. "Now, for this other matter regarding your son, Greg, and your request to disinherit him," stated Joseph angrily. "I can only assume that your petty reason for wishing to do this is because of Greg's plans to marry a Catholic girl. Yes, Emily, I know about Greg and his engagement to Mary Ellen McMillan and that their wedding date is scheduled for August 24th. This law firm has been removed from the administration of Greg's descendant entitlements to your mother's family trust fund. Nevertheless, I still know everything about him and his future wife, Mimi, which is more than you shall ever know.

"Let me refresh your memory, Emily, regarding what you were told 10 years ago. I will expand on this to explain how this relates to the present situation with Greg and Mimi. Didn't you ever wonder why your brother, Isaac, succumbed to bone cancer at the young age of 36 years, even though he was a descendant of this royal bloodline? Why your brother, Robert, was sterile? Why your sister, Martha, could not conceive a child? Lastly, that you were the only Baxter sibling who beat the odds of fertility to conceive a child?

"The numbers of royal bloodline family breeders were becoming genetically impotent. Their offspring's heredity was weakened as this diminishing bloodline was precariously maintained for thousands of years. We could not tabulate all of these births, and some married outside of this bloodline. Therefore, these descendants were nullified before they could be effectively bequeathed. This resulted in the availability of applicable royal bloodline children over time being thinned out. Greg and his future wife are the first generation among the remainder of this bloodline's descendants who were genetically modified, to remove their birth defects, and to revitalize their health as well. The Order of Knights Templar has gone to great lengths and expense to bring Greg and Mimi together. Their children will be among those who may be chosen to hold the keys to the future of humanity.

"So I don't give a rat's ass what you think about Mimi McMillan because she is one of the chosen. She was selected by the organization, and she has accepted Greg to become her husband. This wedding will happen whether you like it or not, Emily. You have no concept of Greg's destiny or what he is being prepared for. It must not be interfered with! His life was spared for a purpose, and even your mother, Amanda, realized this. In retrospect, if you think about this entire matter, Emily, you made it happen. You were totally ignorant with what tribulations your careless and selfish actions would cause when you conceived a child with Edmond Bennett. You obviously became aware of the resolutions that had to be met to fix the problems that you created. If you had fears in your dealings with the Vatican, then you certainly do not want to interfere with the plans of the Knights Templar. Greg is now part of a much bigger picture of the future, and all you can do at this point is stand back and watch. Therefore, I trust that we will never need to discuss this matter again. Give Greg and Mimi your blessing. Move on with your life, or I guarantee that you will be removed!" Without any further exchange of words, Joseph escorted Emily to the lobby to leave. Then he returned to his office for a glass of brandy.

Emily had once again been put in her place. She had to look beyond her shallow narrow mindedness to accept her son's plans to marry a girl whom she unjustifiably disliked. When she returned home, Emily reluctantly called Amy to inform her that she was giving Greg her blessing to marry Mimi McMillan. Haunting memories of the past never let Emily forget the promises that she had made to her mother, Amanda. Emily's pledge to guide Greg's life and to reveal the truth that she is his birth mother was now a moot issue. This authority had effectively been removed from Emily's hands. She was now demoted to be nothing more than an unnecessary fifth wheel. Emily's decision in this matter had, once again, been forced by an ultimatum made by Joseph Danbury. Emily did not realize that her obvious resentment of Mimi had been felt more than once by Greg. She had alienated her relationship with her birth child, and it would take many years to mend the rift. However, Emily was willing to wait for any future opportunity to destroy Greg's marriage, even if it took the remaining years of her life to do so.

* * * * *

Chapter 31

One of the preliminary steps which Greg and Mimi had to complete, prior to the wedding, was their application for a marriage license. Then they had to attend premarital counseling with the Catholic priest who would be conducting the wedding ceremony. Mimi had already sent off to Massachusetts to obtain a recent copy of her birth certificate. Greg phoned his mother, Amy, to obtain his birth certificate. The last time he had used it was to get his driver's license, and he returned it to his mother afterward. However, Amy was being rather stubborn, and she refused to mail this document to Greg. He was forced to drive all the way to Milford, New Jersey to receive it. When Greg had arrived at his parents' house, he was irritated that he had to drive over 1½ hours. He was unaware that Amy would have special instructions which she wanted to give Greg, in person. These directives were with regard to where he and Mimi must obtain their marriage license.

When Greg walked in the front door, his mother Amy was walking down the hallway carrying an envelope. "Here is your birth certificate," said Amy while fumbling to pull out the enclosed document. "You and Mimi need to get your marriage license at the Bucks County Court House. Then I want this certificate returned to me after you are done using it."

Greg paused to think about these instructions. "Mimi and I are getting married in Montgomery County and Bucks County is out of our way," stated Greg. "We can get our marriage license at any Pennsylvania County Court House, Mom. It doesn't have to specifically be done at Bucks County."

Amy started to get very perturbed. "Look, Greg, just do what I'm telling you. Go to the Bucks County Court House to obtain your marriage license," insisted Amy angrily. "Don't give me any more of your bullshit telling me that it is out of your way. Furthermore, make sure that you give this certificate back to me when you are done with it!"

Greg was already exhausted and he did not have the energy to challenge Amy's unusual demands. He added his need for one other item that was required. "Mimi and I need to attend premarital counseling with the Catholic priest who will be conducting the marriage ceremony. He said that he needs my baptismal record as well as my birth certificate, so I won't be giving it back to you any time soon, Mom." Greg then inquired, "Do you also have my certificate of baptism?"

Amy was quietly thinking over Greg's request. She made a nervous inquiry, "Why does the priest need to see your birth certificate?"

Greg grew impatient and gave a sarcastic reply, "I don't know Mom. As Emily so eloquently pointed out, I'm not a Catholic. I'm also far too young to have experienced a previous marriage, so I can't answer your question. You've been married Mom. So, perhaps you can tell me why the priest needs to see my birth certificate."

Amy bounced Greg's cynical remarks back in his face. "I don't know either, smart-ass, because I didn't get married in a frickin' Catholic church."

Greg wanted to get another irritating poke in at his mother, but he refrained from doing so. Amy looked pale and seemed like she was going to throw up. "Look Greg, I will mail your baptismal certificate when I find it," Amy quickly stated. "Please leave now, and give that birth certificate back to me when you are through with it. Also, make sure that you go to the Bucks County Court House to get your marriage license!"

Greg threw his arms up as a sign of surrender to his mother's repeated demands. He promptly left to drive back home.

As Greg backed down the driveway to leave, Amy ran to the bathroom to vomit in the toilet. Her nerves were shot. The day that she had fearfully placed in the back of her mind for years had finally arrived. Her original concern was always the possibility of Emily revealing she is Greg's birth mother. However, that fear had now been compounded with a Catholic priest. Even if the Bucks County Court House accepted Greg's falsified birth registration as his identification to apply for a marriage license, there was a good possibility that the priest would not. If this occurred, then Greg would need to secure a certified copy from the Pennsylvania Department of Vital Statistics, which could create an even bigger problem. Amy knew that Greg's adoption was illegal. If he had to get a certified copy of his state-issued birth certificate, she was uncertain as to whether or not it would denote Emily Baxter and Edmond Bennett as his birth parents. Panic had started to take hold of Amy as she was kneeling in front of the toilet getting ready to vomit again.

Amy made a quick inquiry to God. "Why couldn't Greg have turned out to be gay like his lesbian mother, Emily?" asked Amy in desperation. "It would have been so much easier on everyone..."

* * * * *

As Greg drove home, he had already shrugged off another of his innumerable arguments with his mother, which he had learned years ago to ignore. Greg was accustomed to having a bizarre home life during the first 18 years of his life. He may have become suspicious, with his mother's unusual demands, if this aggravating circumstance was not the norm. When Greg arrived at his apartment, he told Mimi about his mother's strange directives. He handed his birth certificate to Mimi for examination.

"This isn't even a standard birth certificate," explained Mimi. "This is a Registration of Birth, issued by Bucks County Hospital when you were born. I suppose this is why Amy is strangely insisting that we need to go to the Bucks County Court House to get our marriage license. Look, Greg, your Mom has always been odd anyway. This problem is mild by comparison to some of her other bullshit. We have too many other things to be concerned with at this point, so, it's no big deal. We'll go to Bucks County to get our marriage license."

* * * * *

There was no problem in utilizing Greg's hospital-issued birth registration at the Bucks County Court House. Therefore, Greg and Mimi effortlessly obtained their marriage license. By contrast, Greg did have difficulty the following week when he presented his documentation to the priest during the premarital counseling session.

Father Peter first examined Mimi's baptismal certificate and then her birth certificate. He paused when he looked at Greg's birth certificate. The priest then checked to compare the name on Greg's baptismal certificate. Father Peter looked curiously at Greg when he made his inquiry. "You were born at Bucks County Hospital, and you were baptized at Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church. Both locations are in Bucks County. Tell me, Greg, where did you live?"

Greg responded, "I grew up in Milford, New Jersey."

Father Peter then re-examined Greg's baptismal certificate. "Hmmm... and your birth parents are George and Amy Bradford?"

Greg was somewhat confused by the priest's question. "Yes, Father Peter," Greg replied.

The priest stated, "Well, Greg, this really isn't a birth certificate. However, since Montgomery County accepted this as your birth identification, then I will too."

Greg then hesitantly replied, "Well, Father, actually it was Bucks County that accepted this as my birth certificate. We didn't get our marriage license in Montgomery County."

Father Peter appeared to sense that something was peculiar with Greg's certificates. Everything about Greg's identification seemed to lead back to Bucks County. Then the priest asked Greg for one more piece of identification, "Greg, please let me see your Social Security Card."

Greg pulled his Social Security card from his wallet and gave it to Father Peter. The priest examined the numbers, and stated, "You lived in Milford, New Jersey, but this Social Security Number was issued in Pennsylvania. Most likely, it was also issued in Bucks County." The priest suddenly stopped with his examinations of Greg's documents and gave a pleasant smile. "Well, then, I guess that this will have to do."

Father Peter's questions regarding why Greg's documents all originated from Bucks County should have signaled an alarm in Greg's head. Those questions, in conjunction with the strange demands of his mother two weeks ago, should have raised Greg's suspicions. However, neither Greg nor Mimi ever made the connection. Father Peter had interviewed countless couples from several different states, as well as the surrounding Pennsylvania counties. Greg Bradford was not the first person who had presented him with a Bucks County Hospital issued birth registration during their premarital counseling visit. Father Peter was also one of few people who knew how to identify an illegitimate child who was born in Bucks County Hospital. A legitimate birth was issued a Bucks County Hospital birth certificate that displayed an illustrated picture of the hospital facility on the front of the document. An illegitimate birth was issued a simplified non-illustrated birth registration printed on a postcard-sized piece of paper. Greg's birth certificate was the latter. Furthermore, most of these children were never told that they were adopted. Since the Bucks County Orphans' Court was bypassed in the adoption proceedings, the hospital had the only true birth records, which were permanently sealed. Bucks County Hospital had greatly profited for decades by conducting private adoptions unlawfully.

Father Peter did not believe it was his place to blow the whistle on Bucks County Hospital's practices of profiteering from the marketing of unlawful baby adoptions. Apparently, Greg's adoption occurred almost 20 years ago. Father Peter felt a priest's place in the community was to bring families together, spiritually, rather than to expose an illegality. To do that would tear families apart. It would forever destroy relationships between the parents and their illegally adopted child. However, Father Peter observed this matter from the partiality of his celibate existence much in the same way that Emily Baxter observed it from the myopic perspective of her carefree lesbian lifestyle. Both Father Peter and Emily were at opposite ends of the religious spectrum. At the same time, they both possessed the capacity to tolerate the unlawful marketing of innocent, illegitimate children to people who did not qualify to raise a dog, let alone a child.

Nothing else was questioned in these matters by Greg or Mimi. They were concentrating on the wedding plans, and had been distracted by more urgent details. However, the memory of this premarital counseling session would remain embedded, deep within their memories. Each piece of these seemingly innocent events, which they overlooked, would have great relevance in their distant future.

* * * * *

Chapter 32

The wedding went wonderfully. Greg's only regret was being tied to the duties of the groom because it was one of the best wedding receptions he had ever attended. Amy and Emily exhibited great restraint in their opposition to the nuptials. The same could not be said about Greg's dad, George, who could not resist the reception's open bar that provided an endless flow of whiskey. Even though George's inebriated condition restricted his ability to walk in a straight line, he still managed to find Greg's car in the parking lot. He jokingly placed limburger cheese on the manifold of the engine, knowing the smell would linger for months.

When George went missing for over one hour, Greg had the embarrassing task of finding his father. After searching the rest rooms, the parking lot, and the exterior grounds of the complex, Greg found his father seated at a table drinking a bottle of beer. George had unknowingly returned to another wedding reception, which was held in the ballroom next door. Greg took his father by the arm, and guided him back to the Bradford-McMillan festivities. Amy then took over the chore of watching George as well as having to drive their car home after the reception had concluded.

Shortly after their honeymoon on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Greg and Mimi moved from Hatfield, Pennsylvania to Newark, Delaware. Greg would be in closer proximity to the plant where he worked. He still had concerns with the loss of Mimi's income to help support their living expenses, and hoped that his salary would suffice.

One morning, Greg was updating drawings in his office. He received a phone call from the plant manager, Pete Limbach, who requested Greg to come to his office. When Greg arrived in Pete's office, he was surprised to see his former Pennsylvania assistant business manager, Jack Atwell. Seated in the chair next to Jack sat a man whom Greg had never seen before. This unknown man appeared to be in his mid thirties, well dressed, and he expressed a friendly smile as he looked up at Greg.

Pete Limbach made quick introductions. "Greg, you already know Jack Atwell. This other gentleman is Walter Munson. He will be assisting your electrical design work for the next few months on our new production facility. Would you please give Jack and Walter a tour and an overview of the proposed expansion of our plastics' extrusion process?"

Greg was silently angered. He suddenly realized that he had been intentionally misled by the Hoechst Corporation to take a direct job. He also was forced to relocate to Delaware to prevent the threat of being laid off. Now, he saw another contractor from his old employer being assigned in the Hoechst Plant site engineering group. Greg shrugged off his anger and pleasantly replied to his manager's request, "No problem, Pete. I'll give Jack and Walter the 25 cent grand tour."

Jack Atwell's face had a constant grin. Greg escorted his two guests to a closet to be provided with safety glasses and hard hats before they entered the construction area. When they walked into the new extrusion facility, there was an absence of any other workers in the area. Jack took the opportunity to make a joking jab at Greg. "I guess you now realize that American Hoechst had no intention of laying you off, Greg. You blindly accepted their bluff. You can still come back to work for us at the Pennsylvania office, if you want."

Greg stopped and turned to respond. "Look, Jack, I appreciate the employment offer. Bill Colburn made it very clear that I should have talked to him before accepting a job offer with American Hoechst. I will presume that Bill is still angry at me for leaving."

Jack laughed at Greg's comment. Then he replied, "No, Greg. Bill doesn't carry a grudge. He got over his anger about you leaving our contract office to work in Delaware. In fact, Bill is the one who is leaving the door open in hopes that you will come back to work for us."

Greg displayed an understanding smile, and stated, "Perhaps someday I'll come back, Jack, but not now. I'm already obligated to complete a major project at this plant, and it will also be a good experience for me."

Jack gave Greg a pat on the back. "Walter Munson is a top notch senior electrical design engineer. I'm sure that you will learn a lot from the knowledge this man has to offer. Perhaps Walter can also convince you to come back to Pennsylvania when this project is over. You never know when the engineering market is going to change."

Greg did not like being badgered. He impatiently looked up at the ceiling as he responded, "You never give up, do you, Jack?"

Jack gave a roaring laugh with his response, "Never!"

Jack's statement to Greg was, in actuality, a future forecast of market changes yet to come. Thirty days later there was a crippling Middle East OPEC oil embargo against the United States. The American Hoechst Corporation started to reduce production due to the lack of fuel oil and raw materials to run the plant. Even though the plant could only run 50% of their production facilities, it did not interrupt the construction of the new extrusion facility.

Walter Munson was another positive influence in Greg's life. He was very soft spoken, patient, and had sincerely gone out of his way to teach Greg everything he knew. In time Walter had gained Greg's confidence and trusted friendship as his educating mentor.

* * * * *

After three months, the plant facility's expansion project neared completion. The fuel shortages and forced gas rationing had convinced Greg that the northeastern region of the United States was in for a major slowdown. Furthermore, Mimi was still unemployed and becoming more displeased with each passing day. Greg and Mimi could sense that something had to change in order to pay their bills. This became even more imperative when American Hoechst gave Walter Munson his notice of lay off. Greg's situation also worsened when he was reduced to a 30-hour workweek.

On Walter's last workday at the plant, Greg showed his appreciation to him. Greg took Walter out and paid for their lunch. Walter had been a very good mentor who taught Greg well about the technical aspects of construction. The years of field experience showed with Walter. He possessed knowledgeable skills, and he also had the uncanny ability to motivate uncooperative union craft workers, who delayed construction in order to bilk the client for overtime hours. Walter spoke with diplomatic professionalism and never needed to raise his voice to the construction workers. Many workers would submit frivolous field question forms, so they could get paid while sitting on the job, waiting for a written answer. Greg was unfamiliar with these lazy craft worker tendencies, but all it took to resolve this problem was one conversation between Walter and the union superintendent. Walter's massive 6'-4" stature and gorilla-sized arms were intimidating enough. However, the fire in his eyes did all the talking. His cold stares could easily cause the most hardened, belligerent construction worker to back down with a whimper.

Greg and Walter sat at their table waiting for their lunch order. Greg asked, "So where are you headed to from here, Walter?"

Walter confidently replied, "I'm moving to Houston, Texas. There are no fuel shortages down there, and engineering work is plentiful. Perhaps you should think about moving to Houston, Greg. This plant is a beached whale, and the market up north isn't going anywhere for months."

Greg sat pondering Walter's suggestion. "It's not like I have anything holding me here. My wife, Mimi, is still unemployed, so I'm sure she is ready to leave. How will I remain in touch with you after you get down to Texas, Walter?"

Walter pulled a tablet and pen from his jacket pocket and jotted down information, which he handed to Greg. "Here is the phone number of a job shop in Houston. The name of the person you'll need to talk with is Dennis Meyers. If I don't contact you when I get to Houston, then you can call Dennis. He will know where to find me. You and Mimi can even stay with me and my wife, Nancy, until you find a job and get enough money put together to get your own apartment."

Greg accepted Walter's offer and had already made the decision to travel to Houston in search of better employment. Fortunately, Mimi was also ready to move away from Delaware for the opportunity of living in an area with a good economy. The following morning Greg gave his one-week notice to American Hoechst. He and Mimi placed all their belongings into a moving-storage warehouse, pending re-establishing themselves in the Houston, Texas area. They were now two free spirits sharing the adventure of an unknown future.

* * * * *

Chapter 33

Circa November 1974

The drive to Houston provided Greg and Mimi with a sense of excitement regarding the many unknowns that awaited them. Walter Munson would be providing a roof over their heads and sharing his knowledge of the job market in Houston. Therefore, Greg had no concerns. What Greg and Mimi did not realize was that Walter was another covert link within the hierarchical web of secret societies being directed by the Knights Templar. This network of agents, who had been assigned to guide, track, and protect their valued couple's path, would always be watching.

Upon their arrival in Houston, Greg and Mimi found a phone booth to call Dennis Meyers at the job shop to which Walter had previously referred Greg. Dennis was a Houston headhunter. Most of his business acquaintances only knew him as a voice on the phone. His one-room office and a secretary were all that he required. Dennis was one of many opportunistic links that connected design engineering workers with the hungry employers who needed to fill hundreds of open job positions.

After Dennis talked with Greg on the phone, he sent his secretary to drive out and escort Greg and Mimi to his office. He also treated them to lunch and a guided tour of the Houston city area. After concluding their afternoon excursion, Greg and Mimi followed Dennis' car to Walter and Nancy Munson's apartment. Walter offered his apartment as a temporary home base, until Greg found employment and obtained an apartment.

One week after his arrival in Houston, Greg found a job with unlimited overtime, and he quickly got back financially on his feet. Indeed, in 1975, Houston was a city of great job opportunities. Additionally, Greg obtained subcontract drafting work and Mimi was trained to do the work at home. In time, Greg's youthful ambition went into overdrive, and he was continually job jumping, looking for higher pay. Eventually, Mimi became proficient enough to seek her own employment in electrical design drafting.

With every new employment position, Greg would scout out any job opportunities that were available in his engineering department. He would revise Mimi's resume to fit the job description as well as determine the hourly rate for her to ask for. Since most employers did not approve of husband and wife teams working in the same department, Mimi worked under her maiden name. Their anonymous marriage also provided an advantageous position for sharing personal and political rumor mill information with each other.

After two years of careful planning, Mimi had advanced her skills, and she was making approximately the same salary as Greg. However, no matter where Greg and Mimi were working, Walter Munson always had Lodge brothers keeping close tabs on them. Walter was amazed at how well this married couple worked and conspired together, but he was concerned that their political ambitions were getting out of hand. Walter had kept Greg on a long leash and now realized that he had allowed his apprentice too many liberties.

Walter discussed the matter with Greg's sentinel guardian, who was also the Philadelphia Freemason Lodge Grand Master. After their phone conversation, it was decided that Walter would need to meet with Greg to discuss the matter further. Walter needed to point out the dangerous political situation which Greg and Mimi were engaged in. They were carelessly ignorant, given the fact that they were both playing in the realm of uncultured Texas good-old-boys who disliked northerners. This young couple was violating unwritten codes of conduct, and if they were discovered, the results could be devastating. Greg and Mimi's actions could get them both fired. If they were blackballed in Houston, they would have to leave the city. At the worst, one or both of them could be shot by an angered coworker for breach of trust by covertly attempting to gain an advantage through their deception. Walter Munson had not seen or talked with Greg for months, and he decided to invite him and Mimi over to his apartment for dinner.

Greg and Mimi accepted Walter's invitation and arrived at his apartment that evening after work. After eating dinner, Walter's wife, Nancy, excused herself to get ready to go to work. She left her husband to entertain his two guests alone.

Walter started the conversation by inquiring about Greg and Mimi's current jobs. "It's my understanding that you both are working at the Crest Corporation. Most companies won't allow a husband and wife to work in the same department. How did you manage to get permission to work together?"

Mimi replied with a smile. "They don't know that we are married because I'm working under my maiden name."

Greg recognized the fire of anger in Walter's eyes. He asked, "Is there a problem with this, Walter?"

Walter did not answer Greg. He calmly got up from his chair to pour three shot glasses of whiskey. After placing the glasses on a tray, he returned to sit down at the table. He placed a glass down in front of each of his guests. Walter raised his glass, and said, "A toast to our trustworthiness of each other."

Greg and Mimi looked at each other in bewilderment. Even though neither of them drank alcohol, they respectfully gulped down the contents of their shot glass. Greg made an unsavory face as he exhaled alcohol fumes through his teeth while attempting to respond to Walter. "Is there is an unspoken meaning behind your toast, Walter?"

Walter got a concerned looked on his face with his reply, "Yes, Greg, there is something that I need to say regarding how you and Mimi are conducting yourselves. Have you ever considered what may happen if your coworkers discovered that you and Mimi are married? Through your deceptions, you have each become deeply entrenched in your department's political dealings. You both have worked your way into the confidences of your coworkers' personal affairs. This includes the office romances, vices, and even the secretive gay and lesbian cultures."

Greg started to get defensive. "First of all, Walter, Mimi and I are only trying to be friendly and on equal footing with all of our coworkers. Furthermore, I'm not gay and Mimi isn't a lesbian. How in the hell do you know anything about our engineering department or our dealings with our coworkers?"

Walter got a smirk on his face with his reply. "I know people that work in your engineering department at the Crest Corporation, and they already know that you both are married."

Mimi started to look pale, and Greg was sparked with curiosity. "May I ask who these people are, Walter?""

Walter poured another round of whiskey for himself, quickly gulped it down, and coldly stared at Greg. "Yes, you can ask me—but I'm not going to tell you," stated Walter with a stern voice. "Perhaps now, you will better understand what I am about to tell you both. One of you has to quit your job at Crest Corporation or Mimi will be exposed as being your wife. This will lead to both of you being fired, and probably blackballed in Houston."

Greg let out an exasperated sigh with his inquiry. "I guess that we don't have a choice in this matter. How can Mimi and I be assured that the fact we are married won't be exposed?"

Walter poured another round of whiskey for Greg and stated, "If these people exposed this fact without my permission, they will be answering to me. I will simply state that you are both being watched. Just do your damn jobs and stay out of deceptive politicking, or the both of you will get crushed. Do you understand?"

Greg reached out to shake Walter's hand with his response of assurances. He solemnly stated, "Mimi can stay at the Crest Corporation, and I will seek employment elsewhere."

Walter smiled, "You're making a very wise move, Greg."

Walter reached down to pull his briefcase onto the tabletop and removed a large binder of corporate business cards. He extracted a card and handed it to Greg. "Here, Greg, call this guy, Ron Druthers. He is the engineering manager at a place called Fluor Ocean Services. The Fluor office building is located on the opposite side of the freeway from the Crest Corporation. Tell Ron that Walter Munson referred you, and you'll be hired."

Greg shoved the business card into his wallet, and replied, "Thank you Walter, and I really appreciate your help."

Greg and Mimi got up from the table to leave, and Walter walked them to the door. He placed each of his muscular arms over the shoulders of his two guests. Walter stated, "I feel that I am responsible for bringing you both down here to Houston. There are certain conditions that will need to be maintained if you wish to remain employed in town. Please don't let me down." Greg and Mimi both nodded, and left to walk to their car.

As they made the drive home, Mimi still seemed to be partially shaken. She asked, "Who in the hell is Walter Munson, anyway? You would think that he's the mayor of Houston or something!"

Greg responded, "Did you see how many business cards he had in that binder? All I know is that I wouldn't want to be on Walter's bad side."

Mimi was still pondering the audacity of Walter Munson. She looked out her car window as she made a request to Greg, "Let's try to avoid future contact with Walter, OK?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders with his reply. "OK, but remember what Walter said. We are both being watched, and he appears to know a lot of people. Why in hell would anyone want to monitor people as insignificant as us? Walter's threatening statement was probably just bullshit. However, it was also pretty damn convincing and intimidating. As a precaution, I'm going to call this guy at Fluor Ocean Services tomorrow to set up an interview. Hopefully, I can start working there, after I give one week's notice to the Crest Corporation. There's no need to take any unnecessary risks, by calling Walter's bluff."

The next morning, Greg found an unoccupied office in the south wing of the Crest Corporation office building and called Ron Druthers at the Fluor engineering office. The Fluor lobby receptionist put Greg's call through to Ron Druthers' office. A cheerful voice responded, "Ron Druthers, speaking."

Greg replied, "Hello, Mr. Druthers. My name is Greg Bradford, and I am being referred to you by Walter Munson."

Ron pleasantly replied, "Yes, Greg. Walter contacted me, and I've been expecting your call. When will you be able to start working here?"

Greg was caught completely off guard, and was slow with his response. "Umm... I can start at Fluor after giving one week's notice to the Crest Corporation."

Ron then replied, "Excellent, Greg! Walter had a lot of good things to say about your design abilities. We look forward to having you with our Fluor engineering team. I feel that I can increase your salary by 10% from where you are presently. Will that be sufficient?"

Greg hesitated, "You already know what my base salary is?"

Ron answered, "Yes, Greg. Walter briefed me on your work history and salary requirements so that we could forgo the need for an interview. Just have the receptionist in the lobby ring my office with your arrival, and we will get your employment and benefits paperwork completed that morning."

Greg quickly responded, "Thank you, Mr. Druthers! I will see you one week from Monday."

After hanging up the phone, Greg felt dizzy and had to take deep breaths to regain his composure. He then muttered to himself, "Just who in the hell is Walter Munson? How is it that he has such a massive influence in this town?" At this point, it really didn't matter. Greg walked to his department manager's office to place his handwritten notice of resignation on the secretary's desk. Greg, as well as most of the Houston workers in the engineering field, had frequently changed jobs. Letters of resignation had almost evolved to the point of utilizing a letter template with fill-in-the-blank spaces, to save time. However, Greg did not have access to a typewriter, and he chose to handwrite his resignation notices.

On their commute back home, Greg told Mimi about his short phone interview with Ron Druthers, and provided his perplexed recollection of their conversation. "Ron Druthers blindly accepted Walter's endorsement of me. He established my salary requirements, in advance, which removed the need for a formal interview. I will be starting my new job at Fluor Ocean Services one week from Monday, with a 10% increase in my salary."

Mimi said nothing, and sat in utter astonishment. Greg continued, "When I got off the phone, I had to take deep breaths. I kept asking myself, how could Walter Munson have so much influence in this town?"

Mimi was shaking her head with her response. "At least you made the correct decision in not calling Walter's bluff and wisely decided to resign from your position at the Crest Corporation. We will still be able to commute in together because your office is right across the freeway from mine. It also looks like the date we had set, to purchase our first house, can now be moved up."

Mimi and Greg no longer felt the need to question the circumstances that had come about through the influences of Walter Munson. He saved them both from the possibility of job losses, and they were fortunate. Nevertheless, they mentally noted that, in the future, they would consciously need to avoid Walter's mysterious air of authority.

* * * * *

Chapter 34

Circa 1977

Both Greg and Mimi's business offices were offering overtime hours, and also had the convenience of having the same daily work schedule. Within three months of Greg starting his job at Fluor, they made a down payment on their new house. It was built in the town of Sugar Land, which was located southwest of Houston about 45 minutes from their business offices. Financially, they maintained a plentiful surplus of cash in their savings account. With their combined incomes, Greg and Mimi could also afford the expense of visiting the McMillan family, who had recently moved from Pennsylvania to their new residence in Guilford, Connecticut.

The harder Greg and Mimi worked, the greater their need for leisure. Their upper middle-class stature introduced them to the fast lane of other young professional married couples who lived in their housing subdivision. One neighborhood couple that they became friends with was Jack and Rachel Howard.

By profession, Jack was a chemist at a pharmaceutical testing laboratory. Greg would often exercise and jog long distances with Jack. This neighbor was obviously a health nut because his lean body and competitive spirit were portrayed by a driving attitude to excel in physical endurance as well as in his demanding business industry. Jack's wife, Rachel, was a marine biologist who did independent research for clientele within the oil industry. Her appearance mimicked the typical stereotype of many Jewish women. She enjoyed cooking, and her round portly body indicated that her favorite pastime was eating. Rachel was very opinionated and boisterous, but also fun to socialize with.

Jack and Rachel had many work associates who supported each other within their exclusive professional circles. Even though Greg and Mimi were not accepted within the Howards' Jewish circles, their friendship with Jack and Rachel still flourished. Both couples would often party together, especially on the weekends. Rachel enjoyed both entertaining, as well as fine dining at the many restaurants in town.

One day, out of the blue, Jack called Greg on the phone with an invitation. "Hi, Greg, this is Jack. I wanted to invite you and Mimi for a weekend getaway with some friends and coworkers at Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. Our lab corporation owns a large luxury log cabin retreat, located right on the lake. Rachel and I have gone up there many times. There are also boats for fishing or water skiing. So, what do you say...are you interested in going up there with us?"

Greg cupped the phone to give the details of Jack's invitation to Mimi, and at first she liked the idea. Greg then returned to the phone. "Yes, Jack, that sounds like fun, and we'd both like to go."

Jack replied, "That's great, Greg. You can follow us up there on Saturday morning. We'll be leaving around 9:00 in the morning."

Mimi became hesitant after Greg hung up the phone. She stated, "It does sound like fun, but I just don't know, Greg. Jack's friends are in an elite class of their own. Since we aren't Jewish, I suspect that we might be ignored for the weekend."

Greg tried to reassure Mimi. "I'm sure that if this was the case, then Jack would not have invited us." Greg gave a mild laugh before continuing, "Jack probably didn't tell his friends that we're Gentiles. Why should we be concerned with insignificant religious differences? You're starting to sound like Emily, and her petty concerns with you being Catholic and my being Lutheran."

Mimi frowned and stated, "I don't like being compared with Emily Baxter. Furthermore, you obviously have never had to deal with a Jewish peer group before."

Greg scoffed at the entire matter with this statement. "No, Mimi, I never had to deal with a Jewish peer group. I was brought up in a lower middle class WASP community, and not in an upper middle class subdivision of the Philadelphia suburbs, like you were. However, we had a few Jews in my schools, and they were okay. We never really gave a damn about religious differences. Besides, Mimi, you went to Catholic schools for most of grade school. I'm sure that no Jews attended there! Jack Howard's friends are professional adults and not cruel kids on the playground. It will be OK."

* * * * *

The following Saturday morning, Greg and Mimi followed the Howard's car en route to Austin. When they arrived at Lake Travis State Park, they turned off the main park road onto a paved, private driveway which ran almost ¼ of a mile. The driveway was lined on both sides by a thicket of tall pine trees that led into a clearing. The immense lake was visible below a sprawling terraced lawn. The luxurious log cabin, available for the weekend festivities, appeared to be the crown jewel, overlooking the lake. Greg followed Jack as they drove their cars onto the grass to park. A large array of cars, which ranged from luxury and sports cars to the standard pick-up trucks, dotted the landscape.

Mimi and Greg walked with Jack and Rachel into the crowd of their friends while the sweet aroma of marijuana smoke lingered in the air. Jack made courteous introductions as they made their way to the open bar. Everyone was in a very festive mood. Many people seemed to be circling around a table that had a tray of hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes. A large glass dispenser of fruit punch seated in a tub of crushed ice, along with a spread of assorted foods on a long buffet table, were enticing.

Jack then inquired, "Can I get either of you a beer, some wine, or a mixed drink?"

Greg smiled, "No thanks, Jack. I think Mimi and I will have some punch and also get something to eat from the buffet."

Jack grinned, "I'm sure that you both will like the punch. It contains a rare fruit mix that we make each year, just for this special occasion."

Rachel was giggling while she passed Greg a lit joint of pot for him and Mimi to try. Rachel said, "This is really good stuff, man. It will definitely complement your fruit punch."

Greg shrugged his shoulders and took several drags off the cigarette. He then turned to Mimi, and whispered in her ear, "We don't want to insult our hosts, dear. It seems that we are fitting in pretty well, so far. Here, try some of this," said Greg as he handed the cigarette to Mimi. "I'll get us cups of fruit punch. I'm thirsty."

After Greg got the fruit punch, he returned to see Mimi and Rachel laughing together. He handed a cup of punch to Mimi and said, "This punch must be really good. There was a long line of people waiting to get some."

Greg started to gulp the entire 8-ounce cup. Rachel quickly grabbed Greg's arm to stop him before he emptied the contents of his cup. She stated, "You might want to drink that a little more slowly, Greg. Let's go over and get something to eat now because I'm starving."

As they were waiting to get near the buffet spread of food, people continued passing around marijuana cigarettes. Mimi stood, motionless, while staring at the water skiers on the lake. Greg looked at Mimi's eyes, which were turning bloodshot red. He tried to gently snap her out of her trance, and stated, "Too bad we didn't bring our swim suits because we could have water skied."

Mimi just smiled as she finished her cup of punch and exclaimed, "That pot is really strong! I feel like I'm already floating, so I don't need water skis."

Greg was getting the same sensation. His eyes were distracted by a lady, who was wearing a necklace. It displayed a golden crucifix that had embedded diamonds, which acted like prisms, bending the sunlight into a spectrum of different glittering colors. Greg felt like he was moving in slow motion. He quietly spoke into Mimi's ear, "I saw a lady wearing a crucifix, so I guess that you and I aren't the only Gentiles here."

Mimi broke out into uncontrollable laughter, at Greg's comment, and she couldn't stop laughing. Greg took hold of her hand to bypass the buffet table of food. They carefully walked down next to the edge of the lake to catch a cool breeze. Everything Greg looked at was slowly changing in shape and color. When they finally got to the edge of the lake Mimi stated, "I'll bet we could walk on this water."

Greg sat down on the ground and silently watched Mimi as she kicked off her sandals to wade in the water. She splashed water on her face, and returned to Greg. He was lying peacefully on the grass and smiling as he watched some of the other guests who had climbed up into a tree and were making strange bird calls. They both continued to lie on the grass for what seemed to be an eternity. Greg turned to look at Mimi, who appeared to be emitting a purple aura around the entire perimeter of her body. He attempted to explain this weird hallucination to Mimi. "I've smoked pot before many times, but I have never experienced anything like this. I think there was something in that punch."

Mimi smiled and looked up at the clouds in the sky. "God is up there... do you see him? Greg, the trees are talking to me!" she laughingly observed.

Greg ignored Mimi's delusional comments and closed his eyes to probe the inner reaches of his mind. He was seeing things and experiencing thoughts that far exceeded his wildest imagination. The unfathomable true meaning of life was now, seemingly, crystal clear.

Jack and Rachel sat under the shade of a tree sharing a marijuana cigarette. They watched Greg and Mimi, who were lying on the sloping grassy terrace about 50 feet below them.

A man walked up behind Jack and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hello, Jack," stated the man with his greetings. "I see that Greg and Mimi have tried the fruit punch."

Jack turned his head and saw his lodge brother, Jim Dagenbaur, standing behind him. Jack said, "Hi, Jim. Yes, Greg and Mimi seem to be enjoying their magical mystery tour, and I'm sure it will be a mind-expanding experience for them both. Why don't you go down, and say hello to them?"

Jim gave Jack a hesitant reply, "I would go down there to see them, but I thought it would be better if they didn't know I was here today."

Jack grinned sheepishly as he took another puff of his cigarette. "Rachel and I will keep an eye on them if you need to leave. Besides, Jim, even if Greg and Mimi saw you, they would probably think you were just another hallucination."

Jim smiled while nodding in agreement. Then he said goodbye, and left the party to return home.

As Jim drove away in his car, his conscience became troubled. He recalled his previous duties as Greg's friend and mentor when they both worked at the telephone company, four years ago. Jim also played a major role in covertly bringing Greg and Mimi together as husband and wife. Regardless of his feelings for Greg, Jim was not permitted to become emotionally involved. Greg and Mimi were just one of many couples that had been bequeathed and tabulated for the Knights Templar. Furthermore, the organization's future global plan had not been revealed to Jim Dagenbaur, or Jack Howard.

Greg and Mimi were unaware that the punch they drank was laced with a specially designed compound of Lysergic Diethylamide [LSD]. It was produced at the lab facility where Jack Howard and Jim Dagenbaur worked. This hallucinogenic potion was seemingly harmless. However, it would forever expand the conscious thinking of Greg and Mimi. It also would greatly alter the way they both perceived the world, as it had done to thousands of young adults in the latter 1960s. LSD was influential in forcing an end to the Vietnam War, because it psychologically united America's youth to become a sword of incomparable challenge to the authoritarian power of western capitalism. This designer drug experience was utilized as the key which would activate Greg and Mimi's advanced genetic thought processes. Thus, it allowed them both to break through the cognitive barriers that had suppressed these capabilities. Greg and Mimi also were not yet aware that they were being diverted into a renegade coalition of underground dissenters. This nonconformist group of professionals had recently established a clandestine tangent within the Freemason's secret society of the Knights Templar.

Greg and Mimi were genetic pawns being chemically awakened. They would be brought into the fold of a newly established authority who sought to overrule the long range plans of their Knights Templar Grand Council. However, this new faction of absconding authoritarians had not evaluated the consequences of playing God and awakening the unknown potential of a genetically advanced human. Furthermore, these overzealous planners failed to consider what the impact would be on the future lineal descendant children of the young couples they were currently activating. There was no turning back now, because Pandora's Box had been opened, again.

* * * * *

Chapter 35

Mimi had missed her period by over two weeks. A visit to her doctor revealed that she was pregnant with an expected delivery in early February, 1978. Greg and Mimi were excited, and they proudly made the announcement to their parents, friends, and coworkers.

Bob and Theresa McMillan both were very happy that they would soon become grandparents. After the announcement, Bob made every effort to arrange business trips to the Houston area. He wanted to be able to keep tabs on Mimi's pregnancy, and to offer any help and support, which might be needed.

Regardless of their spoken words of congratulations, the same feelings of rejoice were not felt by Amy and George Bradford. George did not even consider himself to be Greg's father, let alone relish the notion of being the grandfather of Greg's future child. Amy's displeasure resounded from her jealousy over Mimi's pregnancy. Emily Baxter's exuberance, after being informed by Amy about this pregnancy announcement, did not make Amy feel any better. Emily expressed her joy over the fact that the Baxter fertility curse had finally been lifted by her lineal descendant. Her silent prayers to God were only partially fulfilled because Emily still resented the fact that her grandchild was conceived through a Catholic mother. However, Mimi's pregnancy reluctantly removed Emily's motivation to destroy Greg's marriage, and also forced Emily to reevaluate her unsubstantiated prejudices against Mimi. Emily had reconciled her hateful misgivings of the past, but she also conveniently overlooked the damage that she had done to her relationship with Greg. Emily had not spoken to Greg since his marriage to Mimi, in August 1974.

Amy Bradford was an entirely different situation. The months following the announcement of Mimi's pregnancy had compounded Amy's negative feelings, and she would forever be battling the static state of envy. Amy had convinced herself years ago that she was suckered into the adoption of her half-brother, Greg. She assumed he would soon be eligible to receive monetary benefits from her grandmother's family trust, to which Amy would never have entitlements.

In order to alleviate her fits of rage, Amy started to drink profusely after she got home from work. When beer would not quench her anxiety, she combined her sedative elixir with a pitcher of whiskey sours. George started to get concerned because he preferred Amy releasing her anger verbally rather than drowning her temper with alcohol in order to express herself.

Once intoxicated, Amy became a drunken lush who made belligerent slurred comments. She did not remember anything when she woke up the next morning. Amy awakened each morning with a massive hangover, and this was the only time George could rationally communicate with her.

After seeing this perpetual habit worsening, George voiced his concerns. "Damn it, Amy, you can't keep doing this to yourself because pretty soon you won't be able to stop your drinking habit."

Amy was defensive with her reply. "I fail to see where a man, who drinks almost a case of beer every day, is in a position to be criticizing me about a drinking habit!"

George then softened his approach as he continued. "It seems that your anger started shortly after Greg told us that Mimi is pregnant. Why is Mimi's pregnancy a problem, and why would it cause you to be angry enough to drink so much?"

At this point, Amy no longer required alcohol in order to express herself. "You really are a dumb asshole, George! Think about it... I had to raise my half-brother, who will now receive money from my grandmother's family trust, which I never can receive because I was adopted. I won't receive squat for all the years I had to endure raising that frickin' little freak bastard. To top it all off, Greg and Mimi conceived a child. To make matters worse, I had to listen to Emily tell me how wonderful this baby announcement is, and that Greg and Mimi have removed the Baxter fertility curse. I had to go through the pain and hardship of three miscarriages before I relented to the fact I couldn't carry a pregnancy to a full term." Amy covered her eyes as she wept, "It's not fair!"

They sat at the kitchen table in a pause of silence, and George made a feeble attempt to create a suggestion that might provide a ray of hope for Amy's torment. "Mimi is only about four months pregnant. We don't know if she will even carry this baby to term," said George.

Amy snapped out of her sadness. "Actually, George, we don't know for sure that Mimi is even pregnant."

George was puzzled with Amy's delusional statement, and he gently made an inquiry. "Why would you doubt that Mimi is pregnant, and why would Greg and Mimi lie about this?"

Amy was now grasping at straws to build the foundation of a conspiracy, and she expanded with her assertions. "I think that Emily told Greg she is his birth mother. She must have told him that he is entitled to benefits from her family trust when he and Mimi have their first child."

George silently rejected the likelihood of Amy's farfetched idea, but he wanted to entertain his wife's outrageous notion. He sarcastically debated Amy's presumptions with his interjection of inquiries. "So, are you saying that Greg and Mimi are going to adopt a child? Do you think that Mimi will do the same thing you did... shove rubber foam pads under her blouse to make herself look pregnant and then claim that she gave birth to her adopted child?"

Amy's face had a delirious smile with her response. "You got the picture, George. I wouldn't put anything past those two sneaky shits!"

George negatively shook his head at his wife's mind boggling conspiracy theory and made another inquiry. "Well, they are both living in Houston. What did you want to do... hire a private investigator to confirm that Mimi is pregnant?"

Amy's mind went into deep thought to determine the best method to investigate Mimi's pregnancy. Within seconds, a smile appeared on Amy's face as she stated their path forward. "We have already planned to visit with my brother, David, in about two months. We will make an unannounced visit and drop in on Greg and Mimi on our way back home."

George's anger started to build. "Amy, your brother lives in Chicago, while Greg and Mimi live in Houston. How do you consider Houston to be on our way back home from Chicago, when we live in New Jersey?"

At that point Amy's determined face of anger emerged, while her piercing eyes were stabbing through George's body. She then bellowed her explanation, "Because we are going to Houston after we leave Chicago. Either you will be driving me to Houston, or I will take a plane while you drive back to New Jersey by yourself."

Amy rose from her chair to look down at her tormented husband. She viciously asked, "Well, George... is that clear enough for you to understand?"

George could barely contain his anger with his retreating response, "Yes, Amy, that's clear."

George went to the refrigerator, and hastily grabbed three bottles of beer. After fumbling around in a kitchen drawer for a bottle opener, he left the house to drink on the patio. George needed to soothe his mental wounds of defeat.

* * * * *

The news of Mimi's pregnancy was also well received by Jack and Rachel Howard. They were very supportive of any needs that their neighbors, and close friends, would have. Jack did not hesitate to pass the word on to his lodge brother, Jim Dagenbaur. Jim then presented the news to the Philadelphia Lodge's Grand Master. The Grand Master was elated over this announcement, and he immediately called his contacts in the Houston area. The Grand Master had already selected a lodge member obstetrician to provide special maternity care for Mimi during her pregnancy and the delivery of her child. However, he needed to have someone persuade Mimi to use this doctor's services.

* * * * *

Walter Munson received a call on his private home office phone, which was a secured unlisted phone number that was only known to a handful of his closest lodge members. Walter was surprised that the call was from his Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master, "Hello, Walter. I have received some wonderful news from Jim Dagenbaur regarding our apprentice, Greg Bradford, and his wife Mimi. They are expecting their first child in February. Tell me, Walter, have you been keeping in close contact with Greg?"

Walter hesitated with his response, "Actually, the last time I talked with Greg and Mimi was shortly before I got Greg a job working at Fluor Ocean Services. Since then, I haven't heard anything from Greg, but I will always have a remote eye on him."

The Grand Master laughed, "Yes, Walter. I know that you can be depended on to look after Greg's best interests. This is why I need your help in directing his wife, Mimi, to one of our local Houston obstetricians. His name is Dr. Russell Patterson. Greg and Mimi, as well as their descendant children, are crucial to our organization's future plans. Therefore, it is important that Mimi receives the best maternity care available, and Dr. Patterson is our selection for her care. Perhaps you and your wife, Nancy, could visit with Greg and Mimi and provide your referral for her to seek Dr. Patterson as her doctor."

Walter quickly responded, "I will follow up on your request first thing tomorrow morning, sir!"

"Excellent, Walter," said the Grand Master. "I will be keeping in touch with you for progress reports. I am also authorizing you to give carte blanche, so spare no expense. There shall be another task on the horizon in which I will need your assistance. Please cultivate your friendship with Greg and Mimi, and maintain your vigilance over his well being. Have a good day, Walter."

After Walter hung up the phone he became curious as to what the Grand Master meant by the need for maintaining vigilance over Greg's well being. Walter already had anonymous contacts who worked with Greg at the Fluor engineering office. They surely would have called him if there were any concerns with Greg's behavior. Walter had avoided the possibility that Greg could have eluded the watchful eyes that monitored his every move. Therefore, Walter had assumed that the Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master was just being overly cautious, as usual.

* * * * *

The next morning, Walter phoned Greg at his Fluor Engineering business office to offer his congratulations. "Hello, Greg, this is Walter Munson. I caught the word that you and Mimi have a baby on the way."

Greg slowly responded, "Yes, Walter. The baby is due in February. I had intentions of calling you with the good news, but I got sidetracked. Who told you about Mimi's pregnancy?"

Walter laughed with his response, "We live in a big city that has a very thick grapevine, Greg. Any news that you tell your co-workers eventually finds its way to me. I just wanted to point Mimi in the right direction for a baby doctor. Nancy has many friends who have given birth in the last several years and one of the best obstetricians in the Houston area is Dr. Russell Patterson. I have already taken the initiative to refer Mimi to Dr. Patterson's office because it is very hard to get an appointment with him. I hope you don't think I'm intruding by taking this liberty without talking to you first. I just assumed that you would want to have the best possible care for your first child."

Greg was extremely annoyed with Walter. The fact he would find a maternity doctor for Mimi, prior to discussing the matter with him, agitated Greg. Therefore, he carefully responded to Walter's proposal. "Actually, Mimi already has a maternity doctor who is listed with her group medical insurance carrier. I don't think it would be wise for her to change doctors when she is four months into her pregnancy."

Walter then became even more insistent with the need to use Dr. Patterson. "Look, Greg, I understand your concerns, but Dr. Patterson is the best obstetrician in town. What if I told you that I can arrange for this doctor's care to include all your maternity costs with no insurance co-pay? Mimi would also have a private patient room during her stay at the hospital after the delivery."

Greg paused while considering the magnanimous offer being made. "Walter, I know you have a lot of connections in the engineering sector of Houston. However, how can you make this generous guarantee with a maternity doctor?" inquired Greg.

Walter laughed with his assurances, "Like you said, Greg... I have a lot of connections. I'm always looking out for the welfare of you and Mimi. Listen, Greg, just do me a favor and discuss this with Mimi tonight. If you both agree to this arrangement, then let me know. Dr. Patterson's office can call Mimi at her office tomorrow."

That afternoon as Greg and Mimi were driving home from work, Greg began to discuss the conversation he had with Walter Munson that morning. "Walter called me at work to congratulate us on your pregnancy. He stopped short of insisting that we use a Dr. Russell Patterson as your maternity doctor."

Mimi was angered that Walter was once again attempting to control their lives. She responded, "I trust that you told Walter that I already have a doctor!"

Greg then explained about the persuasive carrots that Walter was dangling. "Walter said he could arrange for this doctor's care to include all your maternity costs with no insurance co-pay. You will also have a private hospital room after you deliver the baby."

While Mimi thought over this proposal, Greg expounded on other aspects about Dr. Patterson that he had investigated. "After I got off the phone with Walter, I asked some people in my engineering department if they knew a maternity doctor named Dr. Russell Patterson. A coworker told me this doctor only caters to Houston's rich and famous. Even if a patient can afford Dr. Patterson's maternity care, there is a long waiting list. Furthermore, Dr. Patterson isn't listed on Fluor's insurance network of doctors. This doctor apparently does not accept any employer's medical insurance. So I don't know how Walter could even make this offer."

Mimi laughed, "How does Walter even know that Dr. Patterson would take me on as a new patient? I'm already four months pregnant!"

Greg shrugged his shoulders and said, "I asked Walter the same question. He just offered me his assurances, and claimed that he is well connected. Walter is confident that he could make this happen, if we both agreed to use Dr. Patterson."

Mimi was still suspicious and smelled a rat in the woodwork, but she agreed to Walter's proposal.

The next morning, Greg called Walter to inform him that they would be willing to seek Dr. Patterson as Mimi's new maternity doctor. Within an hour, Mimi received a phone call from Dr. Patterson's office to set up an appointment. After making the scheduled appointment, Dr. Patterson's receptionist informed Mimi that her current doctor would be notified. Mimi's medical records would then be transferred to Dr. Patterson's downtown office at Houston Memorial Hospital.

Greg and Mimi never looked a gift horse in the mouth, especially when it provided a superior maternity doctor and exceptional cost savings. However, Greg and Mimi were once again brought back to the same haunting questions. Who is Walter Munson? Why does he always have such great concerns for their welfare?

* * * * *

Chapter 36

Greg decided to take the day off from work to accompany Mimi for her first appointment with Dr. Patterson. Regardless of all the endorsements and high expectations, Greg wanted to feel comfortable with this sudden change of doctors for Mimi's maternity care. The first concern Greg and Mimi had was the fact that Dr. Patterson's patient office was located in the Houston downtown area. This could be a potential risk if Mimi went into labor during the morning or evening commuter rush hours. It didn't matter which direction you were traveling in Houston during the commuter rush hours. Many people lived on the opposite side of the city from where they worked. They had to traverse the inner and outer city beltways each workday, which created a grid locked traffic pattern in any direction.

Greg and Mimi arrived 10 minutes early and signed the patient register at the receptionist desk. They had barely sat in the waiting room for 5 minutes when a nurse called Mimi to be escorted to an examination room. Greg continued reading his magazine. The nurse interrupted his reading, "You may come in also, Mr. Bradford. The doctor wants to talk with the expectant father as well." Greg eagerly followed behind Mimi as she was first weighed and then seated in a patient room to await Dr. Patterson.

As they sat in the patient examination room, Greg made an inquiry. "Is it normal for a maternity doctor to want to talk with the father as well?"

Mimi replied, "Well, I guess it's the normal protocol for Dr. Patterson. When I talked with Nancy Munson last night, she said Dr. Patterson requires the parents to join a Lamaze class. After completing the class, you will be permitted in the delivery room with me when the baby is born. You will be my coach to help keep my mind off the birthing pains. You can help me concentrate on my breathing exercises." Mimi then made a weird smile with her question, "I trust that you will want to be in the delivery room, Greg?"

Greg got up from his seat. He placed his hand on Mimi's abdomen, and he tenderly kissed her. He replied with a smile, "I wouldn't even think of missing it, dear."

One thing that Greg could not explain was the unusual metamorphosis he was going through during Mimi's pregnancy. Greg thought back to the first time he met Mimi and the overwhelming attraction he had for her. He never felt that with any young woman he had known previously. Those feelings now became greatly amplified and grew into an inexplicable transformation of sensations that words could not describe. Greg had little need for sleep. He also had an inexhaustible energy level that four hours of exercise and running could not consume. Even though he ate large amounts of food continuously, Greg still lost 30 pounds to arrive at a rock-hard, lean weight of 160 pounds. Mimi was concerned with Greg's lack of rest but presumed that it was the male version of 'mother's nesting fever'. Perhaps it was just nervous energy that came with the expectancy of their first child. There was a weird energy that radiated from Mimi, which not only affected Greg. It also caused the living room houseplants to grow into a thriving jungle that constantly needed to be pruned. Even their little miniature dachshund, Mickey, who was not an affectionate dog, now seemed to be unusually drawn to Mimi. When Mimi would sit on the couch and rest, Mickey would jump up to lie on her lap, nestled against her abdomen. As the baby grew, there wasn't enough lap space even for a little dachshund, but the dog insisted on lying next to Mimi with his head resting against her side.

Finally, the flash of green medical scrubs entered the room. Dr. Patterson kindly introduced himself with a soft spoken, southern accent. His thin body along with the bags under his eyes showed that he was very active in the long fluctuating hours of his practice. Most likely, the prolonged hours led to him to eat small meals on the run while enduring many sleepless nights. Even with the challenging hours in his medical practice, Dr. Patterson apparently still found time for outdoor activities. This was evidenced by the separated line of tan on his forehead, caused from wearing a hat in the sun to cover his balding head.

After a brief medical examination of Mimi, Dr. Patterson provided a packet of information to her. The paperwork outlined her required diet and special vitamins. It also included a short article on the Lamaze birthing class. The doctor strongly urged both Greg and Mimi to attend the class during her seventh month of pregnancy. The doctor also addressed their previous concerns of needing to drive from Sugar Land to downtown Houston, when Mimi went into labor. Dr. Patterson explained that he has a second office in Fort Bend County Hospital, which was located only 5 miles from their house.

After attentively listening to Dr. Patterson, Greg made an inquiry. "How can you handle maternity patients in two different hospitals, which are located many miles apart from each other?"

Dr. Patterson smiled with his response, "I have a staff of 10 doctors. I also have a private helicopter, which has pilots on call anytime I require their services. This could include picking Mimi up at your home by helicopter, if necessary. I also maintain a limited patient load so that my staff and I aren't spread too thin."

Greg gave a smile of relief. He stated, "Then I guess that we were lucky to get an appointment with your office."

Dr. Patterson looked at both Greg and Mimi with a serious expression. "Folks, luck had nothing to do with it. You have influential friends who are looking out for both of you. The only thing I require is that Mimi diligently follows my list of instructions during her pregnancy." The doctor then inquired, "By the way, Greg, how are you holding up through this pregnancy?"

Greg replied, "I'm fine, doctor, but it is Mimi, who is carrying the baby—not me."

Mimi shot Greg a negative stare, and quickly offered a suggestion, "Why don't you tell Dr. Patterson about your lack of sleep, Greg?"

The doctor listened as Greg gave details regarding his high energy levels that removed the need for sleep. Greg also wondered about his inexplicable loss of weight, even though he ate continuously.

Dr. Patterson laughed, "I've seen this effect very often, and it is generally more prevalent in younger expectant fathers. Don't worry about your energy levels because they will return to normal after the baby arrives. Although, you may still be losing sleep when you have to get up in the middle of the night to share the chores of changing diapers and bottle feeding the baby. You won't have to worry about this either, because you eventually will adjust to your baby's sleeping schedule."

Dr. Patterson was getting ready to conclude the office visit. He asked, "Do either of you have any other questions?"

Mimi inquired, "I haven't filled out any family history information forms for your office. Won't you need this input for your records?"

Dr. Patterson replied with a reassuring smile, "I have all your records from your previous doctor. The only other thing that I will require is a blood specimen from each of you. A lab nurse will arrive here to draw samples, in a few minutes. This blood work will inform me if there are any inherent problems. The rest of our work is just procedural, and waiting for your baby to arrive."

Greg was a little concerned with Dr. Patterson's need for blood work and questioned this test. "Dr. Patterson, you said that this blood work will inform you if there are any problems. What kind of problems are you talking about?"

Dr. Patterson's face again returned to a serious expression with his response. "Well, Greg, there could be inherent problems in both of your families' histories that you may not be aware of. I am taking precautions to evaluate this possibility. Looking at both of you, I feel quite certain that there is nothing to be concerned with. You will both need to trust my judgment in these matters. OK?"

Greg and Mimi both nodded with their acceptance to Dr. Patterson's requests. The doctor then shook both their hands and left the room to see his next patient.

After the nurse took the blood samples, she handed Mimi a printout of her scheduled appointments. All future office visits would be at Fort Bend County Hospital. The nurse also provided a schedule with an attached map that showed the location of the Lamaze birthing class sessions.

As Greg and Mimi were returning home, they discussed their office visit at Dr. Patterson's office. Mimi stated with relief, "This doctor is very thorough. I feel that we made a good decision in seeing him."

Greg agreed, and he added curious statements. "I'm trying to figure out who our influential friends are that Dr. Patterson mentioned. I was under the impression that it was only Walter Munson who set up this referral. I also wonder what things in our family's histories that we might not be aware of? It's almost like Dr. Patterson knows something that we don't."

Mimi was disturbed by Greg's inquisitiveness, and she quickly sought to cut off his probing quest of the unknown. "Look, Greg, you asked Dr. Patterson what problems he was looking for, and he told you. The doctor is just taking precautions—nothing more. Please let it go at that and trust his methods."

Greg reluctantly backed off and stopped with his questions.

* * * * *

Chapter 37

Greg returned from his Saturday morning run while a cool, thick barrier of fog blanketed the ground before the sun rose. As he rounded the corner to make his final sprint into the driveway of his house, he came to a complete stop. A car containing two passengers was parked in front of his garage.

Greg stood still at a slight distance behind the vehicle, and he bent over at the waist trying to catch his breath. He waited for his exhausted mind to comprehend who these unexpected visitors were. Greg couldn't see through the car's rear window because the glass was fogged with condensation. He peered lower, and saw a New Jersey license plate. Both car doors opened at the same time, and Amy and George stepped out to greet him. Greg quietly muttered "Dammit!" as he forced a weary smile and slowly walked up his driveway.

George looked tired and had a stone faced expression, but Amy was very vibrant with her greetings. "Hello, Greg, your father and I were in the area and decided to stop by and visit you."

Greg tried to be polite with his response, "What a surprise, Mom. What event brought you both to Texas, which provided the opportunity to be passing through Houston?"

George then decided to get into the conversation. "We are on our way home from visiting your Uncle David."

Greg scratched his head as the sweat was running down his forehead and stinging his eyes. He reached down to turn on the faucet of the garden hose and drenched his face and body. Greg responded to George's alleged visit with David Bennett, "I thought Uncle David lives in Chicago."

George replied, "Yes, he does."

Greg was now really baffled, and he started to get sarcastic with George. "So, Dad, if you are on your way home from Chicago, tell me how you got to Texas? Do you know a short cut by way of the South Pole that I'm not aware of?"

Amy then stopped Greg's cynical line of questioning, "We just wanted to visit with you and Mimi. If we aren't welcome, we can leave."

Greg turned off the water faucet and coiled up the hose near the house. "Of course you are welcome, Mom. I just don't like surprises. I mean, look at me. I'm drenched in sweat, and I smell like a cave full of dead bats. Mimi is still asleep in bed. If you had called in advance and let us know you were coming, we would have been prepared for your arrival. Please come in the house, and I'll make a pot of coffee for you."

Greg did his best to shake off the dripping mixture of sweat and water. He unlocked the front door to escort Amy and George into the living room. Greg turned on the television with the volume set low. "Please have a seat on the couch, while I brew the coffee," said Greg with a pleasant tone of voice. "After I take a shower, I will get Mimi up because I'm sure she will be happy to see you both."

Greg's rapid pulse rate would ordinarily have started to return to normal by now, but could still feel it pounding in his head. He knew that Mimi's stress level would also be spiking. She would not be happy at all to see Amy or George. Greg dreaded having to wake up Mimi early with bad news on a Saturday morning, because it was her day to sleep in.

Greg quietly walked into the bedroom and nudged Mimi. "I hate to wake you, dear, but we have uninvited guests."

Mimi was still half asleep, and asked, "Did Mickey chase a cat into the house again? Tell that wiener dog to torment the neighbor's cat outside, because it's my morning to sleep in." When Greg didn't respond, Mimi wearily looked up to get an explanation, "Who are these uninvited guests?"

Greg was stripping off his sweaty running gear to get ready for his shower. He quietly replied, "My parents are sitting in the living room."

Mimi pulled a pillow over her face to muffle her scream, "Dammit!"

Greg looked down at Mimi with his concurrence. "That's exactly what I said when I met them both in the driveway after I returned home from my morning run. You can continue to sleep in a little longer if you want to, and I will entertain them." Greg then gave a mild laugh, "I know what I can do. I'll introduce my parents to Mickey because he hates all house guests."

Mimi then whispered, "I hope Mickey bites them both."

Greg responded with humorous words of caution. "I hope Mickey doesn't bite my mom, because she'd bite him back," stated Greg, "and I'm sure Mom hasn't had her rabies shot recently."

Mimi just smiled and said, "OK, I'll be out shortly after I take my shower."

A few minutes after Greg had left the living room, Amy had gone into the kitchen to check on the coffee and to look for some cups. George saw Amy nosing around through the kitchen cabinets. Then he saw her leave the kitchen to take an unescorted tour of the house. George whispered loudly enough for Amy to hear him, "Where are you going?"

Amy whispered back, "I'm looking for a bathroom."

George got up off the couch to follow her as she peeked into every door in her search for a bathroom. The door at the end of the hall was closed. Amy slowly opened the door hoping that Mimi was not sleeping in the room. As she pushed the door open, her heart sank. It was the future nursery for the baby, complete with a crib, changing table, a dresser, and a wind-up mobile that was suspended over the crib.

George peeked over Amy's shoulder and saw the nursery. He remarked, "If they're faking a pregnancy, it looks pretty goddamned convincing to me!"

George continued smirking while pointing his finger down the hall, and he stated, "By the way, Amy... the bathroom is two doors down on the left."

Amy grudgingly pushed George aside and quietly closed the door to the nursery as she responded to his smart ass remark. "So, what if they have a nursery... I'm still not convinced! Just go sit down in the living room, and wait for Greg while I use the bathroom." George simply nodded his head and returned to the couch to watch the television.

Amy closed the bathroom door, and stared into the mirror while talking to her reflection. "I'll be able to determine if Greg's little Catholic wife is six months pregnant. That bitch can't fool me!" Amy composed herself while trying to ignore the previous evidence of the baby's nursery. She refused to believe anything until after she examined Mimi. Amy angrily flushed the toilet then spitefully wiped her tears of torment, and blew her nose on a bathroom towel. She dreaded the pending long drive home with George telling her "I told you so." Amy had endured driving thousands of miles with George, and imposing on Greg with an unannounced visit. She had to investigate Mimi's pregnancy, of which Amy already knew, was most likely genuine. Amy's troubled mind once again retreated to stare at her tired image in the mirror. She was seeking the comfort of self pity, and the courage to overcome an evident truth. Amy looked deeply into her swollen, bloodshot eyes while attempting to hold back her tears, and cried, "It's just not fair!"

When Amy returned to the living room, Greg was seated on a bar stool at the kitchen counter wearing shorts and a polo shirt. He turned to address his mother. "Sorry, Mom," said Greg. "I forgot to show you and Dad where the bathroom is. So, do you like our house?"

Amy tried to put on a pleasant face with her response. "It's a very nice house, Greg, and so is the neighborhood."

Greg then walked to the rear picture window that provided a view of the back yard. "My next door neighbors and I constructed the perimeter yard fences two months ago. Mimi and I finished the nursery last weekend... come with me, and I'll show it to you."

At that moment Amy had a sickened look on her face. Greg paused to walk over to sit down next to her, "Are you alright, Mom?"

Amy smiled, "I guess the long drive has caught up with me. Perhaps we can look at the nursery later. Is Mimi getting up soon?"

Greg responded as he rose to retrieve the coffee, "Yes, Mimi is taking her shower, and she will be out shortly. Actually, Mimi sleeps in on the weekends. She will probably only be working two more months before she starts her maternity leave." Greg then noticed Amy looking over at George, after he nudged her. He was again smirking at his wife, until Amy's glare of anger quickly erased his grin.

Greg brought over a tray of coffee in cups, creamer, and donuts. He placed it on the table in front of his parents. Greg eagerly stated, "You haven't met the other member of our family yet."

Greg walked to the back door and opened it. His miniature dachshund, Mickey, darted into the living room, stopping short of George's feet. Mickey backed away and growled when George reached down to pet the dog. Greg then gave a polite warning, "You might want to let Mickey come to you, Dad, because he isn't very friendly with strangers."

When Mickey circled around the table to where Amy was seated, the short fur on the dog's back stood on end. His tail shot down between his legs, and he started barking at her. Greg reached down, and picked up Mickey to put him back into the yard, but he stopped when Mimi walked into the living room.

Mimi's slow stride appeared painful. She held her hands on her hips as she walked toward Amy and George to give them hugs. Mickey's tail was wagging furiously when he saw Mimi, and he began whining. Mimi smiled as she took Mickey from Greg's arms, "What is all the fuss about, Mickey? These people are your grandparents." Mimi then looked over to Amy. "I don't know why Mickey is barking at you, Amy. Usually, he only barks at men." Mickey licked Mimi's face as she slowly sat down in a living room chair.

George pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and Mickey started to growl, again. Greg stopped George before he lit up his cigarette. "If you want to smoke, then, please do it outside, Dad. There is shade out front. I will get a couple of lawn chairs for us out of the garage." George and Greg left the house to go out front, which left Mimi alone with Amy.

Amy wanted to get her investigation over with, and she quickly attempted to get to the intended crux of her visit. "So tell me, Mimi, how is your pregnancy going? How much weight have you gained?"

Mimi smiled, "My weight is normal for being over six months into my pregnancy. Fortunately, I haven't had any more morning sickness. My ligaments are stretched, and it's getting hard to walk."

When Amy approached Mimi to get closer, Mickey started to growl and bark. Mimi got up to put Mickey into the backyard and apologized for the dog growling at Amy, again. "Mickey thinks he is my personal protector, and he can be a very vicious little dog. I hope he won't be jealous when the baby arrives. It's just strange that he barked at you, Amy, because he generally likes women."

Mimi had been around enough dogs in her life to know that a canine has a sixth sense. A dog can instinctively determine when something isn't right or possibly dangerous. Mimi also concurred with Mickey, and suspected that Amy and George's unannounced visit had unspoken ulterior motives.

Mimi then decided to change the conversation with an inquiry. "So, Amy, what brings you and George to Texas?"

Amy tried to seem well intentioned with her response, "I told Greg that we just stopped by to see how both of you were doing. We have seen so little of you since you moved to Houston."

Mimi pushed a little further in her probing questions to Amy. "I'm surprised that you just didn't wait another three months, when you could have also seen your grandchild. It's a shame that you came all this way, and all you can see is my bulge."

Amy's eyes lit up with anxiousness, "So is the baby kicking?"

Mimi rolled her eyes, "My God, yes. In fact, the baby is moving right now. Did you want to feel the baby?"

Amy had sweat droplets forming on her forehead as she approached Mimi. She placed her hand on Mimi's abdomen and could feel the baby's movements. Mimi gently took Amy's hand to place it on a different region. "Here Amy, you can really feel the little sucker kicking me there." Mimi lifted her blouse, and placed Amy's hand on her bare belly. Amy's face turned pale as she stared at Mimi's abdomen and could feel the strong kicks.

Mimi then pulled her blouse back down and stated, "I hate the damn stretch marks. Greg rubs my belly with cocoa butter. It helps a bit, but not enough."

Amy walked back over to sit on the couch. She had been kicked in the face by the truth, and the emotional impact hit Amy with the force of a horse's hoof.

Mimi continued with their conversation, "Tell me something, Amy. How was your pregnancy with Greg? Did he kick a lot too?"

Amy stumbled with her reply, "Ah... err, why yes, Mimi. Both Scott and Greg kicked a lot. The only way I could reduce their activity was by getting on my hands and knees, and scrubbing the kitchen floor. The rocking motion would put them back to sleep."

Mimi laughed, "I haven't tried that one yet. I discovered that if I sit motionless, this little one eventually falls back to sleep. There's one thing that I was curious about though, Amy. Greg told me that he was born with clubbed feet, and that he had to wear leg braces until he was about four years of age. Did Scott have these problems also?"

Amy felt trapped and searched for a plausible explanation. She would have to lie about her two sons' physical conditions after they were born, but she also knew that Mimi had nursing experience. Amy cautiously replied, "No, Mimi. Scott never had any of the infant problems that Greg was born with... um... probably because Scott was a premature birth and Greg was a full term."

Mimi could now sense Amy's nervousness even more, and she continued with her questions. "Well, Greg also said that you had two miscarriages between the birth of Scott and him. How far along did each of your pregnancies go before you miscarried?"

Amy felt cornered and was defensive with her response. "I don't feel comfortable in discussing this, Mimi, because the memories are too painful. Why are you asking me these questions?"

Mimi backed off and offered her reasons for inquiry. "I was just concerned that the same problem could occur with my pregnancy, and that's my only reason for asking. My doctor took blood samples from Greg and me during my first visit at his office. He said that there may be hidden facts in either of our family histories which we may not know."

Amy's state of nervousness continued. Mimi cautiously asked, "Is there anything about Greg's family history that he needs to know?"

Amy was searching for a way out of this conversation. She guardedly answered Mimi's question with another question. "Well, Mimi, is there anything in your family history that needs to be known?"

Mimi saw that this conversation was deteriorating rapidly, and she broke off any further questions regarding family medical histories. Mimi quickly changed the subject, "Will you and George be staying here with us tonight?"

Amy was relieved that Mimi had provided an exit. She replied, "No. Like I told Greg earlier, we are just passing through, and we will be leaving this afternoon to return home. Thank you, anyway."

Mimi was politely cordial in her extended offer to Amy. "I hope that you and George will come down to visit after the baby is born."

Amy internally bristled at Mimi's invitation. As far as Amy was concerned, pigs would be flying over a frozen ice glacier in hell before that would happen! Amy pleasantly replied, "Why, of course, Mimi. George and I will make every effort to visit you after the baby is born."

Shortly after lunch, Amy and George left to return home. When their car left the bottom of the driveway, Greg asked Mimi what she and Amy had discussed. Mimi was still sifting through her recollections of the conversation to determine Amy's motives.

"It was really strange, Greg," stated Mimi with a tone of curiosity. "Amy's face got white as a ghost when I placed her hand on my bare belly to feel the baby kick. I also asked your Mom about her miscarriages or if there was anything in your family's medical history that we may need to be concerned with. Then she got really defensive with me."

Greg quietly listened to Mimi's recap of everything that she had discussed with Amy. He started to put pieces of this puzzle together. The first piece was his parent's unannounced visit. Next, his parents drove over 1000 miles from Chicago to visit them in Houston on their way back to New Jersey. Lastly, Amy was unusually defensive with Mimi's questions regarding Greg's family history. Greg thought for a while and then summed up his hypothesis. "My mom obviously needed to see proof that you are actually pregnant. The remaining question is why my mom needed confirmation of your pregnancy. Why would they drive more than a thousand miles from Chicago just to confirm it? It also seems peculiar that my mom would get upset and intentionally avoid answering questions about my family's medical history or the two miscarriages she had before I was born.

Greg and Mimi were just relieved to see his parents leave, and they disregarded Amy's typical strange behavior patterns. The conversations with his parents on that day would be stored along with the other overlooked clues from the past. An explosive mixture of memories lay dormant in the back of Greg's mind. They were waiting for the spark which would trigger their recall, and expose the hidden truth.

* * * * *

It took Amy and George over eight hours to drive through Texas and reach Arkansas. They also avoided telling the other relative family members about their brief visit with Greg and Mimi in Houston. This visit would be the only encounter that they would have with Greg for many months. Amy reluctantly added this Houston misadventure to the long list of her other disappointments in life.

* * * * *

Chapter 38

February 10, 1978

The baby's expected arrival went like precise clockwork. Mimi went into labor, almost exactly on the day of her projected due date. Greg's adrenaline was pumping as he raced Mimi to Fort Bend County Hospital in their car. Four hours after arriving at the hospital, Mimi had dilated far enough to be wheeled into the delivery room.

Dr. Patterson was waiting with his usual calm composure. He pleasantly asked, "How's the mother-to-be and her coach doing this fine morning?"

Mimi was in too much pain to respond, so Greg spoke, "I'm doing fine, Dr. Patterson. Evidently, Mimi has passed through the worst part of her labor. She wasn't given an epidural, or a saddle block, to ease her pain."

Dr. Patterson gave his words of encouragement with his cool southern drawl. "Well then, son, I guess that this delivery will definitely go faster. The only thing the removal of pain does is prolong the birthing process. Mimi is doing very well, considering this is her first child."

Greg did not know if the Lamaze birthing classes had helped. Even with Greg's coaching, and helping Mimi to concentrate on her breathing, she was still in a considerable amount of pain. The duration of her labor, leading up to the final moments of the delivery, seemed to take an eternity.

After pushing several times, Mimi and Greg heard the scream of their daughter as she announced her arrival into the world. She would be named Grace Ellen Bradford.

After cutting the umbilical cord, Dr. Patterson handed the baby to an attending nurse. She weighed Grace in at 7 pounds even. The nurse then carefully cleaned the baby before wrapping her in a soft towel. In the meantime, the doctor completed the removal of the placental afterbirth from Mimi. The baby continued to scream as the nurse laid Grace next to Mimi's head. Dr. Patterson then stood at Mimi's side and offered his final words before he left the delivery room. "You have a very pretty and healthy girl." Dr. Patterson paused to laugh while listening to Grace's loud wails, "Your daughter obviously also has strong lungs. I will stop by to visit you later this morning. Please try to get some rest."

The nurse gently picked Grace up to be fitted with a wrist band prior to being relocated to the nursery. Greg looked down proudly at Mimi, who appeared totally exhausted. He gave her a kiss and said, "Watching Grace being born was an amazing experience. I will never forget this morning, Mimi. It is burned like a branding iron into my memory."

Mimi smiled with her reply, "I didn't see it, but I sure felt it! I guess you have some phone calls to make. Tell my parents I'm fine, because my dad really worries about these things."

Greg looked at the clock on the delivery room wall. "It's almost 2 o'clock in the morning central time, and your parents are an hour ahead of us. Perhaps I should wait for a couple more hours to call them."

The nurse interrupted, "We need to move your wife, Mr. Bradford. Since she wasn't anesthetized, we can wheel her directly to her room. You will be able to see your daughter in a few minutes, through the window of the nursery."

Greg accompanied Mimi as she was taken to her room. After they arrived there he said, "I'm going to check up on Grace. You need to get some rest."

Greg gave Mimi a kiss and left the room. He then went to change out of his attire of operating room greens and got back into his street clothes. Greg went to the nursery and was looking for Grace through the glass window in the hallway. One of the nurses came out to greet Greg and asked what his wife's name is. Then she returned into the nursery to bring Grace to the window for Greg to see her. As he looked at Grace it felt like a giant elephant had stepped down off his shoulders. He felt more relaxed than he had for a long time. After gazing at Grace for several minutes, he waved to the nurse and then returned to Mimi's room. Mimi was sound asleep and Greg exhaustedly looked over at the window bench seat. He thought that the parents could wait for the good news, because he had to rest for a couple of minutes. He lay on his side, coiled up on the cushions to rest, and fell asleep. It was a very deep sleep, which Greg had not experienced in months.

* * * * *

Later, a lab technician came into the room, and woke Mimi to draw a blood sample. As the technician was leaving, she looked across the room laughing. She jokingly asked Mimi, "Do you know that guy sleeping over there on the bench seat, or should I call security to come and have him removed?"

Mimi smiled with her response, "He's my husband. I think I'll just let him stay there for a while because he has to catch up on about eight months of sleep."

Greg was awakened around 7:00am when a floor nurse came to change Mimi's sanitary pad. She also helped Mimi out of bed to go to the bathroom and freshen up. While Mimi was in the bathroom, Greg took the opportunity to use the room phone to call the parents with the good news of the delivery. He gave them all assurances that both Mimi and baby Grace were doing fine.

Later that morning another nurse brought in Grace for her feeding. Shortly afterward, Dr. Patterson stopped in during his routine patient rounds. He examined Mimi and the baby, and said, "You and the baby are doing fine. How are you, Greg, now that this delivery is over?"

Greg sighed, "I feel fine, but it was Mimi that did all the work!"

Dr. Patterson grinned and returned his attention to Mimi. He stated, "I will be referring you to a pediatric doctor who is on my staff. This way we will have a seamless transition of doctors' care for little Grace. I also like to stay in touch with my previous patients. So, we will still be seeing each other on occasion. Do either of you have any questions before I leave?"

Greg reached down and carefully pulled the blanket away from Grace's feet to expose a bandage that was adhered to the bottom of her right foot. He asked, "Why is there a bandage on Grace's foot?"

Dr. Patterson replied, "When babies are born, they generally have a vitamin-K deficiency. This could lead to hemorrhage due to a decreased clotting ability of the blood. Therefore, we give an injected dose of vitamin-K routinely as a precaution. In addition, there is a bandage on Grace's other foot where we made a small cut to take a blood sample from her. Rest assured that babies heal very quickly. Now, if you have no further questions, I still have other patients to see before I return to the downtown hospital."

Greg was about to ask another question, but Mimi cut him off before he could ask it. She smiled at the doctor and said, "Thank you, Dr. Patterson. That should be all we need to know for now, and we look forward to seeing you again."

After Dr. Patterson left the room Mimi stared at Greg in bafflement and asked, "What is the matter with you? Why are you bombarding the doctor with all these questions?"

Greg curiously pulled the bandage back from the bottom of Grace's right foot and saw a needle mark. Mimi also examined the foot, and said, "OK, that is the puncture where they gave Grace the vitamin-K injection... so what?"

Then Greg carefully peeled the bandage back from Grace's left foot. He sternly asked, "Does this look like a 'small cut' they allegedly took a blood sample from?"

Mimi inspected the foot and saw another syringe puncture hole. Greg then said, "This is what I was going to question Dr. Patterson about. Grace was the only baby I have seen in the hospital nursery during diaper changes that had a bandage on the bottom of each of her feet. Dr. Patterson clarified why Grace has a bandage on each foot, but he still hasn't explained the second syringe hole."

Mimi was tired and did not wish to argue. She simply implied her rational explanation, "Well it is highly unlikely that Dr. Patterson delivered all the babies in that nursery. Therefore, perhaps all the doctors do not have the same procedures. Maybe Dr. Patterson was mistaken when he said that blood was drawn from Grace's foot through a cut instead of a syringe. I don't know what to say that will answer your question, Greg, but Grace seems perfectly fine. Now please, just let this go and stop questioning Dr. Patterson like he's doing something sinister. You are obviously totally exhausted, and you need your rest. I'm getting out of here in two more days, so just relax, go home, and get some sleep." Mimi then grinned, "Little Mickey is probably starving, and we don't want him eating the neighbor's cat, now do we?"

Greg kissed Mimi good bye and left to return home. As he drove out the exit ramp from the hospital parking garage, he still had a gut feeling that Dr. Patterson was hiding something. Mimi felt nothing was wrong, and Grace appeared to be a perfectly normal baby girl with ten fingers and ten toes. Greg reluctantly decided that his inquisitive nature needed to be squelched from making further questions in this matter.

* * * * *

Dr. Patterson's helicopter had arrived on the helipad at downtown Houston Memorial Hospital. He briskly walked to his office and closed the door to make a phone call to the Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master. Almost immediately his call was answered on the other end, and Dr. Patterson conveyed his message to the Grand Master. "I have administered phase two of the human genome modification to five baby subjects over the past week."

The Grand Master replied, "This is wonderful news, Russell. What have the results been thus far?"

Dr. Patterson then explained the bad part of the experimentation results, "So far one baby has died with brain inflammation. Another baby had to be placed on a respirator with the possibility of lung damage. The other three babies will need to be kept under close observation for possible complications to their immune systems, but I feel confident that all three will pull through without any major difficulties." Dr. Patterson hesitated and then continued to address his concerns. "I really feel that we are going into these genetic modification experiments too rapidly. More tests need to be conducted on animals, instead of humans. We are activating a baby's junk DNA with an unpredictable retrovirus. We have very little knowledge of what effects this will have on the baby we are modifying. In addition, we don't know the effects that this new DNA sequencing will have on other people whom will come into close contact with these babies. I am also concerned with the fact that our experiments are being carried out without the consent of the International Grand Council. The parents, who are unaware of these procedures, may also have to deal with the irreparable harm or loss of their child."

The Grand Master paused before giving his assessment. "I understand how you feel, Russell, but you know that our window of opportunity is drawing to a close. Our past lab experiments have shown that the retrovirus reacts differently with animal DNA than it does with human DNA. I realize that babies will die in the process of reaching our goal. However, as the saying goes, you have to break some eggs to make a soufflé. So continue with your human genome modifications on our children and keep me posted with the results. Do you understand, Russell?"

Dr. Patterson gave an exasperated sigh as he responded. "Yes, I understand, and I will continue to keep you posted with the results."

After hanging up the phone, Dr. Patterson leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He attempted to figure a way out of this quagmire, which he was quickly starting to despise. Over 30 years ago, the Knights Templar experiments were started. At first, only minor genetics modifications were done to save a race of royal bloodline descendants. Later, it radically evolved into covert attempts for the creation of an advanced army of enlightened super humans. Dr. Patterson and the other genetics specialists around the world who were conducting these secret experiments had become very concerned. Their Knights Templar Grand Master had not even rationally considered what the results could be if these superior humans decided to turn on their creators.

* * * * *

Chapter 39

On the morning that Mimi was to be discharged, Dr. Patterson arrived in Mimi's hospital room to present unexpected news. "I wanted to be the one to inform you that Grace was diagnosed with jaundice. The medical term is called hyperbilirubinemia, which usually is not detected until the third day of a baby's life. Please understand that this is not an illness. It merely indicates the presence of relatively high amounts of a bile pigment called bilirubin. A baby's liver is not developed enough to break down this waste. For the treatment of jaundice, we use phototherapy. We place the naked baby in an enclosed bassinet under fluorescent lights, and cover the baby's eyes with a damp cloth to shield them. Furthermore, since this hospital's nursery is almost filled, I have decided to transfer Grace to Houston Memorial Hospital. She will be there for two days to receive her phototherapy treatment and to keep her under observation. You and Greg will be provided a room to stay in at Houston Memorial Hospital if you wish to stay with her."

Mimi sat temporarily silent trying to grasp everything that Dr. Patterson had explained. "If it isn't an illness, and phototherapy is just a normal procedure, then what else are you monitoring that needs to be kept under observation?"

Dr. Patterson smiled with his response, "There's really nothing that comes to mind. Our facilities at Houston Memorial Hospital far exceed Fort Bend County Hospital. Grace was delivered in this hospital only because it is in closer proximity to your home. Now you may better understand why the diligence of my obstetrician services is in high demand and why I maintain a small amount of patients. Please be assured that I will only need Grace to be in Houston Memorial Hospital for two more days. Then she will be going home with you. OK?" Mimi slowly nodded with her approval. Dr. Patterson patted Mimi's leg while displaying his smile of reassurance. He said goodbye, and then quickly turned away to leave her room.

After getting dressed, Mimi walked to the nursery to see Grace. She was informed by a nurse that Grace had already been discharged, and she was en route via helicopter to Houston Memorial Hospital with Dr. Patterson. Mimi's concern started to build further when she saw that the nursery had only half of the bassinets occupied. She quickly made an inquiry to the nurse. "Do you have a high expectancy for more babies in the next two days that will fill all of these empty bassinets?"

The nurse looked puzzled as she gave her response to Mimi's question. "I've worked here for eight years, Mrs. Bradford. We have never reached the maximum capacity of this nursery. The babies will arrive when they are ready, and we don't have a crystal ball to help us predict when this time will be."

Mimi pressed further with her questioning. "Dr. Patterson said that my daughter, Grace, is jaundiced, and she needs phototherapy. Is there any reason why she could not have received this treatment at Fort Bend County Hospital?"

The nurse grew impatient and pointed to the far wall inside the nursery. She said, "We have five phototherapy bassinets and only three of them are now occupied. So to answer your question, Mrs. Bradford, no, there was no reason why your daughter could not have been treated here, but Dr. Patterson signed the transfer papers. Since he is the attending physician, he has the authority to treat a baby under his care in any manner he sees fit. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to return to the nursery."

Mimi's anger was mixed with anxiety. She started to rethink the previous conversation she had with Greg two days earlier. Greg generally had a knack for knowing when something was not right, and she now felt the same way. She was through making excuses for Dr. Patterson, especially when this doctor's stated reasons for relocating Grace were unsubstantiated. As soon as Dr. Patterson left her hospital room, he immediately transported Grace by helicopter to the downtown Houston Memorial Hospital. This compounded Mimi's worries, making her think that there are other medical problems with Grace that Dr. Patterson did not mention. What possible diagnosis and treatment could be pending that required two additional days of examinations?

When Greg arrived, Mimi was packing her belongings, while tears were streaming down her face. Greg quickly inquired, "What's wrong, Mimi, and why isn't Grace in your room? I thought that she would be here because I didn't see her in the nursery."

Mimi then made a quick explanation. "Dr. Patterson visited me this morning. He said that he had to relocate Grace to Houston Memorial Hospital to receive phototherapy treatments for jaundice. He also needs to keep her under close observation for two more days. The doctor told me that the nursery here was at capacity. The nurse later showed me that was not true, and there were phototherapy bassinets that were unused. The thing that really worries me is that as soon as Dr. Patterson left my room, he signed the release for Grace to be transferred to Houston Memorial Hospital. He immediately left with her in his helicopter—I wasn't even given the opportunity to go with them!"

After hearing this, Greg's anger was ready to explode. "I told you two days ago that something was wrong, Mimi. Gather your things because we are going to Houston Memorial Hospital, now!"

* * * * *

Dr. Patterson's helicopter landed on the helipad of Houston Memorial Hospital, and he was greeted by two staff members. He handed the baby carrier containing Grace to a nurse and carefully provided his instructions, "Draw a blood sample and prepare the baby for minor surgery on her right buttock. She will only require local anesthesia. The admission's paperwork should show that we performed the removal of a cyst from the baby's buttock. I also expect the baby's parents to be here within the hour. Please make sure that one of our staff members is there to meet them in the hospital lobby and to escort them to my office to wait. I will brief the parents on what they need to know after I have completed the surgery. Now get to it, stat!"

* * * * *

When Greg and Mimi arrived at the hospital lobby their anger could hardly be restrained. Greg snapped at the receptionist with his demand. "Our daughter was brought here by Dr. Patterson within the last hour, and we need to see her... now!"

The receptionist could see the distress on the faces of this couple. She was hesitant as to whom she would need to contact: a hospital security officer, or Dr. Patterson's office. She was getting ready to use the paging system when she was interrupted by a man's voice. "I shall take care of Mr. and Mrs. Bradford." Greg turned to see a doctor extending his greeting hand to shake. The physician gently continued, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Bolton, and Dr. Patterson asked me to escort you both to his office."

Doctor Bolton was very quick to calm the anger of Greg and Mimi. His kind smile and steady eye contact exhibited the facial language of trust. The doctor's long, rounded afro hair style and platform shoes were his vain attempt to extend his short stature. Greg smiled at the clip-on Mickey Mouse figure that was displayed on the doctor's coat pocket. It effectively gave Dr. Bolton an appearance that appealed to a person's basic childhood instincts of feeling safe and easy to talk to.

As Greg and Mimi followed Dr. Bolton down the hall to the elevator, they were somewhat relieved but still panic stricken. As the elevator doors closed Dr. Bolton gave a more in depth explanation of the seemingly bizarre events of that day. "Dr. Patterson's examination of your daughter this morning revealed a cyst on her right buttock. He is currently performing minor surgery to remove it. We apologize for not informing you both in advance of this required surgery but our experiences in the past have led to unnecessary stress imposed on the parents. The entire surgery will take about 20 minutes. Your daughter will only require a local anesthesia and three stitches after removing the cyst."

Mimi was persistent in her questioning to Dr. Bolton. "Then why didn't Dr. Patterson just explain this to me this morning and tell me what needed to be done? Instead he told me a line of bullshit that the nursery at Fort Bend County Hospital was filled. Furthermore, he said our daughter had to be relocated here for a phototherapy treatment."

Dr. Bolton smiled as he answered, "Actually, no operating rooms were available today at Fort Bend County Hospital. It was easier for Dr. Patterson to relocate your daughter here to perform the minor surgery. She will also start the phototherapy treatment today." Dr. Bolton again smoothly eased the tension of the moment. "Tell me, Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, what is your daughter's name?"

Mimi then replied, "Her name is Grace Ellen."

Dr. Bolton smiled with his reply, "That is a pretty name. I like to know the names of all my future patients—I will be Grace's pediatrician. I assure you both that she will receive the best care that is available in the Greater Houston area. May I get either of you a soft drink or coffee?" When both parents shook their heads no, Dr. Bolton excused himself. "I have some patients to attend to, so please relax in this office. Dr. Patterson will be with you both in a few minutes after he completes Grace's surgery."

Mimi was now calmer as they walked into Dr. Patterson's office to sit down. Greg had been, once again, brought back to his silenced suspicions from two days ago when he sensed that something was wrong. He felt that Dr. Bolton was nothing more than a pampering diversion. Greg still had many questions circling around in his mind. Dr. Bolton's clarifications provided no genuine answers, just plausible explanations. However, both he and Mimi were at the mercy of this hospital's staff as they impatiently awaited Dr. Patterson's arrival.

Thirty minutes later, Dr. Patterson arrived in his office with expectations of having to deal with two very riled parents. Dr. Patterson walked in and quickly stated, "I'm sorry for all the confusion, folks. I made a judgment call to bypass telling Mimi about the need for this minor surgery. Many parents get upset with the trivial treatment of phototherapy for jaundice. Having to tell them that a minor surgery is required, often leads to panic. However, the cyst was removed. As a precaution, the cyst will undergo a biopsy to determine if it is malignant or benign. Since there was nothing in either of your blood work tests or Grace's that would indicate the possibility of cancer, then we probably have nothing to be concerned with." Greg was about to start firing his mental list of questions, but he was politely interrupted by Dr. Patterson's question. "Would you both like to see Grace now?" The doctor did not have to repeat his question. Greg and Mimi were already on their feet and ready to be led to their daughter.

Dr. Patterson walked them to the hospital nursery and he pointed to the phototherapy bassinet where Grace was placed in close proximity to the nursery window. She had a soft cloth covering her eyes and her naked body glowed under the warmth of the overhead fluorescent lights. Dr. Patterson paused while Greg and Mimi happily stared down at Grace. Then he proceeded to excuse himself. "Like I told you this morning, Mimi, we have a room with two beds where you may both stay, and Grace will be ready to go home in two days."

Greg responded to the doctor. "Mimi will stay here at the hospital. I have to go home to take care of our dog, and I have to return to work tomorrow. When will you have the results of Grace's cyst biopsy, Dr. Patterson?"

Dr. Patterson replied, "Our lab should have the results tomorrow morning. Grace will need to come in for an appointment in about one week to have the sutures removed from her buttock. Other than that I want to offer my congratulations to you both. You have a very healthy daughter."

After leaving the nursery window area, Greg and Mimi went to the hospital cafeteria to get something to eat before Greg returned home. Mimi was already tired from her stress of the day. Therefore, Greg avoided any mention of his growing list of hypothesizing thoughts and questions. Both Greg and Mimi had each examined every inch of Grace's body during the first three days of her life. During that time, neither of them had ever noticed the slightest hint of a bump on her buttock that would have indicated the presence of a cyst.

* * * * *

The biopsy results were revealed the next morning by Dr. Patterson. Mimi was relieved when the results showed that the cyst was benign. After the second day at Houston Memorial Hospital, Grace was discharged and her pediatrician appointments with Dr. Bolton were scheduled. The entire matter was now over, and Grace was the picture of perfect health. Therefore, Greg and Mimi dropped any further need to question or express skepticism regarding the events of the days following Grace's birth.

The following week, Mimi took Grace for her first appointment with Dr. Bolton. The sutures were removed from Grace's right buttock and the rest of the examination was routine. Dr. Bolton provided tests to evaluate Grace's hearing, and also took her vital signs. He gave her a clean bill of health.

After Mimi left the office to return home with Grace, Dr. Bolton went to Dr. Patterson's office to talk. As he walked into the office, Dr. Patterson was just waking from a power nap. Dr. Bolton stated, "I removed the sutures from Grace Bradford's buttock. There were no signs of infection or swelling from the implant, but Grace will need to be monitored. Even hermetically sealed, plastic implants might be seen as a foreign body by her immune system, and that could lead to a future infection."

Dr. Patterson smiled, "If there was going to be an infection it would have occurred within the first week. Our only concern now is keeping tabs on Grace Bradford's future whereabouts."

* * * * *

Chapter 40

Circa mid to late 1978

Grace eventually had her parents trained and conformed to her sleeping schedule. She had an incredible curiosity with her surroundings and started babbling at the age of four months. Concerns of how the family pet, Mickey, would react to his new competition for Mimi's attention were removed. The dog, at first, chose to ignore Grace's arrival. Their relationship later improved after Grace discovered she could lure the dog to her by dropping her teething biscuits on the floor from her high chair. By the age of seven months, Grace had developed a large vocabulary. She was soon able to make short intelligible sentences. Greg never had any familiarity with the typical developmental growth of infants, so he was unaware of Grace's advanced cognitive skills. However, Mimi noticed Grace's progressive growth, because she had prior experience in helping to raise her little sister and brothers. None of these younger siblings formed sentences before the age of one.

Greg's career was still progressing well. He and Mimi had put down a money deposit and were using the equity of their first house to build a second larger house. Greg had often discussed his real estate investment plans with his neighbor, Jack Howard, because he had many banking connections in the Houston area. However, Jack was also the local eye that monitored Greg for the Knights Templar. Anything that Greg would say to Jack Howard eventually made its way to the ear of Jack's lodge brother and coworker, Jim Dagenbaur. During the last four years, Jim had dropped into the background of obscurity. Except for occasional phone conversations, he had not talked with Greg since the announcement of his daughter's birth. Jim was no longer Greg's mentoring guardian and their shared paths had parted in 1974. At the same time, he still felt obligated to guide Greg around the future Houston financial pitfalls that would prevail in the coming months.

Jim decided to call Greg at work. After brief chats about Mimi and the baby, their conversation gradually led to the discussion of financial investments. "Well Greg, I guess that your house in Sugar Land has built up a fairly modest equity," stated Jim.

Greg proudly responded, "Yes, Jim. In fact, the value of our house has gone up almost 16 thousand dollars in the last two years. I'm selling this house, and we are buying a larger one in the northwestern rural suburbs, in the Cypress area."

Jim cautiously tried to persuade Greg not to buy a new house, and to invest the surplus equity in his current home in gold commodities. Jim stated, "Gold is presently at $35.00 per ounce, and it is expected to rise dramatically in value."

Greg totally disregarded Jim's opinion. "Thank you for your advice, Jim, but I have already put down a large deposit. Our new house is almost completed. Regardless of the speculated advantages to investing in gold, I plan to invest in real estate, and this second home will be my nest egg."

Jim retreated from his lecture. It was obvious that his advice was too late, and Greg had already made up his mind. "OK, Greg, this is your choice. I really wish that you would at least investigate about what I am telling you, before you sink the rest of your hard earned money into another house." Jim then reluctantly ended their conversation. "Please stay in touch, and give my best regards to Mimi."

Greg was angered after hanging up the phone. He resented Jim's alternative advice and overprotective tendencies. However, Greg had to admit that Jim had an uncanny aptitude with investment matters that far exceeded the norm. The following month, Greg and Mimi sold their first house, and their new home was completed one week later. Greg contended that since 80% of the commerce in Houston was based on oil, then any real estate in that economic setting would be a solid investment.

* * * * *

On nice summer weekends, Greg and Mimi enjoyed family outings by making the 1½ hour drive to Galveston Beach along the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. One trip that they had made during the summer of 1978 exhibited a strange sight on the water. There were oil tankers lined up end to end, which extended beyond the horizon of the Gulf. Greg curiously asked an onlooker, standing on the beach, for his interpretation regarding this endless string of oil tankers. The man explained that the Arab nations of OPEC had started pumping oil like drunken sailors. This had effectively glutted the oil market. The oil tankers were anchored offshore, until there was a location to empty their fully laden cargos of crude oil into the inland ports.

Greg stared out at the stationary tankers in the Gulf with a sense of irony. He was currently witnessing the inverse of what the Northeast experienced in 1974 when OPEC had initiated an embargo to stop selling oil to America. Now, they were doing just the opposite by flooding the market with cheap crude oil. It was then that Jim Dagenbaur's advice had finally made sense. Somehow, Jim knew that this event was coming. Furthermore, the price of gold started to rise dramatically, while the value of Houston's real estate was plummeting. Houston's industries depended on the continuous expansion of oil commerce. Therefore, this surplus glut in oil supplies had destined this Gulf region to economic doom.

Major layoffs started to commence, and Greg was included in the ever growing numbers of the unemployed. He would find jobs; however, each successive short-term position of employment he obtained had paid far less money than the previous. Greg was living in a large, four bedroom house with a stay-at-home mom and a 10-month-old daughter. He had great regrets for shunning the advice of Jim Dagenbaur, and had also lost contact with him after Jim moved out of the Houston area. Greg was essentially now bound by his choice to invest in real estate. The bank foreclosure signs, which marked the growing number of abandoned houses in his Cypress subdivision, indicated that his home investment was, indeed, a poor choice.

* * * * *

One afternoon after returning from work, Mimi happily greeted Greg at the door as he walked into the house. "We've been invited to a picnic at Dr. Patterson's ranch!"

Greg put down his briefcase to read the invitation that Mimi was waving in his face. After reading the flier, Greg's inquisitive nature kicked into gear. He stated, "This picnic is scheduled for next Saturday. It's some kind of presentation for a new training facility that Dr. Patterson is obviously trying to sell memberships in. How in the hell could we afford this, even if we were interested in enrolling Grace, there?"

Mimi quickly tried to extinguish her husband's pessimism. "Well, we're currently not being billed for Grace's pediatric care, because Dr. Bolton knows we don't have any health insurance. This new facility is a learning center for infant development, and it even has a baby gym. What harm would there be in attending Dr. Patterson's picnic to see what he is offering?"

Greg was still suspicious, but he could not calm Mimi's enthusiastic desire to investigate a beneficial development program for Grace. He simply could not ignore an invitation to the picnic. It was being presented by a doctor's office that was providing his daughter with free pediatric care.

* * * * *

The following Saturday, Greg, Mimi, and their daughter Grace arrived at the ranch of Dr. Russell Patterson, by mid afternoon. This rural ranch homestead had taken on the appearance of a circus more than it did a modest working farm. There was a large tent erected in the middle of the field. The exterior surface of the tent appeared to be composed of a silver reflective material, and not the standard canvas cloth which would generally be utilized. There was also a portable diesel generator supplying power into the tent festivities. It was assumed that this tent's mirrored surface was used in order to reflect the sunlight and thus help to diminish the heat inside the tent. There were at least fifty cars parked in an orderly row adjoining the tent.

After placing Grace in her stroller, Greg and Mimi made their way to the tent on the finely manicured lawn path that led to the festivities. They were greeted by Dick Weisel, who Greg immediately recognized from his business office. Dick was holding a bottle of beer and standing with four other men at the only entrance to the tent. "Hello, Dick," said Greg as he extended his hand to shake. Greg then introduced this work associate to Mimi.

"Dick and I work in the same engineering department," stated Greg as Mimi politely shook Dick's hand. Greg continued, "I remember that you told me you aren't married, Dick. Why are you attending a picnic that is drumming up business for an infant development center?"

Dick politely responded, "I'm a close friend of Dr. Patterson's. I was part of the group that helped him set up this tent for his picnic festivities."

It was somewhat unnerving to see five men obviously securing the entrance to a tent. After all, this event was allegedly a picnic for pediatric clientele. After shaking hands, Greg also noticed that Dick had a concealed pistol in a shoulder holster under his sheepskin leather vest.

Curiously, Greg asked, "Are we expecting trouble that would require a gun, Dick?"

Dick then replied to Greg. "It's always better to have a gun and not need one, than to need a gun and not have one."

Greg just smiled at Dick's comment because he really never knew when to take this man seriously. Dick was very outspoken at work regarding the U.S. Constitution, gun rights, and the sinister international forces that sought world domination. Most of Greg's coworkers would entertain Dick's constant patriotic ramblings regarding the Bill of Rights. However, they chose to ignore his paranoid delusions on multinational conspiracy issues. Dick had a marine-style haircut and wore a Masonic ring on his finger. In public places he always wore a large leather vest or jacket to conceal his beer belly and handgun. Dick's attempted display of a fearless attitude was supplemented by a 45 caliber pistol. Although it was unlikely that Dick would have the courage to shoot someone if he had to pull the gun from its concealed holster.

* * * * *

Mimi followed Greg as he pushed Grace's stroller inside the cool air conditioned tent area. There was a stage platform with a small group of musicians performing country music. Greg was astounded at the number of young couples attending the picnic. Each couple was accompanied with a child who appeared to range from several months old, to two years of age.

While everyone was eating, Dr. Patterson was walking around and personally greeting each of his invited guests. When he arrived at Greg and Mimi's table, he took a great interest in baby Grace. She attentively looked up and smiled at Dr. Patterson from her stroller. "And how is little Grace doing today?" asked Dr. Patterson, "Can you say hello, Grace?"

The baby giggled and replied, "Hello, Grace."

Dr. Patterson's eyes widened while he laughed. "It appears that Grace has developed a sense of humor along with her advanced communications skills. Has she made an attempt to walk yet?"

Mimi pleasantly smiled with her response, "She tries, Doctor. Grace is somewhat able to stand up by holding onto furniture, but she still lacks the muscle tone and balance to walk. She appears to be communicating, and she often repeats what we say to her. Just like what she did with you, Dr. Patterson."

The doctor smiled as he leaned over to talk quietly between Greg and Mimi. "I am preparing a small demonstration for all the parents here today, and I would like Grace to be one of the 12 babies we utilize in our stage experiment. Will this be OK with both of you?"

Greg and Mimi looked at each other with curious hesitation. They did not understand what type of experiment that Dr. Patterson wanted to use Grace in. However, they did not sense any reason to deny the doctor's request. They both nodded with a smile, and Greg replied, "That will be alright with us, doctor."

After everyone had received their fill of barbeque, beans, salads, ice cream, and apple pie, the charcoal hearths were removed from the area. The live band packed up their instruments and left to return home. After drawing the tent flaps closed, Dr. Patterson walked onto the platform stage holding a microphone. He asked his guests to turn their chairs to face the stage. As everyone adjusted their chairs, two stage hands brought out a table. It had a white cloth draped over an object that extended about five feet above the surface of the table. They also placed a circular arrangement of baby carriers on the stage surrounding the table.

Dr. Patterson then began to address the audience. "I invited you here today to enjoy the hospitality of some fine Texas music and barbeque, and also for your enlightenment. This picnic was scheduled to promote our training facility program, which is being offered for your child's developmental health. I also wanted to educate selected parents on some of the more serious matters that confront our world community's future. I briefly talked with some of you during the past month and stated in unspecific terms that your young families are the keys to the future of humanity. Now, I realize this is a big pill of truth to swallow. Therefore, I feel that a demonstration is necessary to help you all better understand the importance of each of you, your children, and your children's future lineal descendants. What you shall observe here today will seem quite extraordinary and unbelievable. However, I assure you that we are not magicians using sleight of hand or smoke and mirrors. I must also stress that what you are about to witness must remain undisclosed to anyone else, including your family relatives."

Dr. Patterson then looked around the audience as he continued, "There are parents whom I talked with earlier this afternoon. I asked them to allow me to use their child in a demonstration. I now ask the parents to bring their babies up here, and place your child in one of the twelve carrier seats surrounding the table at the center of the stage."

Greg took Grace from her stroller and proceeded to the stage platform. Eleven other babies were each gently seated in one of the twelve carriers by their parent. All the babies were facing the table, and the baby carriers had been placed in 12 equally spaced positions around the table in a clockwise arrangement. Dr. Patterson then asked the parents to return to their seats. As the parents walked away, some of the babies started to cry.

Dr. Patterson pulled the draping cover from the object on the table, revealing a 4-foot tall teddy bear which was suspended from a pedestal arm mounted hook. The doctor pulled a small hand-held remote control from his pants pocket, and pushed a series of buttons. Different colored lights, which were embedded in the bear, randomly blinked on and off. An audible low frequency hum was being emitted from a sound device located on top of the table. All the babies stopped crying and became entranced with the teddy bear. As Dr. Patterson turned up the volume on the sound device, the lights in the stuffed bear started to flash faster. The babies began to smile and excitedly extended their arms, as if they were reaching for the teddy bear. Greg turned to whisper in Mimi's ear. He jokingly stated, "We have got to get one of those teddy bears for Grace's nursery."

Greg's joking demeanor was soon extinguished. The teddy bear randomly started to swing on its hook as if it was being pulled in various directions by an invisible force. Dr. Patterson then stepped back off the stage to offer an explanation. "This is not an illusion. What you are observing is the combined mind linkage of these 12 babies causing the stuffed bear to move."

Within approximately 30 seconds, the parents witnessed the ghastly fate of the teddy bear. Its seams started to split, and chunks of the stuffed animal were torn away, dropping onto the floor in clumps. Eventually, the only thing hanging from the pedestal arm hook was the metal ring that was attached to the former teddy bear's head. The bear's head was now part of a decimated mess of torn fabric, strobe lights, wire, and stuffing strewn over the stage. The astonished audience of parents sat in speechless horror at what they had witnessed.

When Dr. Patterson clicked off the sound device all the babies started to cry. He waved for the parents to come up on the stage to retrieve their children. He then stood with a pleasant smile to comfort his audience. "Now, perhaps you all can better understand why I call your children the new hope of humanity, and why I stressed that their abilities must remain undisclosed. This demonstration shows what the combined telekinetic power of these infants can perform, and these abilities can be developed further on an individualized basis with each child. Do any of the parents in the audience have questions?"

Greg and Mimi looked at each other, sensing that they had only received a partial explanation of where this was all leading to. Greg rose from his chair to present a question, "Each baby here was delivered under your care. Would you please explain how these infants developed this linkage of combined supernatural abilities?"

Dr. Patterson responded, "The ability of these infants genetically exists in all of you sitting here today. I have only provided the means of unlocking their mental potentials."

Greg was growing impatient with Dr. Patterson. He sensed that he would be forced to play the game of '20-questions' to arrive at the facts. Greg continued with further inquiry. "Would you please describe what your 'means' are for unlocking the telekinetic abilities of an infant child?"

Dr. Patterson paused and gazed around the audience when he answered Greg's question. "Well, Greg, I used the same means and methods that were used on you and your wife when you were born in the 1950s. This procedure was also used on every parent you see sitting in this tent. These 12 babies would not have the abilities demonstrated here today without the inherited genetic DNA qualities of their parents. Each lineal generation that follows will evolve with even greater abilities."

Greg struggled to restrain his anger as he delivered his next question. "So are you telling us that our children are the second generation of humans that have unknowingly been genetically altered?"

Dr. Patterson felt Greg was attempting to defame this entire program to be nothing more than creating monsters or playing God. The doctor carefully provided a re-worded response to Greg's question. He stated, "Your children are the second generation of humans that are being returned to what their normal evolved state should be. All humans had been genetically de-tuned, over 7000 years ago, after our natural abilities became artificially stagnated with the introduction of substituted junk DNA. You must also understand why the current established governments, world rulers, and religious leaders would not want these human abilities to be unlocked. It would end their authority, which has enslaved and controlled humanity for over seven millennia."

Greg was still not convinced as to whether or not Dr. Patterson's intentions had a hidden agenda within his long-ranged plans. Greg continued to sternly challenge Dr. Patterson. "Well doctor, you have apparently succeeded in unlocking these human mental abilities. Now, will you please tell us how will you protect these children from being destroyed by the concerned fears of our world leaders?"

Dr. Patterson smiled because he liked Greg's diehard attitude and doubting qualities, which has a tendency to trust no one. The doctor felt he had to win the confidence of Greg, and also the entire audience with his response. "Well, Greg, no one outside of this tent knows what has occurred here today. I will also simply state that the properties of this silver tent material shield us from any external electronic surveillance. Furthermore, I trust that neither you, nor any other parent here today, will divulge what they have witnessed. Exposing your children would be destroying the only remaining bastion of hope for humankind, and most likely, be cutting your own throat."

In light of the potential risks that all of these other families were faced with, Greg was quickly humbled by Dr. Patterson's responding answer. He sat down next to Mimi in silence. Another parent rose from their chair with a question. "Dr. Patterson, would you please tell us what your future plans and goals are? How do you intend to utilize the families that are present here today?"

Dr. Patterson gave a diverting response, "I was just about to get to that. Now it's my pleasure to introduce my other guest speaker, Dr. Davis Branson, who operates our training facilities in Harley, Texas."

Dr. Patterson handed his guest the microphone. Dr. Branson cheerfully jumped up onto the stage. His brown eyes, long dark hair and Jesus beard gave him the appearance of being a guru or hippie more so than an established doctor. He smiled as he addressed everyone in the audience. "My name is Dr. Davis Branson, and I am the administrator of our Harley, Texas training center, which we have named the Pentecostal Church of Enlightenment or, more simply, the Branson Compound. The facility was completed almost five years ago. We have residents who farm and tend the ground area to support its guise of being an inconspicuous Christian commune. It isn't much to look at from the outside. The main training facility structure actually runs two stories underground below the concourse level. This is the training and development center for families, like the ones who are present here today. We can house and feed up to 30 people at a time, which would be 10 families for a scheduled session of about three months. I would also like to mention that there are similar training centers located around the globe. The Branson Compound has received families from all over the United States. I wish to state that all lodging and relocation expenses for these training sessions are free because they are subsidized through our organization's international affiliates. Our training success rate has been nothing short of phenomenal. I have brought two of our star pupils with me today, who are 6-year-old identical twin brothers. They were invited here with their parents, so, if anyone has any questions after our demonstration, this family will be available to answer them for you. At this time, I would like to introduce you to our two student performers, Keith and Kent DeMaribus."

The twin boys walked up onto the platform playfully kicking pieces of teddy bear stuffing out of their way as they approached Dr. Branson. The audience seemed unfazed by the appearance of these seemingly average children. The twins wore matching clothes. Their tanned complexions, typical buzzed hairstyles, and innocent outward demeanors did not evoke anything that could be interpreted as being phenomenal. After placing his arms over the boy's shoulders, he turned them both to face the audience. Dr. Branson was ready to start with his demonstration. "Keith and Kent will now show you some of the advanced mentally linked telekinesis abilities that they both share."

A stage hand brought up a cardboard box onto the stage, and placed it on the table. Dr. Branson then turned to face the twin boys who both stood at attention with anxious smiles. "OK, boys, let's show the audience how to tie a square knot in the rope that we have inside the box."

When the boys stared at the box, the flaps popped open. A long strand of nylon rope levitated out of the box and slowly became tied into a square knot. All the parents sat in amazement with their mouths open. The rope drifted out over the heads of the audience before it returned to the stage and dropped back into the box. Silence was slowly replaced with random applause, and the twins bowed to the audience.

Dr. Branson then proceeded to announce their next act, "Now Keith and Kent will demonstrate their abilities to alter and manifest atomic matter." The doctor pulled an empty glass from the box and placed it on the table. "Boys, I'm thirsty," stated Dr. Branson. "Would you please fill this glass with water for me?"

The twins concentrated their attention on the empty glass as it started to fill from the bottom with water, stopping within a quarter inch of the brim. Dr. Branson reached for the glass and intentionally knocked it off the table. It crashed onto the surface of the stage leaving shattered fragments of glass in a slowly expanding puddle of water. Dr. Branson then laughed with his remark, "Oh, clumsy me. Boys, would you please clean up this mess for me?"

Keith and Kent closed their eyes, and concentrated on the wet puddle and broken glass. The mess on the stage slowly transformed into a moving cloud of fog, which materialized in its original place on the table before it was knocked off. The audience gave a generous applause to a feat that far exceeded any magic trick they had ever seen before. Dr. Branson then grasped the glass and drank half the contents of water. He stepped off the stage to pass the glass into the audience, so they could examine it.

Dr. Branson looked around the platform. It was still littered with the remains of the teddy bear that had been torn apart earlier by the 12 babies. He turned again to address the twins. "Well, boys, before I turn the microphone back over to Dr. Patterson, let's help him by fixing the teddy bear."

The twins closed their eyes in deep concentration. All the strewn matter of cloth, stuffing, strobe lights, and wiring rose from the floor forming a floating cloud that condensed as it moved to the bottom of the pedestal arm hook. The parents looked on, in astonishment, as the teddy bear was totally reassembled. It was like watching a slow motion film of an explosion in reverse.

Dr. Branson looked at the teddy bear with sympathetic eyes. He stated, "I think this teddy bear looks lonely, boys, and he needs a companion. Would you please make him a twin brother to keep him company?" Both boys smiled and closed their eyes. A growing opaque cloud formed below the hook of the pedestal, and a second identical teddy bear was suspended beside the first one.

The audience sat in shock with wide eyes, unable to offer applause. Dr. Branson then applauded the twins for the stunned audience. He said, "Don't worry, boys. I know the parents really liked your stage show, and your performance was just a bit more than they had expected to see." The audience of parents slowly overcame their apprehension and rose from their seats to provide a long standing ovation. The twins bowed and left the platform with gratified smiles as they returned to sit with their parents.

The audience's applause followed Dr. Branson as he walked off the stage. He handed the microphone back to Dr. Patterson, who was getting ready to make his closing statement. "Let's give Dr. Branson and our participants another good round of applause." Everyone again applauded and Dr. Patterson waited until the clapping ended. He continued, "I don't feel that I could add anything more to the outstanding demonstration by Dr. Branson and his remarkable students, Keith and Kent DeMaribus. At this time, all that I ask is for each of the families attending here today to consider our offer. I pray that you will all answer this urgent calling to save humanity. At the tent exit, you will find a table with a register for scheduling your family's training session at our Branson Compound Facility in Harley, Texas. Please feel free to address us with your questions or concerns. Thank you all for coming here today."

Everyone slowly got up from their seats. Some approached Dr. Patterson and Dr. Branson or just mingled with the people sitting at tables next to them. Greg turned to Mimi with a muffled exclamation, "We're getting the hell out of here!"

The tent flaps were still closed as Greg and Mimi approached the exit pushing Grace's stroller, and they were forced to stop. Dick Weisel stood in front of them with a curious expression on his face. He inquired, "Are you going to schedule an appointment to attend a training session in Harley, Texas?"

Greg politely responded, "I'm still digesting the barbeque as well as the supernatural floor show, Dick. I want to think about it first, OK?"

Dick Weisel looked unyielding, as though he was going to attempt hard-selling Greg on his obligatory duties and his family's responsibilities to humanity. Greg quickly raised his hand to interrupt Dick before he started with his patriotic God, guts, and guns speech. "Please open the tent flaps, Dick. Mimi and I wish to leave, now." Dick then grudgingly opened the tent flaps allowing their departure.

* * * * *

It appeared that Greg, Mimi, and Grace were the last family to arrive at Dr. Patterson's picnic. They also were the first to leave. After departing from the ranch, they had driven for almost 5 miles before Greg or Mimi said anything. As Greg nervously tapped the steering wheel, he stated, "For right now, I will put aside the shocking fact that both of us, and Grace had been genetically altered at birth without our consent. I will also disregard the questionable implications of what we saw in that ranch freak show. Presently, my concerns aren't focused on what these two doctors told us today—what bothers me is what they didn't tell us. The speakers really got everyone emotionally pumped up. Neither Dr. Patterson nor Dr. Branson mentioned what their plans are or how they intend to utilize these enlightened genetically modified humans to accomplish their future goal. Furthermore, both of them talked about their organization but never stated what the name of this subsidizing organization is."

Mimi said nothing in response to Greg's rambling thoughts. She turned around to check on Grace, who was sound asleep in her car seat. Mimi blankly stared through the windshield in total silence, while tears streamed down her face. She could neither comprehend what the future would bring into their lives, nor why they had been among the people chosen to save humanity.

* * * * *

Chapter 41

Circa 1979

At 12:20am, Walter Munson heard the private phone in his office ringing, and he chose to ignore the caller. After the fourteenth ring his wife, Nancy, nudged him. She said, "It's the bat phone, Walter. The caller is evidently going to let the phone continue ringing until you answer it." Walter got out of bed, slowly made his way to his office and answered his phone, "This is Walter."

Walter quickly snapped out of his sleepy composure when the Grand Master gave his greetings. "Sorry to wake you at such an early hour, Walter. There is an important matter that I need you to take care of."

Walter grabbed a pencil and paper to jot down notes. He then inquired, "OK, what is it that you need me to take care of?"

The Grand Master gave the specifics of his concerns. "Greg Bradford has moved to a new house. We have no one living near his location to monitor him. When was the last time you visited Greg?"

Walter hesitated because it had been months, since he had talked with Greg. He replied to the Grand Master's inquiry with an attempt to downplay any further need to keep tabs on this apprentice. "Well, Nancy has been in contact with Greg's wife, Mimi, more than I have with Greg."

The Grand Master was getting somewhat concerned with Walter's lack of diligence. "Well, Walter, Greg has been barely able to maintain a job for a period of more than four weeks. So perhaps you could see about finding him a steady job?"

Walter was growing impatient with his Grand Master, and he diplomatically attempted to explain economic matters. "Well, sir, if you weren't already aware of the job market in Houston, we are currently in a localized depression. I can't even find a job for myself, let alone Greg."

The Grand Master snapped back in anger, "You already have a job, Walter, and you work for me. Do I need to remind you of this fact?"

Walter became more passive as he quickly returned to the matters of the Grand Master's reason for calling him. "What is it that you want me to do, sir?" asked Walter.

The Grand Master continued, "I am sending you a large package. It will be delivered directly to your apartment by one of our couriers. I want you and Nancy to give it to Greg and Mimi as a house warming gift."

Walter tried to offer an optional plan because he had no desire to visit Greg. "Why don't you deliver it to Greg, and enclose a card showing that it was sent by Nancy and me?"

Again the Grand Master's temper was pushed to the maximum. "Look, Walter, Greg is your responsibility, and I expect you to follow my orders. You have no damned idea what our apprentice has been doing over the last several months, do you?"

Walter was not in a position to defend his lack of oversight. He attempted to quell the anger of the Grand Master with his response. "Greg is a big boy. He's 23 years old, and he seems to be doing fine without my intervention."

The Grand Master became more specific with his directives. "Well then, Walter, you can make up for your incompetence by visiting Greg to deliver his house warming gift."

Walter's curiosity was now elevated, and he inquired, "What is this house warming gift, sir?"

The Grand Master described the gift, "It is a set of four flower vases. Nancy can help Mimi locate each of these vase arrangements around the house. Mimi will like them because they have silk flowers that look real and won't need to be watered... but they do have bugs, if you catch my point. There is a remote recording device that you will need to hide within 200 feet of their house. The recorder is sound activated and has 4 one-hour tapes, but it only has 40 hours of battery life. I will expect you to access this recorder and exchange its tapes and battery pack regularly for as long as I deem necessary."

Walter was getting a little flustered with this menial task. He politely stated, "Surely, sir, we have other lower degreed lodge brothers who could take care of this routine recorder monitoring."

The Grand Master was trying to be understanding and maintain his patience regarding Walter's resistance to his new surveillance assignment. He offered an explanation on the importance in this matter. "Walter, we suspect that Greg is possibly tied to a breach within the ranks of our Houston brotherhood. I will need you to silence this brother's violations if our suspicions are confirmed to be true. You are the only person who I can trust to investigate this matter. Please follow through on this important task after our courier delivers the package to your house in the morning."

Walter then humbled himself as he ended their conversation, "Understood, sir. I won't let you down."

Walter's anger was throbbing in his temples as he hung up the phone. He got up from his chair to stand facing the wall, lightly banging his head against the wood paneling in frustration. After several seconds, he could no longer contain his fury, and he punched his fist through the wall. Walter's wife, Nancy, was watching from outside the doorway of his office. She sarcastically stated, "I'll make us some coffee, and I will also get you a bag of ice for your hand."

* * * * *

The following morning, a courier delivered the carton of flower arrangements to Walter. A separate weatherproof plastic case that contained the wireless remote recorder was included in the package. Walter then had Nancy call Greg's house to set up a time that they would be able to stop in for a short visit to see their new house and their baby. Even though Mimi was not fond of Walter, she did like his wife, Nancy. The two women arranged a time to visit the following evening.

When Greg arrived home from work, Mimi gave him the unwelcome news. "Nancy Munson called me today. She and Walter are coming to visit us tomorrow evening. They want to see our new house and to see Grace."

Greg was tired and shrugged his shoulders, "That will be alright I guess. Besides, you already set up their visit."

Mimi did not want to add to Greg's stress. She offered a ray of hope regarding Walter's pending visit. "Perhaps Walter can help you to find a full-time job. Then you won't have to keep facing layoffs every two to four weeks."

Greg was defensive with Mimi's statement, "Look, dear. The job market sucks, and I realize that we are barely keeping up with our bills. I hate having to depend on Walter's help to find a job. If we lose this house, we can always take refuge at the Branson Compound and learn to use telekinesis to shred up teddy bears!"

Mimi walked away to sit down in a dining room chair. She started to cry, which made Greg feel like a heartless monster. Greg tried to offer an apology and explanations for his anger, "I'm sorry, Mimi. Please understand that I can always find work, even if we have to abandon this damn house and move to another state. However, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about that picnic at Dr. Patterson's ranch. I have nightmares about it, constantly. I'm also still kicking myself in the ass when I see the value of gold rising above $400 an ounce, and watch our house value dropping below what we owe on it. I should have listened to Jim Dagenbaur's advice. At the very least, I should have investigated what Jim tried to forewarn me about regarding the upcoming financial problems that were going to hit Houston."

Mimi stopped crying and stood to give words of understanding to Greg as they embraced with a hug. "You had no reason to believe Jim Dagenbaur. No one could have predicted how the job market was going to swing. We also don't need to be concerned about Dr. Patterson because I have dropped Dr. Bolton as Grace's pediatrician. She will go to a medical clinic as a walk-in patient if she gets sick. So, you don't have to worry about Dr. Patterson anymore."

Each day that passed was pushing Greg further into an emotional state of depression. His failure to find a full time job was compounded by his inability to provide for Mimi and Grace's needs. His fears grew with the potential possibility of becoming homeless if he was unable to make the mortgage payments. The revelations from Dr. Patterson's picnic, denoting his family's inherited obligation to save humanity, did not matter. Greg felt his family came first, and the world would just have to fend for itself. He was grateful Mimi took the initiative to sever all ties with Dr. Patterson's practice. However, Greg sensed that avoidance of Dr. Patterson would not diminish the inescapable reality of what he and Mimi had witnessed at the ranch. They both were exposed to part of the destined truth that would eventually become their alleged calling to save humanity.

* * * * *

The following evening, Greg arrived home from work. He quickly ran upstairs to shower in preparation for Nancy and Walter's visit. Mimi made three platters of cheese and lunch meat arrangements, along with chips and vegetable dip. She even bought a bottle of Walter's favorite whiskey and shot glasses in an attempt to pacify their guests' drinking preferences. Greg knew that their checking account couldn't support this extravagant party spread. It was understood that Mimi was covering many of their necessary living expenses using credit cards, which were quickly approaching their maximum limits.

Around 7:00pm, Walter's arrival was announced by Mickey's shrill baying. Greg looked out the front window to see Walter's huge convertible parked in the driveway.

Greg picked up Mickey and placed him in the backyard. He then walked around to the front of the house to meet Nancy and Walter, and cordially stated, "Hi, folks. I'm glad that you both could come up and visit us."

Mimi then came out the front door to meet their guests. Walter fumbled with a carton that was lodged into the back seat of his car. Greg walked over to assist Walter with the carton and asked, "What's in the box, Walter?"

Nancy was quick to answer for her husband, who was still struggling to get hold of the box. "It's a house warming gift that I know you both will like."

As everyone entered the living room, Walter looked around at the cathedral ceilings and fully furnished rooms of the downstairs. He offered his compliments, "This is a nice house, Greg. I like the location because it is hard to find a rural setting this close to Houston."

Mimi and Greg then escorted their guests to look at the upstairs. They concluded the house tour by tiptoeing into Grace's nursery, so as not to awaken the baby. Both couples then returned downstairs to enjoy the spread of food that Mimi arranged in the dining room.

Walter looked at the table of food and offered words of appreciation. "You didn't have to go to this much trouble for our visit." Walter then spotted the bottle of Crown Royal whiskey located on a tray with four shot glasses. He said, "I really do like your taste in whiskey!"

Greg was quick to open the bottle and poured equal amounts into the four shot glasses. Nancy waved off the offer of liquor and quickly stated, "I don't need a drink. Walter can have my share." Nancy then turned to grab Mimi's arm and said, "Let's open the box, and I'll help you decorate the house. They are Japanese silk flowers, arranged in hand painted vases. I think they will really enhance your home. We'll leave the boys to talk together for a while."

Greg raised his shot glass to toast Walter, "A toast to our trustworthiness of each other." Walter gave a smirk at Greg's toast and commented on his host's chosen words. "I'm glad to hear that you never forgot the lecture I gave you and Mimi over two years ago. I appreciated you both for following my advice. So how is your job holding up, Greg?"

Greg briefly paused to grab another shot glass of whiskey from the tray, downed the contents, and then replied to Walter's question. "It positively sucks because I can't find a job that pays well. Most of these contract positions don't last for more than four weeks. Tell me, Walter, do you know of any place in the Houston area that has a long term assignment?"

Walter was slow in his response, "I'll be totally honest with you, Greg. I can't even find a job for me. I have enough savings in the bank to tide me over until the market improves. If the economy in Houston continues with this downturn for another month, I will probably be moving to California. There is plenty of work out there."

Greg let out an exhausted sigh. He stated, "I'm financially tied to this damn house, and I currently owe more than the house is worth. I have invested over $16 thousand into this place, and I'm now barely able to keep up with the bills. I would hate to have to take the same path that many of my neighbors did, and just abandon the house to move to where there is work."

Walter slapped Greg on the back with his encouraging words of wisdom. "Look, Greg, sometimes we have to do things that we loathe, but you and Mimi are still young. It may be easier to scrap a losing dead end living situation and start over someplace else. I'm not telling you that this is something you should do. Approximately 20,000 families in the Greater Houston area are in the same boat you are. Fortunately, there's work in the northeast and on the west coast. In the future, you may want to reconsider the costs of home ownership, and that you should not invest in something that you cannot afford to keep. It's one of life's hard lessons, but it is a lesson you have learned at a young age. You still have plenty of time to reestablish yourself."

Greg poured another round of shots to help deaden his stressful pains regarding the bad investment choices he had made. Furthermore, he dreaded the decisions he might soon have to make. Greg raised his shot glass to make another toast, "To a promising future." After they downed two more rounds, Greg handed the rest of the bottle of whiskey to Walter. Greg said, "Walter, please take the bottle home with you. I am starting to acquire a taste for this stuff, and I don't need to complicate my life more than it is already."

Walter smiled at Greg with his appreciation as he grabbed the bottle. "Thank you, Greg. I'd better dilute all that whiskey I drank with some of the food Mimi has prepared. Otherwise, Nancy will have to drive me home."

Greg and Walter ate about half of the food on the table. Then they carried a tray of the remaining food to Mimi and Nancy to eat before it was gone. Mimi was in the living room with Nancy. They were rearranging a table top to make room for one of the four flower vase arrangements. They placed another on the kitchen counter next to the wall phone. The third was located on the master bedroom dresser. Nancy and Mimi seemed quite pleased with their decorating skills. They went back to the dining room to place the fourth flower arrangement on the hutch next to the dining room table.

After they had finished all the food, Walter and Nancy thanked their hosts for their generous hospitality. Walter shook hands and stated to Greg, "I'll call you if anything shows up in the Houston job market."

Walter's car backed down the driveway. Mimi then stated, "From what Walter just said, it doesn't look very promising for employment in the Houston area."

Greg was still partially numb after drinking five shots of whiskey. He sadly responded, "Walter said we have the same options that 20,000 other families in the Greater Houston area have." Greg changed the subject and gave Mimi an appreciative hug and kiss. He stated, "Come on, Mimi. I'll clean up the dining room and do the dishes while you wake up Grace for her dinner."

* * * * *

Walter had driven down the road about 2 miles and parked his car along the dirt shoulder to retrieve a box located in his trunk. He and Nancy waited patiently in the car until the sun went down. Walter then drove back to Cypress. While Nancy waited in the car, Walter used his flashlight and found a dense growth of ground cover to hide the remote recorder. It was located 10 feet from the edge of the road, and within 150 feet of Greg's house. Walter extended the telescoping antenna and flipped a toggle switch on the side of the box. A miniature pilot light began flashing, indicating that the recorder was now activated.

Walter then returned to his car. He sternly stated, "I hope this trap catches our rat lodge brother within the first 40 hours of recordings. I don't want to keep driving up here to exchange cassette tapes and battery packs."

Nancy replied with a sinister smile while softly rubbing Walter's inner thigh. "I'm sure that you also won't want to hear the sounds of Greg and Mimi's love making. It will be transmitted from the flower arrangement I placed on their bedroom dresser."

Walter paused and made a hearty laugh. Then he took a long chug from the bottle of whiskey Greg gave him. He and Nancy continued to have random outbursts of laughter as they drove back home to their Houston apartment.

* * * * *

Chapter 42

Greg and Mimi had just finished eating supper on a Thursday evening, when the front door bell rang. Greg had to pick up their dog Mickey because he was barking furiously. The dog had learned that the rhythmic chimes of the door bell always presented a visitor at the front door, and Mickey hated visitors. After opening the door Greg was unpleasantly surprised to see Dick Weisel standing on the porch. Dick attempted to give the appearance of sincerity, even though Greg knew why Dick had come to visit him. Dick stood waiting at the door, and then impatiently inquired, "I went to the trouble of showering, shaving, putting on clean clothes, and driving over an hour from LaPort. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

After Dick's eager request to gain entrance, Mickey started to growl and bark even more intensely. Mimi came to the front door to see what the commotion was. However, after seeing Dick Weisel at the front door she understood why Mickey was carrying on so furiously. Mickey either sensed the anxiety of Greg or the questionable intentions of Dick Weisel, or possibly, a combination of both factors. Greg struggled as he handed Mickey to Mimi, and said, "Put Mickey in the backyard, so I can let Dick Weisel in the door."

Greg opened the screen door to let Dick in, and he escorted him to the living room to sit down. "Can I get you anything to drink, Dick?" asked Greg trying to be courteous. "I'm sorry that I don't have any beer or booze. We do have fruit punch, soda, or water."

Dick smiled, and replied, "No thanks, Greg, because I can only stay for a little while."

Greg cut to the heart of the matter and surmised why Dick Weisel drove across Houston, to talk with him in person. "I will assume that you are here to ask me if I have made my decision."

Dick then replied, "Well, yes, Greg. That is one of the reasons why I came to talk with you. I also wanted to ask why Mimi has discontinued appointments with Dr. Bolton as Grace's pediatrician."

It was then that Mimi entered the living room carrying Grace. Mimi had overheard Dick's inquiry, and she wanted to provide the answer. "Well, Dick, part of the reason is that it is too far to drive to Dr. Bolton's office. I think that you already know what the other part of our reason is for discontinuing our contact with Dr. Patterson's medical office staff."

Dick then made a vain attempt to defend Dr. Patterson and his organization's actions. "Look, folks, I can understand your discontent in the matters of the covert genetics research. Believe me, Dr. Patterson and our organization would rather seek any path that would not place people in harm's way. Your family has been given a gift. You are part of a special bloodline of lineal descendants who have been marked since birth to become the saviors of humanity."

Mimi was getting ready to explode but Greg's reaction was quicker than hers. He threw Dick's conjecture back in his face. "Listen, Dick, I don't want to hear about any more of your far-reaching, supernatural bullshit. However, perhaps you could tell us what the name of your organization is?"

Dick was hesitant in answering Greg's question but felt that he had to at least present some of the facts. He explained, "We are an inner circle of the Freemasons, who are also called the Knights of Christ. In actuality, we are members of the remaining factions of the Knights Templar."

Greg was somewhat intrigued with Dick's confession but questioned the validity of his claim. "I have read about the Knights Templar. They are also referred to as the Knights of the Temple Mount. It was my understanding that the knights who escaped persecution of the Catholic Church and the King of France had disbanded in the early 12th century."

Dick then retorted, "This is what written history would like you to believe. However, the Knights Templar never disbanded. They were forced to move underground and later resurfaced under the cover of the Freemasons. The Knights Templar has also been entrusted to protect the lineal bloodline descendants whom are destined to inherit the Earth."

After hearing this, Greg looked over at Mimi to see if she had anything to say. She coldly stared at Dick, and said nothing. So, Greg continued to request further information, "OK, Dick, I will entertain what you are telling me to be factual. What is the origin of this bloodline that Mimi and I have allegedly descended from?"

Dick was slow with his response, "This bloodline has existed for thousands of years. It also originates from the missing link between primitive man and Homo sapiens."

Greg then rose from his chair to walk over and sit on the couch next to Dick. He wanted to observe Dick closely when he answered the next question. Greg continued, "You claim that Mimi and I, as well as all the people who attended the picnic at Dr. Patterson's ranch, are from this ancient bloodline. However, a missing link would indicate that something or someone interrupted this evolution to create Homo sapiens. Is this what you are telling us, Dick?"

Dick replied, "Yes, Greg. This is what I am telling you and Mimi. Both of you are lineal descendants from the royal bloodline of our creator. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal any more than I have told you already. You will have to trust me when I again reiterate that your family is part of a few remaining survivors of this bloodline that can save humanity." Greg looked deeply into Dick Weisel's eyes and could sense that this man honestly believed what he was saying. However, Greg could not determine if Dick's sanity was intact.

Greg got up to return to his original chair. He sat down and stared up at the ceiling in order to give Mimi the opportunity to comment on Dick's story.

Mimi still remained silent, so Greg proceeded further with his questioning, "Alright, Dick. You have my undivided attention, and I can accept your stated limitations of what information you can provide us. After all, Mimi and I are not members of the Knights Templar. We are only your protected livestock and your future arsenal of weapons that will be utilized against an unseen enemy of world totalitarians. Am I correct in my understanding so far?"

Dick started to get an uneasy look on his face and only responded by slowly nodding his head in affirmation. Greg then continued to extrapolate the facts. "Mimi and I, as well as our daughter Grace, were genetically altered to become assimilated into the Knights Templar. I will presume that since this royal bloodline is destined to inherit the Earth, that there would be an offensive plan. Is this understanding also correct, Dick?"

Dick again nodded his head without making any verbal response. Greg sternly demanded, "Well, Mimi and I would like to know what this plan of the Knights Templar is. How do you intend to use our family to reach this ultimate goal of conquest?"

Dick nervously got up from the couch. He walked over to stare out a window as he awkwardly responded to Greg's substantiated question. "I cannot reveal this plan to you, Greg."

Greg got up from his chair. He walked over to the window and attempted to reason with Dick's dilemma of hidden truths. Greg stated, "Dick, I saw what those twin boys at the picnic can do. They created water and solid matter out of thin air. Just those twin boys alone could probably destroy a standing army. Did the Knights Templar ever consider what those twins might do if they got really pissed off? Furthermore, you want to create pocket infantries of these genetically enhanced humans all over the Earth and eventually use them in a covert plan to conquer your enemies. Did it ever occur to you that your logic is flawed, and you may be creating a future enemy who can never be defeated?"

Dick then asked, "What other choices do we have?"

Greg thought for several seconds but could not answer Dick's question thoroughly. Greg responded, "Sometimes, Dick, the only choice we have left is our faith in making the right decisions. Dr. Patterson stated at the picnic that 7000 years ago, humans were de-tuned with junk DNA. This action stripped us of all our supernatural powers. After this happened, we were demoted to inferior slaves who depended on our governments, world rulers, and religious leaders to provide our needs. Seemingly, the Knights Templar believed that if humanity had their full mental potentials unlocked that we would be released from the chains of authority. We could create everything we needed just by thinking about it, so there would no longer be crime, hunger, or wars. However, I look at the elitists of today who have amassed more material wealth than they could spend in ten lifetimes... and they still desire more. This tendency defines human nature. People will always want more than they need. Even if people acquired everything they wanted, they would still seek the power and authority to dominate others. Did you ever consider that perhaps our creator stripped humanity of these abilities over 7000 years ago before our selfish tendencies brought us to the brink of destroying the planet?"

Dick Weisel stood dumbfounded and unable to debate these issues. Greg then placed his hands on Dick's shoulders and stared into his eyes to offer his concluding statement. "Look, Dick, I think that you truly believe that the organization of the Knights Templar is justified in destroying its enemies and reaching its goal to bring world peace. Nevertheless, my family cannot support your means for bringing this about, and we just wish to be left alone. Now please leave, and don't come back here or contact me again!"

Greg walked Dick to the door without any further conversation. After Greg returned to the living room, Mimi embraced him. She happily stated, "Thank you for getting rid of him. I think that we can now put this entire matter behind us."

Greg looked distraught in his response to Mimi's presumption. He replied, "Dick came here to change our minds about joining his cause. I sensed that he honestly told us everything within the limits of what he could reveal. The problem now is that we both know too much."

* * * * *

It was 2:30am on a Saturday morning. Nancy Munson attempted to ignore Walter's cussing. He strained his eyes to see through the dense fog en route to the community of Cypress to exchange cassette tapes and the battery pack in the remote recording unit that was monitoring Greg's house.

When they arrived, Walter got out of the car to place an aluminum beer can on the centerline of the road to mark his location. He gave Nancy his instructions, "Just slowly cruise down this road for about ten minutes. Keep track of the distance you traveled on the odometer. Then look for the aluminum can in the middle of the road when you return. That is where I'll be waiting for you."

Nancy drove away leaving Walter in complete darkness. He utilized a small flashlight to find the telephone pole that marked the location of the recording device. Walter then walked ten paces west of the utility pole. He was quietly cussing as a briar patch of thorns tore his pants and jacket in his attempts to push the overgrowth away. Walter briefly turned off his flashlight and could see the faint glow of the pulsing red light of the recorder's box, and began the task of uncovering the dense vegetation.

After locating the recording unit and making the tape and battery pack exchanges, he walked back to edge of the road. He could see Nancy signaling her approach by flashing the high beams of the car's headlights. When Walter got into the car he had cuts over all the exposed portions of his hands and face. Nancy gave him a handful of tissues to wipe off the streams of blood.

In extreme anger, Walter blurted out, "There better be something on one of these goddamn tapes. I'm not going through that bullshit again. God better help the loose-lipped lodge brother when I get my hands on that son of a bitch!"

* * * * *

When they arrived home, Nancy was anxious to help Walter listen to the cassette recordings. She ran to get an additional tape player, so they could make a faster review. Nancy went into the kitchen to listen to one tape while Walter sat in his office listening another of the other four cassettes. After listening to his first tape Walter became angered with Nancy's decision to place one of the silk flower arrangements in the master bedroom. A majority of this tape recording was nothing more than the recorder's activation whenever Grace cried in her nursery. The tape that Nancy played back also failed to provide any beneficial recorded information. One of the four cassettes was never used by the recorder, which left only one more tape to be reviewed.

Walter placed the last tape in the player. After about 20% of the tape was played, he and Nancy heard the recording of a dog's spastic howling when the Bradford's door bell rang. Walter turned up the volume, but all that could be heard was the dog frantically barking and growling. Finally, the audible voice of Greg could be heard, loud and clear:

"Put Mickey in the backyard, so I can let Dick Weisel in the door."

Nancy watched the tension build on Walter's face as the tape continued to play back the recording. She was enthralled with the conversation that had been recorded. Walter continued to write as fast as he could on a tablet to transcribe the taped conversation.

The recorded conversation arrived at Dick's mention of a special bloodline, and Walter switched off the tape player. He removed the cassette and stated, "I'll listen to the rest of this in the car."

Nancy started to whine, "But the conversation was just starting to get interesting. Why won't you let me hear it?"

Walter simply said, "No." He ignored his wife's begging as he walked to the door to go to his car.

Nancy followed behind Walter and still persisted in her rants to listen to the tape. "What was this guy, Dick, talking about when he said that Greg and Mimi's family are part of a special bloodline?"

At that point Nancy had pushed Walter too far, and he turned around to unleash his anger. He back handed Nancy, sending her flying to the floor. He screamed down at her, "That's why you can't listen to the tape. Now just shut your fucking mouth. Never let me hear you mention anything about this again, or you'll be joining Dick Weisel. Do you understand?"

Nancy lay on the floor weeping and rubbing the welt on her jaw that she received from her husband. She had never been physically struck by Walter before. However, she certainly learned what her limitations are when Walter says no.

Walter spent the rest of the evening in his car transcribing the tape as he listened to the conversation several times. He reviewed his transcription to assure that he had not missed anything. Walter was somewhat relieved when he had heard Greg's final words to Dick Weisel:

"...my family cannot support your means for bringing this about, and we just wish to be left alone. Now please leave, and don't come back here or contact me again!"

Greg's closing words had saved Walter the problem of having to silence two more people. However, Greg could also rest assured that Dick Weisel would not be contacting him again. Walter returned to his office in the house to place his transcribed notes into a Manila envelope. He then sealed the flap closed, before locking the envelope in his desk drawer.

* * * * *

Nancy was awakened by the smell of coffee that Walter had prepared. When she walked into the kitchen Walter was sitting at the table oiling a piece of black tubular metal. She silently went to pour a cup of coffee. Walter turned to look at Nancy, who had a large swollen bruise over the entire left side of her face, and a black eye.

Walter got up from the table and tried to relieve the punishing blow that he gave his wife earlier that morning. "I'm really sorry, Nancy, but you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I promise you that this won't happen again."

He returned to sit in a chair. Nancy said nothing as she looked down at the open leather case on the table which contained the segmented pieces of a rifle and a large scope. She then sat down looking at her husband and carefully made an inquiry. "Where did you get that gun, Walter? Why haven't I ever seen this weapon before?"

Walter just looked over calmly at Nancy and said, "Don't ask me because I can't tell you, OK, baby?"

Nancy then knew that something terrible was about to happen, and she again pleaded with Walter for an explanation. "Please tell me what's going on, Walter, because you are really starting to scare me."

Walter slammed the gun case shut and stood up, staring down at Nancy. She quickly covered her face, expecting another beating. Walter caught his temper and calmly answered, "I said no, baby. Now just let it go, and stop asking me questions." Walter picked up the handle of his gun case and stated, "I have to go on a business trip for a couple of days. I may not be able to call you. Nancy, please also consider taking about a week off from your job because I don't want your employer and co-workers seeing you with your face all bruised up. They might start asking questions, and you know that I don't like being asked a lot of questions... alright, baby?"

Nancy just waved her husband away as he left the house. She went back to bed, and cried until she finally overcame her pain enough to fall asleep.

* * * * *

The following Monday morning, Greg received an urgent call at his office from Mimi. He struggled to understand what she was saying because she was crying. "You have to come home right away" explained Mimi. "Something terrible has happened and I don't want to talk about it over the phone."

Greg quickly responded, "I'll be right home." Greg told his manager that he had an emergency to tend to at home, and that he may be away for the rest of the day. He ran to the parking lot, hopped into his car, and drove home as fast as he could without receiving a speeding ticket.

When Greg arrived home and walked in the door, he could hear the television blaring in the living room. Greg went in and found Mimi crying and curled up, shaking in a corner chair. "What's wrong, Mimi?" asked Greg in total bewilderment.

Mimi then nervously explained, "Did you listen to the news on your car radio today? Dick Weisel was murdered. They have been talking about it on the news all morning."

Greg turned his attention to the television. After a commercial had ended, the local Houston news station flashed a special report:

"Metropolitan Police found the body of a man, floating face-down, in Buffalo Bayou near the One Main Plaza Bridge. The incident occurred early this morning at approximately 5:30am. The victim has been identified as 51 year old Richard Weisel, who was a resident of LaPort, Texas. Mr. Weisel was pronounced dead at the scene, after receiving a fatal gunshot wound that passed through his chest. It was determined that Weisel's cause of death resulted from his bullet wound. However, police have described this murder as a ritual killing since Weisel's throat was slashed, and his entire tongue had been removed. Anyone who may have information about this murder is asked to contact the Houston Police department at the toll free phone number appearing at the bottom of your screen. So far, the Houston Police have no leads, and the murder investigation is still on-going."

Greg turned off the television. He then walked over to lie on the couch in silence, trying to figure out what to do next. He surely did not want to tell the Houston Police that he may be one of the latest persons to talk with Dick Weisel. Obviously, the person who had last seen Dick Weisel was still at large. Greg turned to give Mimi his scrambled thoughts in this matter. "Do you remember after Dick left our house, and I said that both of us know too much? Well, it appears that Dick Weisel must have said too much. His ritual killing is very similar to the penalty that the Freemasons inflict on any lodge brother who divulges their secrets. Since Dick Weisel told us more than we should know, I feel as a precaution that we need to get out of the Houston area tonight and also be out of Texas before sunrise tomorrow. Please pack some clothes, food, diapers, and everything else that we will need for about two days, which will fit into our two cars. I only want to stop for gas. I'll withdraw cash from our checking account. I think we have enough money on our credit cards to get us to my parents' house in New Jersey."

Mimi sat silently, and was still in shock. Greg reached down, strongly grasping her thigh to get her attention, and sternly stated, "Snap out of it, Mimi! You have to focus on what we need to do. I want to leave, and be on the road as soon as it gets dark!"

* * * * *

Chapter 43

The spotlight on the garage illuminated Greg and Mimi's hurried efforts to load two cars with their essentials for the pending journey to New Jersey. Grace was strapped into her car seat in Mimi's station wagon. Their dog, Mickey, was having fun climbing over all the clothes and boxes that were placed in Greg's compact sedan.

Mimi came out with the last items that needed to be loaded. She stated, "Here, Greg, find a spot to put these diapers where I can find them when I need to change Grace. I'll go back into the house to turn off the lights, and turn the thermostat up to save power with the central air."

Greg grabbed Mimi's arm, pulled her close to give her a kiss, and said, "Just lock the front door. Don't worry about anything else because we won't be returning."

Mimi was shocked at first to hear Greg's statement, but she could see the distress in his eyes. They had more reasons to leave than they did to return. Mimi came back from the house carrying a box that contained her jewelry, important documents, and their family picture albums, which she crammed into the back of her car. She and Greg both had tears in their eyes as they took one last look at their home of shattered dreams. They embraced in their shared moment of desperation. Then Greg said, "Let's go, Mimi, and don't look back."

Greg was the lead car as they made their way to the Texas, I-59 freeway. By 9:00pm, they stopped to top-up their gas tanks. They would only have to make one more fuel stop before they crossed the Texas state line into Arkansas. Even though Greg and Mimi were both deprived of sleep, their adrenaline was pumping more than enough to keep them awake. At around 5:00am they were relieved to see a highway sign which denoted: NOW LEAVING TEXAS, PLEASE COME BACK TO VISIT THE YELLOW ROSE STATE. Greg smiled as he muttered to himself, "That isn't going to happen."

Their journey was going smoothly. They were driving across Tennessee on I-40 as the sun was setting. After another gas stop, they located an inexpensive motel to rest for the night. They parked their cars, and Mimi took Grace with her to register at the office. She then located the room and unlocked the door, while Greg smuggled Mickey into the room by wrapping him in a blanket.

Mimi stated, "After I change Grace's diaper, I'll take her with me. I'll locate a drive-up fast food place to get something for us to eat. You can take a shower and watch the dog."

Greg was starving by the time Mimi returned with the welcome sight of a bucket of fried chicken, coleslaw, and a large jug of soda. Grace had a cup of chocolate milk, and a jar of baby food. After they were done eating, Greg brought in Grace's car seat for her to sleep in. Mickey had already claimed the closet for his dog house and retired for the evening.

After Grace had fallen asleep, Mimi and Greg stretched out their stiff bodies on the bed without even turning down the covers. They both lay staring at the ceiling fan as it blew a cool steady breeze. Each of them silently reflected on the events of the past week.

As they were drifting off to sleep, Greg broke the silence with a whispered question. "Dick Weisel really believed that you, I, and Grace, are lineal descendants of an ancient royal bloodline. Tell me, Mimi, what did you think about the claims Dick made that evening?"

Mimi rolled over to face Greg with an angry expression. "Well, dear, I have been trying not to think about Dick Weisel or anything he said."

Mimi did not wish to discuss the subject matter any longer. However, Greg pressed on further with his thoughts. "Grace was conceived from our blood. Therefore, this supports Dick's claims about her, because she is our child. If you and I descended from this bloodline, this means that our parents also must be descendants of this bloodline." Greg then quickly rolled onto his stomach to muffle the noise of his laughing into the bed pillow. After catching his breath, he said, "I find it incredibly hard to believe that my parents are descendants of any kind of royalty. Consider the facts: my dad is Delaware Indian descent and is dumb as a door knob, and my mom is a borderline psycho case." Greg respectfully concluded, "I really don't know about your parents, though."

Mimi forced a smile but an eerie sense of trepidation started to weigh heavily on her mind. She evaluated Dick Weisel's claims against the aspects of her family origins, which she had never told Greg about. Furthermore, Mimi felt that if Dick Weisel was murdered for divulging his organization's secrets, which he had also shared with her and Greg, then perhaps Dick was telling the truth. Mimi turned onto her side facing away from Greg. She quietly requested, "Greg, please turn off the light. Let's get some sleep because we will need to be rested for our drive tomorrow."

In frustration, Greg rose from his bedside. He sighed as he looked down on Mimi lying on the bed, offering nothing more than her cold shoulder of silence. He shook his head with restrained anger while walking over to turn off the main room light, and returned to bed. Greg lay awake and agonized for over an hour attempting to rationalize the past four years of his livelihood that was forfeited. It was hoped that the demons in his life were left behind in Texas as well. Greg had to reestablish himself from scratch, but his family was safe. Focusing on the present is all that mattered to him now.

Mimi attempted to ignore the horrific factors which led to their hastened exodus from Texas, and their current overnight stay in a Tennessee fleabag motel. She lay motionless on the bed while staring over at the baby. Grace was sleeping, and barely visible in the dim light being emitted from the partially closed bathroom door. Mimi was now looking beyond their current plight and began focusing on her greatest concerns. What would the future hold for Grace and what kind of world will she have to endure? Mimi certainly did not want Grace to become involved in a clandestine war between ancient secret societies. Greg also shared Mimi's unspoken fear that their daughter may spend the rest of her life running away from her inheritance of an alleged royal bloodline. Their family was innocently born into a fugitive existence and, deep down, Mimi sensed that time was running out. Soon there would be no place for anyone to hide.

* * * * *

Chapter 44

Circa May 1979

Greg and Mimi's travels had brought them within 10 miles of his parents' house in Milford, New Jersey. Since it was late in the afternoon they decided to stop and eat before making their unannounced visit. They purchased a light takeout meal to eat at a local park. This stop gave them time to relax and provided their dog a few minutes to run around.

Mimi gave Grace a cup of apple juice and pushed her stroller next to a picnic table to eat their meal. After they were seated, Mimi looked over at Greg. She cautiously asked, "What are you going to tell your parents when they ask us why we left Houston?"

Actually, Greg had not even considered that his parents would be asking this question. He replied, "Well, I'm obviously not going to tell them about Dick Weisel's murder or anything thing else regarding that matter. I will simply tell them that I couldn't find employment, and we had to come back to the northeast to start over again. I really have no reason to lie to them. It's not like I could hide this fact from them when we don't return to our house in Texas."

Mimi then inquired further, "What do you think your parents are going to say after you tell them this?"

Greg threw the rest of his hamburger into the paper bag because he had lost his appetite while pondering a response to Mimi's question. He got up from the picnic table and stood quietly while carefully trying to determine how his parents would react. Greg slowly stated, "I'm sure that they will not miss their opportunity to call me a failure. At this point, I really don't give a damn about what they will think. We had to leave Houston. Furthermore, since we cannot afford the cost of another motel to sleep in tonight, then we will have to stay with my parents for a couple of days."

Greg's answer had now ruined Mimi's appetite. She dreaded the thought of even an hour's visit with her in-laws. An extended stay with them for two or more days would be unbearable.

Mimi then expressed her deeper concerns. "Do you think that the people who killed Dick Weisel will now also be looking for us?"

Greg sat down and was rubbing his tired eyes while attempting to think of a comforting answer to Mimi's question. He turned around on the bench seat to take Mimi's hand, and said, "I really don't know, Mimi. I know we made the right decision by removing ourselves from Dr. Patterson's genetic experiments. Now this doctor probably has more to fear than we do. When we left Houston our options of where we could go were limited. If things don't work out with my parents then possibly I could ask my brother, Scott, to take us in until I can find another job."

Mimi did not like this idea either, and she stated why Greg's brother would not be a good alternative. "Scott has his own family with two kids. We never kept in touch with him, and we have only rarely seen him during the Christmas holidays." Mimi then provided a suggestion, "Perhaps my parents' house in Connecticut would be a better location for us to go."

Greg shrugged his shoulders and responded, "We will need to stay with my parents, for now. Besides, we are arriving at their house the same way they did with us two years ago. We will just show up at their house, rest, and be back on the road in a couple of days."

They gathered up their belongings and left the park to complete their journey. Their long trip ended as they pulled into the driveway of Greg's parents. His father was planting his rose bushes in the garden. George's face turned on a smile when he saw Greg getting baby Grace out of Mimi's car. Amy then came out the front door to greet them. She grinned and stated, "It must be expensive to take a vacation using two cars."

Greg handed Grace to Amy, and explained, "We aren't on vacation, Mom. We had to leave Houston to find another place for me to work. The oil industry is dead, and as a result the job market also flat lined. However, there are jobs in the northeast."

Amy walked for the front door taking Grace with her. "Well, let's go into the house, and we can talk more there."

Mimi went back to the car to get Grace's diaper bag and Greg let Mickey out of the car. When the dog jumped out of the car, he saw George standing in the driveway. Mickey chose to hide behind Mimi's feet rather than bark because he was in an unfamiliar territory. Greg grabbed the luggage while Mimi picked up Mickey to be carried into the house. George felt that he did not need to help Amy deflect these unwelcome family members, so he returned to do his gardening work.

Amy grabbed a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator and asked, "Have you and Mimi eaten, yet?"

Greg responded, "We ate a little while ago, we're just tired. Will it be alright if we stay here a couple of days to rest up?"

Amy's face then turned from a friendly grandmother to an unaccommodating host. "You can stay for the evening, but you will need to leave in the morning. Your father has to work on the 11pm to 7am shift at the paper mill. He goes to bed at 8 o'clock in the morning, and he can't sleep with a screaming baby in the house."

Greg challenged his mother's decision to turn them away in their time of great need, "Come on, Mom! Dad had to work that shift when Scott and I were young, screaming kids. He seemed to be able to handle it fine back then."

Amy sternly responded, "We had to deal with it back then, Greg, but we don't now. I'm sorry but the three of you will have to leave in the morning after your father gets home from work."

Mimi then entered the conversation to stop Greg before he made an ass out of himself pleading with his mother. "That's fine, Amy, so we will be gone in the morning. May I please use your phone to call my parents' house to let them know we will be arriving there tomorrow afternoon?"

Amy smiled, "Why of course, Mimi. You can use the phone in our bedroom at the end of the hall so you'll have some privacy."

When Mimi left the kitchen to make her phone call, Amy then turned her attention back to Greg. With a smirk on her face, she stated, "Well, our prodigal son returns home with his fricken' tail between his legs. Has it occurred to you that possibly you were both living beyond your means in Houston? You already had a nice house in Sugarland. Then you bought a new mansion that has four bedrooms. What in the hell was going through your mind when you stepped out on that tree limb?"

Greg was already exhausted and fought with his desire to become belligerent with his mother. He offered his restrained explanation, "Our second house in Houston was an investment that obviously failed. However, if I wasn't working, we wouldn't have been able to afford our first house, either." Greg then took Grace from Amy's lap and held the baby as he commented further. "In fact, Mom, I didn't think we were ready to have a child either. Did Mimi and I make the right decision by not seeking an abortion?"

At that point, Amy backed off and stopped with her condescending attempts to epitomize Greg's failures in life. She simply reiterated, "Like I said, Greg, you will need to leave in the morning."

Mimi returned to the kitchen, and stated, "My parents said they will be glad to have us stay with them until we can get back on our feet, Greg. My dad has several business contacts in the Houston area. He was surprised that we had maintained our stay in the depressed job environment of Houston for as long as we did." Mimi's temper was elevated. She had been close enough to the kitchen to hear the conversation that transpired between Greg and his mother while she was on the phone with her parents. Mimi looked directly at Amy and said, "Thank you for letting us stay for the evening, Amy. We will certainly be gone in the morning."

* * * * *

That evening Greg stayed in one of the spare bedrooms with the dog, while Mimi picked another bedroom to sleep with Grace. At 4:00am the next morning, Mimi was dressed and holding Grace when she nudged Greg awake. She softly whispered, "I already packed the cars. Let's leave now because we obviously aren't welcome here."

Greg sluggishly put his pants and shirt on. He picked up Mickey and put him into the back yard so the dog could relieve his bladder. Amy heard all the movements in the house and got up from her bed to see what Greg was doing. She asked, "Do you usually get up at 4 o'clock in the morning?"

Greg smiled, "Well, Mom, today we did!"

Amy angrily went to the stove and put on a kettle of water to make instant coffee. Mimi politely stopped her. "Please go back to bed, Amy, and get some sleep. Greg and I will see our way out. We will stop for breakfast and coffee on our way to Connecticut."

Amy had a puzzled look on her face, and responded, "OK, if that's what you want to do. I'm really sorry that we could not let you stay here."

Greg then looked back at his mother to make a cynical remark, "Sure, Mom. I understand. I should have known better than to impose on you and Dad. I should have also realized that you could never understand our circumstances. The irony of our situation is that it parallels what Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop Bennett went through during the Depression when you were a baby. Perhaps it was a good thing that your grandparents didn't turn your family away during their time of great need... but again, you were just a baby at that time. Isn't it amazing, Mom, how history has a way of repeating itself?"

Amy was silently reserved with the reflections of her parents' past which Greg had correlated as a comparison. She stood somber as Greg and Mimi got in their cars and drove away. Amy then smiled because she would be receiving great pleasure in calling Emily Baxter and passing on the unfortunate news of Greg's failure.

* * * * *

Six hours later, Greg and Mimi arrived at her parents' house in Guilford, Connecticut. The entire family came out to offer their warm greetings. The one thing that Greg continually received from a visit with the McMillan family was the feeling of being welcome. Mimi's parents had always demonstrated their unconditional love for their children. In fact, Greg never knew what a normal family environment was until he met Mimi's parents, brothers, and sister. The only thing that provided a ray of hope in this entire disastrous matter of leaving Houston was the welcoming smiles of the McMillan family as they showered baby Grace with attention.

Mimi turned to give Greg a hug. She quietly stated, "It's unfortunate that we were too tired to drive up here last night instead of staying at your parents' house. In hindsight, it would have been easier to sleep in our cars than have to deal with Amy's typical bullshit!"

Greg just smiled as they followed the family into the house. He picked up the newspaper from a counter top to read the classified ads. As he was scanning the newspaper, Bob McMillan walked over to talk with Greg. He could see the distress on Greg's face, and Bob kindly stated, "I really think that you and Mimi need to rest and relax for a few days. We can do some sailing on Long Island Sound in my boat. I have several contacts in New York City, and there is a commuter train that leaves out of New Haven that will take you into Grand Central Station in Manhattan." Bob then put his arm over Greg's shoulders to offer his words of encouragement, "Don't worry, Greg, everything will be alright. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

Greg felt relieved and could feel tears building up in his eyes. Bob's simple words of reassurance were what Greg desperately needed to hear after losing everything he and Mimi had worked so hard for and invested in. Greg then extended his hand to shake Bob's and responded, "Thank you for your support, Dad."

* * * * *

Chapter 45

Walter Munson had finally returned home from his business trip. He was displeased when he found the note that his wife, Nancy, had placed on the kitchen table. The note simply stated that she was flying to New York to visit her sister for an extended stay. She didn't know when, or if, she would be returning.

Walter understood Nancy's reasons for leaving and that she would not be coming back home. His violent temper had also ended his last three marriages in the same way. Walter's special responsibilities within the Freemasons required him to live with a single status lifestyle. He could not balance his duties with the personal needs of a family, nor afford to be compromised by having loved ones being placed in harm's way. Walter had the charm and affluence to allure any woman he desired. However, his covert lifestyle required his female companion to be trustworthy and tolerant of his mood swings. Most importantly, she had to avoid interfering or asking questions regarding his professional occupation.

Walter was expecting a phone call from his Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master after the obligatory period of avoiding contact had ended. This routine was all too familiar for Walter. He was one of the Freemasons' best assassins who specialized in finding and removing complex problems like Dick Weisel. Still, Walter felt that Dick was only a small fish within this breach of their organization. The tape recording exposed other issues that needed to be addressed. Walter determined that the Bradford family was unknowingly being used by the Knights Templar in their clandestine genetic research experiments. It was not uncommon for duped public citizens to be used as disposable pawns or lab test animals. However, it was strictly forbidden for a lodge brother to tell test subjects that they were being used, let alone explain to these people why they were being used. The fact that the Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master was Greg's sentinel guardian, created a dilemma for Walter that needed to be approached with caution. Walter regretted that he did not torture Dick Weisel for more information before he killed him. Fortunately, there were other people associated with Weisel who were still available for questioning.

The following weekend, Walter was watching television when his office phone rang. The caller was the Grand Master. "Hello, Walter, I am calling to let you know that I have made a generous deposit into your Philadelphia bank account as a token of our appreciation for your excellent maintenance work. I also heard the sad news regarding our Lodge Brother, Richard Weisel, who was found floating in one of the Houston inner waterways. It appears that the police have determined this to be a ritual killing. Tell me, Walter, have the police investigations made any progress in determining who Weisel's assailant was?"

Walter responded, "No, sir. My sources tell me that the Houston Police will most likely soon drop their investigation and file this incident as an unsolved murder case."

The Grand Master laughed with his reply. "Well, I will presume that this is how most of these ritual killings end."

The Grand Master then changed the subject, "I have been informed that our young apprentice, Greg Bradford, and his family left the Houston area. Most likely, they will not be returning to the area. So, you will need to retrieve his house warming gifts before his creditors seize them along with his house."

Walter then asked, "How do you know that Greg won't be returning to Houston, sir?"

The Grand Master then gave his analysis of Greg's financial situation. "To start with, Greg was not earning enough money to support his family's living expenses. He supplemented his income by using credit cards, and he was within two months of losing his house through foreclosure. On top of his financial strife, it appears Greg is running away from a matter that he became entangled in." The Grand Master then expressed his biggest concerns. "I trust that your overview of Greg's past conversation with a recent retiree from our organization has not created any problems for us. Would Greg or Mimi possibly talk to anyone else about this matter?"

Walter firmly stated, "No, sir. I feel quite confident that neither Greg nor Mimi will say anything. There would be nothing either of them could say. If Greg left the Houston area, do you know where he went?"

The Grand Master replied, "We have been tracking Greg's credit card charges. It appears that they first had an overnight stop in Tennessee before visiting family in New Jersey. They are now currently located in Connecticut. Therefore, Walter, your assigned task as Greg's mentor has ended, and your efforts with our young apprentice were greatly appreciated."

Walter then made a request to the Grand Master. "I would like to know a little more about Dick Weisel and his affiliations within the Knights Templar."

The Grand Master gave a long pause before responding. "Walter, there are future plans being conducted by the Knights Templar that you are not privileged to know. However, I will simply state that Dick Weisel was a highly trusted brother who became overly zealous and exceeded his limitations. He has fulfilled his duties by setting an example to all of our lodge brothers who may decide to follow his duplicitous path. I trust that my restricted response to your inquiry shall suffice?"

Walter retreated from his need to know, "Yes, sir. I understand."

The Grand Master then proceeded to end their conversation. "In closing, Walter, I am sorry to hear that your wife, Nancy, has left you. I trust that both of you will be able to find an equitable resolution, and that you will end this marriage in an amicable manner. Please see to it that no further harm comes to Nancy. She knows too much about your profession, and she would become an arduous task for you to silence, just as it was with your last three wives. I have overlooked your defiant need for a married lifestyle. However, the past has shown that neither your profession nor your unstable temperament has supported your marital relationships. Perhaps the time has come for you to reflect on your four failures in marriage. Please, just maintain a happy single status, before I have to enforce this mandate. Have a nice life, Walter."

After Walter hung up the phone his anger was growing. He did not like anyone interfering or directing his life. He especially did not like the Grand Master's cryptic threat of blackmail. Walter reached down with a key to unlock his desk drawer. He retrieved the Manila envelope that contained his hand-written transcripts of the conversation between Greg and Dick Weisel. Walter tore open the envelope, and after reading the transcripts of the conversation several times, a smile appeared on his face. He quietly muttered his path forward, "Perhaps the Grand Master's inner circle of the Knights Templar needs to be investigated. I'm sure that I can persuade one of them to answer all of my questions."

* * * * *

Chapter 46

Walter Munson was now a self-declared free agent. He seized his opportunity to become promoted into the higher ranks of the Freemasons by uncovering a massive breach that was evidently being committed by an inner circle of Knights Templar. Procedurally, Walter was expected to discuss his suspicions with the Philadelphia Lodge Grand Master to receive his approval before taking any action. However, his previous attempted inquiry with the Grand Master had failed to provide any rational explanation about the Knights Templar activities. Walter now sought to investigate this matter on his own.

* * * * *

Dr. Bolton was hurried in leaving his downtown Houston Memorial Hospital office at 7:15pm. He was already late in meeting his wife for dinner at the Hyatt Regency Restaurant, in the center of the city. After jumping into his car, Dr. Bolton was suddenly grabbed by someone in the back seat of his car. The perpetrator covered the doctor's mouth with a chloroform soaked cloth and injected his neck with a hypodermic syringe containing a sedative. Walter Munson exited from the back door of Dr. Bolton's car. He went to unlock the back door of his Cadillac, which had been strategically parked beside the doctor's car to block the view from the hospital entrance. Walter pulled Dr. Bolton from the driver's seat, and quickly lifted his limp body to be placed in the back seat of his Cadillac. After covering Dr. Bolton's body with a blanket he had on the floor, Walter closed the door. He drove to a secluded empty industrial warehouse on the east side of Houston.

Dr. Bolton awoke lying on a table. His eyes slowly adjusted on a utility light, suspended from an extension cord hanging above his head. The doctor tried to move as he desperately called for help, but his arms and legs were strapped down to the table.

A voice answered from the empty darkness that surrounded the illuminated table. "There is no use in calling for help, Dr. Bolton. I assure you that we are both quite alone." Walter Munson switched on his portable tape recorder. He placed it on a nearby chair before stepping into the light to expose his large body. Then he ratcheted up the fears of the helplessly restrained doctor.

Dr. Bolton then asked, "Who are you? Why did you bring me here? You can have my wallet and money, because I have nothing else that you could possibly want."

Walter was amused by the doctor's attempt to buy his way out of this abduction. He asked, "Doctor, if all I was after is your money, then why would I bring you here and strap you to a table?" Walter calmly offered an explanation to Dr. Bolton. "What I want from you is information. You can make this easier on both of us by cooperating and answering my questions to the best of your ability."

The doctor then pleaded for his life. "I really don't know what information you think I would have."

Walter let out a sinister laugh that echoed off the walls. He then became more specific, "Alright, Dr. Bolton. Let's start with your genetic research experiments with Dr. Patterson and your associations with Mr. Dick Weisel."

Dr. Bolton's face took on the appearance of fright at the mention of Dr. Patterson's name. He began to realize that their clandestine genetics experiments had somehow become discovered. The doctor tried to trivialize their research with his response. "Dr. Patterson is doing research to correct genetic birth defects. The only thing I know about Mr. Weisel is that he was murdered about two months ago."

Walter now realized that he would need to give Dr. Bolton an incentive to be more forthcoming with what he knew. He grabbed the doctor's arm and punctured a small hole in an artery. This caused a pulsing jet of blood to splash down on the table top. The doctor screamed, and again pleaded for his life. "That is all I know. I swear to you! Please don't kill me... I have a weak heart."

Walter pulled the handwritten transcripts from his jacket pocket and stated, "I have transcripts from a conversation that took place between Greg Bradford and Dick Weisel. It is my understanding that you were the pediatrician for Greg's daughter, Grace."

Dr. Bolton nodded his head, "Yes, that is true, but I don't see how any of this affects me."

Walter continued, "I will read you some of this transcript while you are still conscious enough to comprehend it."

Walter then read part of the conversation that denoted the Bradford's removing their daughter Grace from Dr. Bolton's care. The transcript went on to reveal that their daughter was subjected to genetic research experiments. These experiments were being conducted by the Knights Templar through Dr. Patterson's medical staff.

After hearing Walter read this portion of the transcript, Dr. Bolton closed his eyes. With tears streaming down his face, the doctor then recanted his previous statement. Dr. Bolton responded, "Yes. That is true."

Walter got a smile on his face. He walked around the table to puncture an artery on Dr. Bolton's other arm. The doctor once again screamed as a second jet of blood started splashing onto the top of the table. Walter continued reading excerpts from the transcript. He got to the part of the conversation that revealed an undisclosed Knights Templar plan. Their concealed blueprint for world peace would use genetically enhanced humans that were being created by Dr. Patterson and other doctors, who were conspiring together through an international network.

Dr. Bolton struggled and shook his head with his negative response. "I know nothing about a Knights Templar plan or this army of genetically enhanced humans."

Walter moved closer to Dr. Bolton. "I never said anything about an army... but you just did!" hissed Walter. He then walked to the end of the table to remove the shoe and sock from Dr. Bolton's left foot. He used a pair of metal sheers to snip off the doctor's small toe.

The doctor again screamed in agony, and confessed, "Yes! Alright, there is a new plan that will assure a victory without the need to murder over 90% of the world's population. The Knights Templar Grand Council had embraced an insane plan to release a biological pandemic that could potentially kill everyone on the planet. A small dissenting team of our organization's microbiologists and genetic scientists covertly worked together to avert this plan. We felt the only way we could prevent the genocidal killing of billions of people and still reach our goals for world peace, would be fulfilled by creating an invincible army. We call these soldiers the enlightened descendants."

Walter could see that the doctor was losing too much blood, and that he would soon become unconscious. Walter quickly utilized an electric soldering gun to cauterize the puncture wounds closed on the Dr. Bolton's arms, while the doctor's screams loudly echoed throughout the warehouse. Walter then got to his final question. "How many of these enlightened descendants are there, and where are they located?"

Dr. Bolton was becoming woozy. Walter stuck pins deep into the doctor's finger tips to help him to remain conscious. The doctor struggled with his response, "There is a secret training center in Texas, and also in other countries, but I don't know where any of the others are located."

Walter then proceeded to poke Dr. Bolton several times with the hot soldering gun to keep the doctor awake. Walter inquired, "Who has a list of these people whom you call the enlightened descendants?" Dr. Bolton was drifting into unconsciousness. Walter quickly pierced the doctor's nose between the nostrils with a narrow steel pin. He needed to inflict enough pain to get a response from the doctor before he passed out. Again, Walter shouted his question, "Who has a list of the enlightened descendants' names?"

Dr. Bolton was barely able to respond. Walter had to bend over to hear the doctor whisper his last words, "One of our patients holds the key to the chosen ones who shall inherit the Earth."

The doctor was now silent. Walter placed his hand on Dr. Bolton's wrist to feel for a pulse, but he was dead. Walter then proceeded to prepare for the disposal of Dr. Bolton's body; he was undressed, and Walter amputated the doctor's arms, legs, and head from his torso. After placing the body parts in plastic bags, Walter drove to a large corporate hog farm. He then dumped the body parts into a remote pen of hungry hogs, knowing that these animals would completely devour the evidence before sunrise.

Walter had forced Dr. Bolton under fatal torture to provide some answers. However, Walter was still no closer to the facts of who these enlightened descendants were or where they were located. Furthermore, he understood more information could be obtained by also interrogating Dr. Patterson. Even so, this pending inquisition would have to wait for a future date. Walter presumed that the disappearances of two prominent Templar Knights within a close proximity of time would draw too much attention. It also would lead to a massive investigation by the Freemasons. Walter presently needed to induct some trusted Lodge Brothers to help find the secret Knights Templar training center that was located somewhere in the vast state of Texas. He also needed to infiltrate Dr. Patterson's practice. Somewhere in that medical office was a file of the patient who held the key to the identities of the enlightened descendants. Walter liked challenges, but he realized that this undertaking would be like searching for two needles buried in a large haystack that extended over the entire state of Texas. Walter chuckled to himself because his mission was an easier task than the police would have, searching for the remains of Dr. Bolton within piles of hog excrement.

* * * * *

Chapter 47

Circa late 1979-1982

Greg had succeeded in locating a short-term contract job assignment in New York City. This metropolitan area had become the new relocation point for many of the unemployed engineers from the Houston area after the oil market crashed in 1979. Greg and Mimi were also able to secure a furnished apartment in New Jersey. This suburb residence was only a short mass transit commute to his New York City office, and they moved into their apartment shortly after Thanksgiving. Three months later, Greg located a permanent position with a engineering alliance contractor in Newark, New Jersey. His salary had also increased to the point of recovering from his monetary losses in Texas.

One problem that Greg had intentionally ignored was his Houston creditors. They had been calling his relatives and in-laws regarding his abandoned house and their two financed cars. Greg had stopped making payments on their cars in order to accumulate enough money to start over again. Both Bob and Theresa McMillan were angered to receive a constant barrage of creditors' phone calls searching for their daughter's whereabouts. Mimi's parents pleaded with Greg to settle these debts, even if it meant having to file bankruptcy.

Mimi's parents were not aware of the reasons why Greg did not want to be located. Greg and Mimi felt that having creditors looking for them was the least of their problems. They both had a foreboding concern that somewhere between Houston and Connecticut there was a Freemason assassin lurking in the shadows, looking for them as well.

* * * * *

Over five months had passed, since Greg and Mimi left Houston. The bank had completed the foreclosure on their house, and the creditors had confiscated all the household furnishings as collateral. Greg and Mimi knew that their silent fears of possibly being stalked by an assassin could not delay the need to reconcile their unpaid debts. They also had to appease their family's patience, which was wearing thin. Their relatives would not tolerate receiving the countless daily harassing phone calls from their Houston creditors for much longer. They promised their parents they would file for bankruptcy, as soon as they met the six month residency requirements.

Greg knew that he and Mimi could be found. The trails that they left in the wake of their exodus from Houston could easily be tracked. They had used credit cards to pay for their excursion from Houston to Connecticut. They were driving two cars with expired Texas license tags. They had to open an account with the local utility company for their apartment's electricity. Furthermore, it was only a matter of time before Greg's W-2 tax form would expose his place of employment. However, the inevitability of their fate was never more apparent than when Greg's Ford Pinto had disappeared from the commuter station parking lot where he parked to take the local train into Newark for work each day. It was at this point that they decided to look quickly to buy a cheap used car. They needed to return Mimi's station wagon to a local GMAC affiliated loan agency before this car became repossessed as well. Soon afterward, they filed for bankruptcy, which stopped the creditors from calling their families. It also ended Greg and Mimi's need to keep looking over their shoulders for the repo man. They assumed their fears of having an assassin on their trail was a moot issue, because they would have been killed long before now, if they were being hunted.

After living in their apartment for about three months they started to look for a house to rent. They located a nicely furnished, three-bedroom house in a rural subdivision of Middletown, New Jersey. It was located only 5 miles from Sandy Hook Beach. Amy and George Bradford would invite themselves down to visit during the summer months, allegedly to see their granddaughter. The convenience of Greg's Middletown residence, being in close proximity to the beach, was an obvious incentive for his parents to develop a sudden interest in his family.

During the passage of two years, Greg and Mimi's lives became typical and easy paced. This was very comforting after four grueling years of living in Houston and the difficulties they had to endure after their departure. Greg's job was doing well. His salary increased enough to pay cash for a better used car and to purchase new furniture for their house. Greg's income also afforded the ability for Mimi to be a stay-at-home mom with Grace. Their aging dachshund, Mickey, would peacefully sleep under the couch most of the day. Each workday, Mimi took Greg to the Middletown train station to commute to work. They also found a nice nursery school for Grace to attend three days a week. Protecting Grace was always their biggest priority. The quaint coastal community setting of Middletown resembled one of Norman Rockwell's paintings of a normalized lifestyle. This secured way of life was a preferred alternative to the questionable future of being genetic soldiers within the Knights Templar infantry. Grace deserved to have a traditional childhood, rather than being subjected to live within a clandestine Harley, Texas underground compound that was preparing for a future war in Hell.

* * * * *

Greg's business office had doubled in size, and he was promoted to a position of higher responsibility. His job duties required frequent travel to the client's engineering office in Wilmington, Delaware. Many times Greg's engineering manager had asked him to relocate to Delaware to cut down on travel expenses. Greg and Mimi already lived in Delaware once before, and they weren't interested in moving there again. They preferred to live near the New Jersey beaches.

The winter of 1982 had arrived and Greg was boarding an Amtrak train in Wilmington, Delaware, to return home from the client's office. Business trips during the winter months were more acceptable to him. They didn't interfere with his usual summer picnic excursions to the beach when he returned home from work. Greg loved going to the beach. His earliest childhood memories of visiting his grandparents' beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey would often drift through his mind.

As Greg looked out the window from his seat on the train, he was sifting through his fond recollections of his grandfather, Edmond Bennett. Edmond had been living alone in his Lansdale, Pennsylvania apartment since his wife, Martha, had died in 1964. Greg felt guilty because he had not visited his grandfather's apartment for years. Greg was determined to write Edmond a nice letter of peace offerings. He personally wanted to thank his grandfather for the kindness and support that he and Grandmother Martha had provided him during his childhood. By the time Greg's train had arrived at the Edison, New Jersey Metro Park station, he had completed the hand-written letter. Mimi mailed it to Edmond the next morning.

Within a week, Greg received a short letter from his grandfather. Edmond stated that he had not been informed by anyone that Greg and his family had relocated back from Houston to New Jersey. He was glad to hear that they had returned. Edmond had also indicated that he would love to visit Greg in Middletown, but he was unable to drive his car. He inquired if Greg would be able to stop by to visit him in Lansdale, to chat sometime.

That evening, Greg happily called his grandfather to set a time to visit with him the following Saturday. After he hung up the phone, Greg became curious why his mother, Amy, nor Emily Baxter had informed Edmond that his family had relocated from Houston. Indeed, they had been living in New Jersey for over two years. Amy obviously didn't waste any time in telling Emily about Greg's failure and his family's departure from Houston. Emily had written to Greg shortly after his family moved from Connecticut to their small apartment in New Jersey.

Greg's thoughts drifted to the lecturing greeting card he had received from Emily. Her card simply stated:

Dear Greg,

Sorry to hear about your failure in Houston, and I hope you have learned a lesson in this matter. Please remember that you aren't 17 years old anymore, Greg. It's time for you to grow up!

Love always,

\- Aunt Emily

Emily had previously driven a wedge between herself and Greg, which alienated their relationship months before he married Mimi in 1974. This latest condescending message from Emily only further widened the gap that divided them. Greg presumed that much of what Emily had said in her letter was a biased reflection of what his mother had told her. Perhaps, this pending visit with Edmond would explain why his grandfather wasn't told about any of the matters regarding Greg's return from Houston.

* * * * *

The following Saturday, Greg made the two hour drive to Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and arrived at his grandfather's apartment in the early afternoon. He had not visited Edmond at this apartment complex since 1974. Greg stopped and looked at his grandfather's 1968 Volvo sedan. It was located in the same spot it was parked the last time Greg had visited. The car had two flat tires, and the years of confined seasonal condensation within the passenger compartment caused the rubber foam in the seats to expand. The seats were torn apart at the seams, and the dashboard was cracked in several places from the direct heat of the sun. Edmond's disabled car sat within view of his apartment balcony. At least it provided him with a paltry sense of not being hopelessly imprisoned. Even if his dilapidated Volvo was road-worthy, Edmond was probably too weak to climb or ascend the three flights of stairs to the parking lot.

Greg quickly climbed the stairs to arrive at his grandfather's apartment. After knocking on the door, he heard Edmond approaching. When the door slowly opened, Greg's eyes had to focus downward to address his grandfather. Edmond was bent forward at the waist, and he had to turn his head sideways to peer up and see Greg.

Edmond gave his warm greetings to Greg, "How's it going, kid?"

Greg reached down to shake hands, and to grab his grandfather's arm because he looked like he might fall on his face. Greg replied with his salutations. "I'm doing fine Pop-Pop. However, you appear to be a little stiff. Let me help you."

Edmond nudged Greg away and said, "I can manage, thanks anyway."

They both slowly made their way into the living room, and Edmond flopped backward into a rocking chair. Greg looked around the apartment, and recognized many of the items. He saw the antique chiming clock that he remembered seeing on the fireplace mantle of his grandparents' Wyoming Avenue, Philadelphia row house in the latter 1950s. Edmond only had a few pieces of furniture in his apartment, which he decided to keep from his previous house in Warminster. Insurmountable medical bills forced Edmond to sell the residence after his wife, Martha, had died. There was at least one picture of each family member displayed throughout the living room and dining table area. However, his grandfather had a group of pictures of Greg which he had received during the last 27 years. Greg's photographs were all framed, and hung on the living room wall. Edmond arranged the pictures sequentially, starting from Greg's birth through four years of age, and then his school pictures from kindergarten through 12th grade. Greg's wedding picture with Mimi was hung on the hall wall, along with pictures of Greg's daughter, Grace.

After reviewing Edmond's picture gallery, Greg stated, "I can't believe that you went to the trouble of making this timeline collection of my pictures, Pop-Pop. I'm flattered."

Edmond modestly smiled. He replied, "Actually, your Grandmother, Martha, started your picture gallery in 1955. I just continued it for her after she died in 1964. I do like to review it, though."

Greg sat down in the second twin rocking chair and made a remark about his grandfather's apartment as he spun around on the chair's rotary base. "Your apartment is pretty much the same as I remembered it about eight years ago, Pop-pop." As Greg talked, he could see the vapor of his breath. He also noticed that Edmond was wearing a light winter overcoat. Greg then inquired, "It's awfully cold in here, Pop-Pop. Aren't you using your central heat?"

Edmond replied, "It doesn't work. I'm afraid to ask the apartment management to fix it because they might raise my rent if I do. Besides, if I don't use my heat in the winter or my air conditioning in the summer, it keeps my power bills lower. The 2nd floor apartment below me, and the sun shining through the glass porch door, helps to heat this living room enough to keep me comfortable. I'm on a fixed budget, and I can't afford too many additional expenses."

Greg then asked, "How do you get groceries if your car isn't running?"

Edmond responded, "Your Aunt Emily has been helping me by doing my food shopping and cleaning my apartment. I have a portable washer and dryer in the hall pantry. So, I can also do my laundry without having to leave my apartment."

Greg got a curious look on his face and said, "You see Emily regularly. I'm surprised that she never told you that I had moved back from Houston about three years ago."

Edmond responded, "Emily only told me that you were temporarily living somewhere in the northeast. Your mother never said anything to me about your family moving back from Houston, but then, neither did you, Greg."

Edmond liked his privacy, preferred being left alone, and he disliked most visitors. However, he was disappointed that Greg had neglected to stay in contact with him. It didn't seem unusual to Greg that he was the only relative, besides Emily, who Edmond invited into his apartment. Greg was also the lone grandchild who was invited for extended stays with Edmond and Martha during his early formative years.

Edmond became more cordial, and asked, "I'm curious though, Greg. What prompted you to write that letter to me two weeks ago?"

Greg answered honestly, "I felt guilty, Pop-Pop, with the fact that I did not stay in touch with you. It seems that after Mom-Mom died, we slowly drifted apart. I remember all the nice things that you and Mom-Mom did for me throughout my childhood. After all these years, I felt it was time to send you a thank you letter."

Edmond was very understanding and stated, "Well, thank you, Greg. It was a very thoughtful letter."

Greg stared over at a pile of tabulated folders containing several sheets of paper in each enclosure. Edmond had them neatly stacked on a side table near his chair. Greg asked, "What are all those files, Pop-Pop? Are you writing a book or something?"

Edmond replied, "Yes, Greg. These individual folders contain my memoirs. Each tabulated folder represents a year or more of my recollected life."

Greg's eyes widened with anticipation of the family history that lay within his arm's reach. He anxiously inquired, "Pop-Pop, may I read them?"

Edmond Bennett looked sternly over the top of his bifocals and answered, "No. You may not read my memoirs. They are very personal, but you may ask me questions."

Greg respected his grandfather's demand for privacy. However, Greg was not prepared to ask the many questions he had regarding the Bennett and Baxter families. Greg looked at the older pictures arranged on the side table and inquired, "Would you please tell me a little about your parents?"

Edmond got up from his chair and walked over to stacks of books that were arranged in towering rows in the corner of the living room. Greg got up from his chair. He stood watching his grandfather move some of the books out of the way to find a leather-bound book titled 'Bennett Photo Album'. Edmond slowly made his way to the couch. Greg followed, taking a seat beside him. The album cover made a crackling noise as the dried leather exterior was opened for the first time in years. Some of the pictures had become detached from their glued matted surfaces. Edmond's hand shook as he carefully turned the pages.

The first page of the album had a hand drawn family tree that had gone back through two generations of his mother and father's families. There were some very old photographs of Edmond's parents' wedding in 1892. As he continued slowly turning the pages of pictures, Edmond introduced Greg to his ancestors who had long since passed. Edmond's great uncle, William Powell, was a renowned 19th century Philadelphia architect. Edmond turned the pages of pictures, which showed William overseeing the construction of the first expansion of Philadelphia City Hall. Another picture showed his Uncle William helping Edmond's father, Edmond Bennett, Senior, build his National Air Oil Company facility in 1914. Edmond turned to the next page which showed a large portrait of his father, with Masonic symbols displayed below the photograph. The embossed caption at the bottom denoted 'Most Puissant Grand Master 1924.'

Greg looked over at his grandfather who was now displaying tear-swollen eyes. Edmond was silently transfixed on the image of his father. Greg was intrigued, but sensitive enough to wait a few seconds. He then asked, "I see that my great-grandfather was a Freemason. Are you also a Freemason, Pop-Pop?"

Edmond moved his eyes away from the photograph to look at Greg. He answered, "No. I wasn't a Freemason. My father wanted me to become one, and to follow in his footsteps as his legacy. When I refused, it damaged our relationship forever. My father never forgave me for declining his need for me to become a member of the Philadelphia lodge that he belonged to."

Greg could sense that this photograph of Edmond's father had reopened heart-felt wounds from his past. Since his grandfather had given Greg the opportunity to ask questions about his Bennett ancestors, he gently proceeded to expand his inquiry. "Tell me, Pop-Pop, why did you decline a membership with the Freemasons?"

Edmond closed the photo album, placed it on the end table, and gave an exhausted sigh while recalling these events from the past. He finally answered, "My mother, Elizabeth, was the person who convinced me not to join the Freemasons. She wanted me to go to divinity school to become a preacher. I rejected both of my parents' requests, and decided to go to college to become a mechanical engineer."

Greg could tell that Edmond had avoided answering his question. He repeated his previous inquiry, "Why did your mother persuade you not to join the Freemasons?"

Edmond looked over at Greg with great difficulty. After carefully contemplating a response for several seconds, he decided to surrender the facts regarding the painful story about his parents. "My father was a very ambitious man. After he had completed his mechanical engineering degree, his father, or I should say my grandfather, brought him into the Freemasons. Furthermore, since my grandfather was an attorney, my father decided to enroll in Law School. My father had completed his law degree and then passed the bar exam the year I was born. The Bennett family has had three lineal generations within the Freemasons. I was aligned to become the fourth son to follow that legacy. However, my mother knew about some of my father's dealings and asked me not to join. I had asked my mother why I should decline a membership. She said that my father had sold his soul in exchange for power and business success, even though she never provided any evidence to support her allegations.

"My father had acquired funds from a banker named, Samuel Baxter, who later became my father-in-law. Samuel's Feltonville bank financed the construction of my father's manufacturing company in Philadelphia, which had flourished through two World Wars and the Great Depression. This company still exists to this day. My father had also risen through the degreed ranks of the Freemasons to sit at the top seat of the Pennsylvania Grand Council in 1924. I could have followed my father's path, and inherited everything he had achieved. However, I was not willing to sell my soul in order to do this.

Greg interrupted his grandfather with a question. "It was my understanding that you worked at your father's National Air Oil Company. So, effectively, you had somewhat followed in his path anyway, didn't you?"

Edmond paused for a few seconds, and responded, "In 1925, after I married Martha, my father softened his approach with me. He offered me a position with his company. I was previously working for a small engineering firm in the Philadelphia city area. My father offered me a generous salary that I could not refuse. I soon realized that the job position at National Air Oil was nothing more than a carrot that my father dangled in front of me. After I had been employed in his company for a few weeks, my father began to badger me incessantly about becoming a member of the Freemasons. When I continually refused, he finally demanded to know why.

"In anger, I told my father that he was a fraud. Even though he displayed himself to be a righteous person by teaching a Sunday school class every week, he had, in essence, sold his soul to the Devil. I also made the mistake of mentioning to him that my mother was the person who reluctantly pointed this out to me. Long before I made this harsh statement to my father, I had previously lived in a dilemma for years. I wanted to honor my father, and I did not wish to believe what my mother had told me, but unlike my father, my mother had never lied to me. My father was furious when I had explained these matters to him. My parents' marriage was thrown on the rocks due to what I had said. Since my father needed to maintain his image as a pillar of society, he never entertained the thought of a divorce. A few months later, my mother suddenly became ill and died under mysterious circumstances. I was told that she died of cancer. However, I have always questioned the timing of when this affliction had developed, and how quickly it had ended her life.

"Soon after my mother's funeral I resigned from my position at my father's company. I took a job offer I had received in North Carolina. Martha and I had lived happily in the south for about four years. Then, the Great Depression struck. I lost my job when all the factories closed down, and our house was foreclosed. Martha and I lost everything we had. We were forced to return to Philadelphia to live with Martha's family."

Edmond broke away from his past recollections to look at Greg. "You told me in your letter that you had returned from Houston, and that you and Mimi had lost everything. I had flashbacks to when this happened to me. Emily didn't have anything nice to say about your dire circumstances in Houston, but I understood. Martha and I also heard the same bullshit that you and Mimi did after we moved back home from North Carolina in 1930. Never expect anyone in your family to understand your misfortunes in Houston, Greg, unless they have walked in your shoes, and have had to start over again after losing everything."

Greg was appreciative of his grandfather's kind and understanding words. He made another inquiry to urge Edmond to continue his story. "So, when you came back from North Carolina and moved in with Martha's family, where did you work?"

Edmond looked unwilling to finish the story, but Greg's anxious need to hear it had substantiated the requirement. Edmond continued. "Martha pleaded with her father to let me work at his bank. Money was scarce, and Samuel Baxter already had to deal with the delinquent loans and foreclosures of his banking customers. Therefore, he could not afford to give me a position in his bank. The only choice I had was to eat crow and ask my father for my old job back."

Edmond was silent as Greg, again, had to urge his grandfather to continue. "What did your father say when you asked him if you could return to work at his company?"

Edmond was disheartened as he continued, "My father said that he wanted to help me. He had me come to his business office to discuss my rehire. He stated in advance that there would be stipulations. When I arrived at my father's office, he first lectured me by pointing out that my principles were skewed. He told me that I let my vain need for independence override my requirements for survival. My father said he understood my feelings about the Freemasons and that many people thought just like I did. The public fears something that they cannot comprehend, especially within the matters of a secret society. He explained that the Freemasons of today had evolved for over 3000 years as the architects of humanity. My father claimed that the unseen complexities and political turmoil which exist in the world require an organization of top leaders to direct the masses. He concluded that most people are frail and can't handle the hard realities of life. They are also too ignorant to know what is best for their own welfare.

"My father stated he was hurt after hearing that my mother had claimed he sold his soul to gain fame and fortune. My father said that only thing he gained was the responsibility of making the hard decisions for problems that everyone else complacently ignored. He said that his appointed Masonic duties can become a very demanding task. It requires making judgment calls which affect millions of people's lives. My father believed that this oversight was needed to maintain a modern civilization, versus having humanity return to an archaic dark age."

Edmond had again paused. Greg strived to keep his grandfather on track to continue the story. "Even after your father gave you this explanation regarding his appointed duties within the Freemasons, you still declined to become a member of this organization?"

Edmond smiled, "Yes. I still turned down his request because I refused to compromise my principles. I told my father that it was his decision to take on the responsibility of being one of the world's caretakers. I wasn't interested in following in his Masonic footsteps.

"My father said that he understood my convictions. He told me that I would be rehired, but that I would start at the bottom of the ladder like all the other employees had to do. I was hired to work in the company store room, at half the wages I had received when I previously worked for my father. It took me almost ten years to regain a mechanical engineering status in his company. When my father's health took a turn for the worst in 1958, he retired. He gave me a seat as a trustee on the Board of Directors to have a shared oversight of the company's business in his absence. After my father died in 1960, all his company trust assets were relinquished to the Freemasons. His house and car were given to my younger sister. All I received was my retirement pension and 100 shares of National Air Oil Company stock. These stock dividends are what enable me to afford to live where I am today."

Edmond retrieved the photo album from the side table. He asked, "Tell me, Greg, do you remember your great-grandfather at all? I think you were only about 4 years old the last time you saw him. You used to call him your pal."

Greg scratched his head, "No. I'm sorry, but I really don't recall that memory, Pop-Pop."

Edmond opened the photo album. He flipped through several pages to arrive at the pictures of little Greg, when he was 4 years old, sitting on the lap of Edmond Bennett, Senior. These pictures had also captured one of the last times that the Bradford family had visited Edmond, Senior at a Masonic rest home before he died. Greg's eyes opened wide. He did remember his great grandfather taking him for rides on his electric motorized wheelchair. It was also no surprise that Greg's older brother, Scott, was missing in all of these snapshots. Scott evidently never attended these visits to see their great grandfather. Greg was now holding the photo album and looking closely at the pictures of his grandfather. He made visual comparisons between Edmond Senior and Edmond Junior. Greg then stated, "It's amazing how much you look like your father, Pop-Pop."

Edmond watched silently as Greg carefully turned the pages, and reviewed the childhood pictures of his grandfather. Greg got up from the couch carrying the album. He walked to the wall gallery of pictures which displayed Greg's progressive development from birth through high school. Greg then stated, "The kids that I grew up with in my neighborhood used to tease me. They said I must be the milkman's kid because I was the only person in my family with blonde hair and blue eyes. It must be that recessive gene that my mother said I received from you, Pop-Pop. I look just like you did at the same ages of development."

Edmond said nothing, and he just grinned after hearing Greg's profound statement.

* * * * *

Chapter 48

Greg was beleaguered for over two days after he had returned from his visit with Edmond, and discussed his concerns at great length with Mimi. His grandfather was beyond the point of being a just a humble hermit, and he had become too feeble to walk around in his apartment. Edmond's building did not have an elevator. The three flights of stairs to get to the main entrance of his building could be disastrous. The bigger problem is that his grandfather was living without heat during the winter months. Edmond could easily freeze to death between Emily's visits to bring him groceries and clean his apartment. Emily was retired, but she lacked the energy to share her time running errands for Edmond and cleaning his apartment. She was also attending the hospice bedside of her kindred partner, Kathryn, who was dying of brain cancer.

After Greg had given details regarding Edmond's living conditions and the current matters that weighed heavily on Emily, Mimi made an unexpected proposal. "I have experience with caring for elderly patients, and I'm not working. Why don't we have your grandfather move in with us?"

Greg smiled at Mimi's compassionate understanding. It was a genuine sacrifice that she was willing to make for Edmond. Greg started thinking out loud, "We do have a spare bedroom. If my grandfather is using it, we won't have to worry about my parents staying overnight during the summer. How will our landlord, Joe Messina, feel about my grandfather moving in with us?"

Mimi downplayed Greg's concerns with her response. "Joe is one of the nicest people we know. Since he is also retired, I doubt that he would have any problem with your grandfather moving in with us." Mimi's presumption was correct. Their landlord granted his permission for Greg's grandfather to be added as a tenant in their rented house.

The only problem that remained was convincing Edmond to move away from his apartment. Greg knew that neither Amy nor her brother, David, were willing to have their father move in with them. The alternative option of living in a rest home did not appeal to Edmond. Greg knew his grandfather liked his visits, but would he be willing to give up the private life he had enjoyed for the last 15 years? On the other hand, would Edmond decline this offer, with the excuse of not wanting to impose on Greg's family?

As it had been in the past, Greg felt that he needed to talk with another family member. The only person who Greg thought could convince Edmond to leave his apartment would be Emily. As much as Greg disliked the thought of having to deal with his Aunt Emily again, there was no one else that Edmond trusted. Emily was also dealing with Kathryn lying terminally ill with brain cancer in a Hospice Care Center. Greg had to pay this dear family friend a visit before it became too late to do so.

After Greg thoroughly discussed the matter with Mimi, he called Emily to arrange a visit with Kathryn the following weekend. These weekend trips which required more than two hours of driving in each direction, were taking a toll on Greg and Mimi's car. However, this trip was the perfect opportunity to talk with Emily. Greg needed to seek her support in persuading Edmond to relocate to Middletown, New Jersey.

Later that evening, Greg phoned Emily. She was pleased that Greg wanted to pay a respectful visit with Kathryn. She gave him directions to the Hospice Care Center in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania where Kathryn was located. Emily made arrangements to meet Greg in the lobby of the hospice, and they would visit Kathryn together. Greg did not disclose his plans to deviate from Emily's proposed schedule. He wanted to arrive early so that he and Kathryn could talk privately. Greg had great respect for Kathryn because she always had nice things to say about Mimi, which was just the opposite of Emily's prejudicial remarks. This would probably be the last visit that Greg would have with Kathryn. Therefore, he desired to have at least one hour of privacy to talk to her without Emily being present.

* * * * *

The following Saturday, Greg made the two hour drive. After taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike exit to Fort Washington, he located a florist shop in a strip mall. He purchased the nicest flower arrangement he could afford. Since Greg no longer had credit cards, he would need to conserve money for buying gas on his return home. Fortunately, he was familiar with this vicinity of Pennsylvania and had no difficulty in locating the Hospice Care Center. Upon his arrival, Greg was running late. He looked at his watch and was disappointed that he would have less than an hour to talk with Kathryn before Emily would arrive. After Greg signed the guest register, the receptionist called one of the floor nurses to escort Greg to Kathryn's room. Greg was led to the entrance of a dimly lit room. The nurse informed Kathryn that she had a visitor by the name of Greg Bradford.

Kathryn's pleasantly surprised voice could be heard to say, "Oh my God, yes! Please get him in here!"

When Greg walked in, the nurse turned up the wall mounted dimmer switch to increase the lighting and then left the room. Greg approached Kathryn's bedside to give her a kiss. "Hello, Kathryn, it's been a few years since we last saw each other," said Greg as he placed the vase of flowers on Kathryn's side table. "I was supposed to wait for my Aunt Emily in the lobby but the receptionist let me come back anyway." Greg chuckled, "You have loose security here. I guess that they will let anybody in, even me."

Kathryn expressed some dark humor with her response. "Well, all the patients here are terminally ill, so why would they need security... are they afraid that someone will come in and kill all of us?"

Greg just smiled with admiration at Kathryn's courage to laugh in the face of her impending death.

Kathryn then asked, "How are Mimi and little Grace doing? I wish that I could see them both again. The last time I saw Grace, she was just a baby, and I'm sure that by now she has grown up to become a pretty, young lady."

Greg pulled a box from his jacket pocket. He said, "I brought you some recent pictures of our family."

Kathryn retrieved her glasses from the side table, and she slowly examined the pictures. She stated, "Regardless of what Emily has said to you about Mimi in the past, I always thought she would be a fine wife for you. I have no doubt that she is also an excellent mother for little Grace."

Greg smiled, "I've known how you felt, Kathryn, and both Mimi and I have appreciated your support. Emily will always be Emily; there is nothing that will ever change the way she thinks. I just accept this fact and say 'God bless her', and then let it go."

Kathryn then started getting critical with her assessment of Emily. "When I was diagnosed with brain cancer, I had relented to the fact that my time had come. I just wanted to go out of this world with dignity. After all, I am 85 years old. However, I let Emily talk me into chemo and radiology treatments. The only thing that this did is make me sick as a dog and made all my hair fall out. I finally put my foot down. I said, enough of this bullshit, and I stopped with the cancer treatments. Now, I only receive small amounts of pain medication, which shall allow me to finish out my remaining days without being sick to my stomach."

Greg remained courteous while he attempted to defend Emily's actions. "I'm sure Emily thought she was doing the right thing, and she had hoped that your cancer would go into remission."

Kathryn's faced flashed with anger and responded, "Greg, you're a very nice young man. I can appreciate your kind defense of Emily... but your statement is total bull! Emily had been a professional nurse for over 40 years. She had to professionally deal with many child patients in her pediatrics ward who were dying. Therefore, why couldn't she offer me the same courtesy? I might have actually lived longer without the cancer treatments, and I certainly would have been more comfortable."

Greg replied, "All I can say is that our emotions react differently with people we love dearly. Regardless of how many deaths that Emily has been subjected to within her professional capacity, nurses are trained not to get personally or emotionally involved with their patients. Emily has known you for most of her life. This is why she was grasping straws and has been immersed in false hopes with your recovery. Has Emily accepted your fate yet?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes in torment and stated, "I don't know what in the hell Emily thinks. She won't discuss it with me anymore. I'm in a goddamn Hospice Care Center, waiting for the angel of death, and Emily chooses to ignore this fact. I seriously don't know what to say, Greg. Emily has avoided contact with most of her remaining family and friends for years. I guess that after I'm gone, Ed Bennett will become her only local family that is left."

Greg hesitated with his response to Kathryn's assumption. He cautiously stated, "Actually, Kathryn, Mimi and I were thinking of having my grandfather move in with us at our Middletown, New Jersey residence. I feel that he will soon be unable to care for himself. Mimi doesn't have to work, and she has experience working in a rest home providing elderly health care."

Kathryn blankly stared across her bed in deep thought. She then stated, "Have you discussed this with Edmond, yet? Would he be willing to make this move?"

Greg was awkward in his response, "That is the problem, Kathryn. I really don't know what he will say, but he needs to leave that apartment. My grandfather has no heat in any of the rooms, and he has become atrophied from sitting in a chair all day. I'm afraid that he may freeze to death. He has concerns that if he asks the apartment management to fix his central heat, they may raise his rent. I know that my grandfather likes his privacy. I also know that neither my mother nor my Uncle David will take him in to live with them. My grandfather has essentially been abandoned by both of his children, and he is now trapped in his apartment."

Kathryn kindly looked at Greg and gave her assessment of the situation. "I see a lot of Emily Baxter's tendencies in you, Greg. You truly feel that your compassionate concerns for your grandfather are warranted, and that he is too old to know what is best for his own welfare. However, did you ever consider that this is the way that Edmond has chosen to live out his final days?"

Greg was silently thinking about Kathryn's statement. When he made no response, Kathryn continued, "Emily also sought to follow her own needs when she talked me into cancer treatments that had less than a 50% chance of succeeding. She had totally disregarded what I wanted to do with my life, because she felt that I was incapable of making this decision. The result will always be the same, Greg. We are born, and we live until we die—this is life, and nothing will change this eventuality. I feel that you and Emily both need to learn how to respect a loved one's chosen path in life."

Greg finally responded with his reflections to Kathryn's statement. "You are most certainly correct in your understandings, Kathryn. An individual should have free will to make their own choices in life. My grandfather is not a helpless child, like Grace, but he soon will be. I only want to reciprocate the kindness that he and Martha provided me when I was young. I also wanted to offer my grandfather a dignified alternative to the eventuality of having to live out his remaining days in a nursing home. If Edmond wanted to end his life, he could easily leap off his balcony because he would not survive a three story fall. I truly believe that he is lonely. He would prefer to live with either Amy or David, but they will never make this accommodation. Nevertheless, I will follow your advice and respect my grandfather's decision in this matter."

Kathryn smiled after hearing Greg's response, and stated, "Perhaps I need to correct my previous statement when I compared your actions with Emily Baxter. You have more wisdom in life than she will ever have. I really love Emily dearly, but she has always had a privileged and sheltered lifestyle. She has been accustomed to only resolving matters her way. I love her perpetual innocence but I also sometimes see her as being Shirley Temple trapped in an old woman's body."

Greg laughed at Kathryn's statement and responded, "This is why I have always used Emily as my opinionated backboard. I could tell from my visit with you and Emily in 1973, that my aunt was opposed to my dating Mimi. Emily has always been predictable and very useful when I needed to inconspicuously test the waters of my parents' dispositions. A prime example was the time that I had come to visit both of you at your home to announce my engagement to Mimi. I knew that Emily would call my parents to tell them."

At this point, during their conversation, Kathryn was no longer smiling. She looked at Greg with a very serious expression and stated, "There are certain aspects regarding your family that you are not aware of. I am not in a position to tell you what these matters are, Greg. However, I will state that Emily will eventually tell you. She had promised her mother, Amanda, that she would. I realized that you must have been very confused with Emily's comments after you announced your engagement to marry Mimi. Emily had said that you shouldn't marry her because she is a Catholic. Emily did have events in her past that created her prejudices, but she will need to explain these issues to you. I am telling you this because I suspect that Emily may lack the courage to tell you. So you may eventually need to ask her, but please do so after I am gone and not before."

Greg thought long and hard about Kathryn's comments. He once again had flashbacks to Texas and what had been revealed regarding his family's bloodline lineage. He wanted to tell Kathryn what he had discovered when he lived in Texas, in hopes of having her divulge what she knew. Greg was about to speak, but was interrupted when Emily Baxter walked into Kathryn's room.

Emily looked at Greg with a stern expression and stated, "I saw that you had signed the guest registry book, Greg. I thought we had agreed to meet in the waiting room lobby."

Greg was searching for an excuse for not waiting until Emily's arrival. Kathryn saw Greg's struggle to make a reply, and she quickly interjected, "Oh relax, Emily. Greg and I were looking at the pictures of his family and having a nice conversation. Please, just sit down and take the load off your feet."

Emily stopped pouting about Greg's failure to wait for her, and she displayed a smile while pulling over a chair to sit down. Any discontent that Emily harbored was quickly dispelled because she had no desire to upset Kathryn. Emily pleasantly looked at Greg, and asked, "Would you please pass over some of those pictures to me?"

As Emily was reviewing the pictures, Kathryn looked over at Greg to smile and give him a wink. She unexpectedly stated, "Greg gave me some wonderful news today, Emily. He and Mimi have proposed moving Edmond Bennett to live with them at their home in Middletown, New Jersey."

Emily put down the pictures to look at Kathryn. She then turned her head to focus her attention on Greg, and asked, "Did your grandfather agree to this arrangement, Greg?"

Greg responded, "I haven't asked him yet. It will be his decision to make. I only wish to give him an option, Aunt Emily. Mimi is a stay at home mom, so she will be able to look after him."

Emily's face became contorted with the mention of Mimi's name. She paused for several seconds to formulate her next inquiry. "And Mimi has agreed to have Edmond move in with your family?"

Greg smiled with his reply to Emily. "It was Mimi, who suggested this proposal. Our landlord has already granted his permission. I also wish to reiterate that this entire arrangement will fully depend on my grandfather agreeing to move in with us."

Emily had a blank stare on her face for several seconds. She then stated, "This is a very generous offer, Greg. I'm sure that your mother, Amy, will also be... pleased with your hospitality to take care of your grandfather."

Emily was in a concerned trance while pondering the repercussions of this proposed new living arrangement for Edmond. Greg looked over to smile at Kathryn and silently made eye contact with her. Kathryn smiled back. She knew that she had saved Greg from the difficulty of convincing Emily to accept this proposal for Edmond's relocation. She had also effectively utilized Emily to pass on information that Kathryn knew would be received by Amy as bad news.

Two weeks later Kathryn Jones succumbed to brain cancer. Her last words with Greg provided him with another important piece to an abstract puzzle. This clue had connected his partially known lineal past, to the present day. The truth was slowly unfolding. He now only had to wait for Emily to provide the missing pieces that would complete the rest of his hidden family portrait.

* * * * *

Chapter 49

After Emily was through mourning the loss of Kathryn, she eventually got around to phoning Amy Bradford. She told Amy about Greg's proposal to have Edmond move into their house in Middletown, New Jersey. Amy's response was easily predicted, "All Greg and Mimi are after is my father's money!"

Emily paused for a few seconds and then responded to Amy's outburst. "Well, Amy, I fail to understand what fortune that you think Greg would expect to derive by moving Edmond into his house. Just the expense of feeding his grandfather and the hours that Mimi will spend tending to his care needs will far exceed any monetary gains that they will receive. Furthermore, I feel that Greg's concerns are sincere and substantiated. Your father cannot take care of himself very well. I also cannot continue running his errands, doing his laundry, and cleaning his apartment every week."

Amy's silence on the phone told Emily that her niece had run out of legitimate excuses to discredit Greg's generous offer. Emily then provided Amy with multiple choices. "You obviously consider Greg and Mimi's house to be unacceptable. So, perhaps you can tell me another alternative option for your father's living needs? Possibly, you or your brother, David, can take your father in to live with one of you. After all, both you and David have unoccupied bedrooms in your homes."

Amy defensively retorted, "Why are you making me and David out to be the insensitive monsters in this situation? You know that we never got along with our father when we lived with him as children. The situation would not be any better now. Maybe my father needs to be put in a rest home if he cannot take care of himself."

Emily replied, "I sense that you are looking for the best option that will suit your desired lifestyle, Amy, and not your father's living needs. However, I know that Edmond will not leave his apartment if a rest home is his only alternative. Therefore, I think that if he will accept Greg and Mimi's proposal, then he should go there to live. I also fail to see where you would have any say in this matter."

Amy felt she was being backed into a corner by her aunt and that she may need to help Emily with her father's required care. Amy then asked, "Has Greg made this offer to my father yet?"

Emily responded, "No. He hasn't approached your father with this proposal. I asked Greg to wait until after I discussed this matter with you. Since you have not offered any alternative options, I will be contacting Greg with my blessing to proceed."

Amy was struggling to appease Emily's demands. She stated, "If the primary concern is only helping with my father's household care needs then I can go down to his apartment once a week. I will do his laundry and clean his apartment if you will be able to continue doing his grocery shopping."

Emily had to think about Amy's counter-proposal for a few seconds. She then inquired, "Tell me, Amy. Will it actually be easier for you to go to the time and expense of driving over an hour each way to your father's apartment each week? Wouldn't it be less complicated to just have him move in with you? On the other hand, is the alternative option of Edmond's move to Greg's home that distasteful? You claim that Greg is just after your father's money, but I have sufficiently pointed out that this is a ludicrous assertion. Could your concern be more about your fear of Edmond telling Greg that he is his birth father?"

Emily's question had then forced Amy to admit this deep rooted apprehension. She replied, "Yes. I have always feared that either you or my father would tell Greg about his adoption. I have sensed that both of you want to tell him. Let me ask you a question, Emily. What is Greg's need to know?"

Emily then quickly responded with her own inquiry. "Well, Amy, what is your need to conceal this fact from Greg?" Amy would not answer Emily's question. So, Emily concluded their conversation by offering Amy a justified ultimatum. "I feel that you are driven more by your selfish fears than you are about the welfare of your father. I will tell Greg to proceed to ask Edmond if he would be willing to move in with them. By the same token, you shall have the opportunity to convince your father with your reasons of why he should not do so. I have been trapped in the middle of your family's problems more times than I care to remember. It's about time that you take responsibility for your decisions in life. I'm stepping out of this picture to let you and Greg talk with Edmond. I have nothing further to discuss with you, Amy!"

Amy was not accustomed to having the phone click in her ear. On the other hand, she had done this to Emily several times during their past heated conversations. Amy also knew she would need to visit her father as soon as possible. After receiving Emily's blessing to proceed, Greg would not delay in offering his grandfather the proposal of moving in with his family.

* * * * *

The following morning Amy left her house at 9:00am to make an unannounced visit with her father. Her anger could hardly be contained. Emily had exposed Amy's fears. She needed to cover up her lies rather than expose a truth which she had painstakingly concealed from both of her illegally adopted sons for almost 30 years. Amy was faced with the difficult task of mending her relationship with her father, Edmond. Their association with each other had been in a perpetual state of turmoil for most of her life, and had been conveniently avoided until now. Amy also knew that her father wasn't blind. He would most likely see through her insincere gesture of peace offerings in an attempt to block Greg's proposal of asking Edmond to move into his house in Middletown, New Jersey.

* * * * *

When Amy arrived at her father's apartment complex, she looked up at his 3rd floor balcony. She saw Edmond silently peering down at her through the window. "It's almost as if he is expecting me," Amy nervously mumbled to herself as she walked to the building entrance door.

When she got to the top of the stairs, her father was standing hunched-over, waiting in his opened doorway to let her into his apartment. As Edmond closed the door behind them, he stated, "What a pleasant surprise, Amy. I haven't had the pleasure of your company in my apartment, since I moved in here over 16 years ago. I will presume that you came to discuss Greg. Am I correct?"

Amy was definitely caught off guard. She inquired, "Has Greg called you already?"

Edmond slowly walked over to his rocking chair to sit down. He replied with a smile, "Why, yes, Amy. I have talked to both Greg and Emily."

With a nervous voice of desperation, Amy asked, "What did you tell Greg? Are you going to accept his proposal and move in with him?"

Edmond took his time in responding as he had finished packing his pipe and was lighting the bowl of tobacco. He then puffed out a string of smoke rings while he carefully prepared his response. "I told Greg that I would consider his offer. Even though I love Greg and Mimi dearly, they are already raising a young daughter. They don't need to have the inconvenience of caring for me... but like I said, I will consider Greg's offer."

Amy then inquired, "And what did Emily have to say?"

Edmond looked harshly over his bifocals at Amy and loudly asked, "What is your need to know?"

At this point, Amy knew that she was already defeated by her father's provoking reply. Emily had obviously told Edmond everything that she discussed in her phone conversation with Amy from the previous evening.

Amy decided to place all her cards on the table and truthfully address her concerns with her father. She stated, "I know that if you were going to move out of this apartment that you would want to either live with David or me. However, this will never happen. I also know from talking to Emily that you like your privacy, and that you are not willing to move to a rest home. I agree that Greg has his own family, and that you really don't want to be an inconvenience by moving in with him. Why don't you just stay here? Let me and Emily take care of your household and living needs."

Edmond appreciated his daughter's struggle to offer honest words of communication, but questioned her presumption regarding where he would choose to live. "What makes you think that I would want to move in with you or David? I have always known better than to tread where I'm not welcome. At least I know where I would stand with Greg because his offer is sincere. I would love to live in this type of a young family setting."

Amy then felt she had to show worthy intentions by offering her father assistance with his living needs. She cheerfully stated, "Well, Dad, since I'm already here, I might as well clean your apartment and do your laundry."

Edmond ignored Amy's attempts to demonstrate an act of kindness. He appeared disgusted with this conversation that reflected his daughter's typical selfish tendencies. He stated, "Perhaps it is best that you leave now, Amy. I will call you after I have made my decision. I'm sorry that you drove all this way, just to be left hanging." He knew that Amy's only true concern was protecting the hidden secrets regarding Greg's adoption and who his birth parents are.

Amy pretended that she did not hear her father's polite request for her to leave. Edmond sat silently in his chair as Amy continued to dash around his apartment living room with a feather duster.

* * * * *

After that first visit, Amy continued making the trip to her father's apartment every Sunday to clean and do his laundry. This convinced Edmond that Amy would do almost anything to keep him from moving in with Greg. He realized that he would be better off living in his apartment rather than moving in with Greg's family. However, as the weeks went on, Edmond never made his decision. Greg also kept his promise not to push his grandfather about moving until he was ready to do so. As long as Amy kept coming each week to do the chores and Emily did his grocery shopping, Edmond was content to stay put.

After three months had passed, Amy was relieved that her father apparently decided to stay in his apartment. She was just aggravated with having to make the journey to visit her father every Sunday. The trip would become even more difficult during the winter months. Since the only other option would be allowing her father to move in with her and George, Amy decided to ignore her anguish and accept her plight. After all, her father would eventually become too decrepit, and be forced to leave his apartment. However, Emily carefully monitored Edmond's diet and also took him for regular doctor's visits. Amy realized that her father was safeguarded. Therefore, he could not be terminated by the same premeditated means that ended her mother's life.

* * * * *

One Sunday, Amy routinely arrived at her father's apartment as she had for several months. Her father was seated at the dining room table writing on a tablet. Amy pretended to ignore her father. She occasionally looked over his shoulder as she went about cleaning his apartment. Amy could see the names of "Greg" and "Emily" written on one of the pages, but the content of the sentences was not legible from where she was standing. When she had completed her cleaning chores, she walked up behind her father. Amy dropped the laundry basket on the floor and stated, "I'm doing the laundry now, Dad. Why don't you go in and take your shower? You can throw your dirty clothes into the hallway for me."

Edmond shrugged his shoulders and started to gather up the piles of papers he had arranged around the table top. After neatly inserting all the loose pages into file folders, he placed the entire stack in a file drawer. He pushed in a keyed locking button to secure the cabinet.

After Edmond threw his dirty laundry into the hallway from the bathroom, Amy could hear the water spraying from the shower head. She moved quickly to the file cabinet. Amy's curiosity had exceeded all the restraints of her self-control. She was determined to read what her father was writing about, which mysteriously included the topic matter of Greg and Emily. Amy quickly looked through the kitchen drawers to find something that she could pry open the file drawer with. She located a large screw driver. It was strong enough to bend the interior locking tab down to release the cabinet drawer. She removed the folders and noticed that each folder had a tab which denoted a range of specific years. Upon reading the first folder, Amy soon realized that these folders were her father's memoirs. They ran from his earliest childhood memories to the present day. Amy started turning over the folders until she came to a tab marked 1930. She quickly skimmed the pages which described Edmond and Martha's tribulations during the Great Depression, and the adoption of their daughter, Amy.

When Amy heard the shower get shut off, she furiously turned over each folder, until she had arrived at 1964. She applied the brakes to her speed reading. Then she came to the entry that her father had made after returning home from Martha's funeral:

August 8, 1964

It was hard enough to lay my wife to rest after almost 40 years of marriage. My hardship was infinitely compounded after Emily revealed that my wife's fatal stroke was not a fluke of circumstance. She had most likely died at the hands of my darling daughter, Amy. The evening before her death, Martha communicated to me with a hand-written message which said, "Tell Greg" (about his adoption). In anger, I tore this sheet from the tablet and shoved it into my pants pocket. Amy was providing nursing care for her mother on that evening. She had witnessed our argument, but she had no idea what Martha and I were arguing about. What I did not know, until today, was that Amy did the laundry in my basement the next morning. She must have found Martha's note in the pocket of the pants that I wore the previous evening. On that night, when Martha died, Amy was again providing the nursing care for her mother. This same hand written sheet of note paper was found by one of the hospital orderlies, on Martha's bed. The orderly was changing the sheets after Martha had been removed, in a hopeless attempt to resuscitate her in the ICU. I will never know what was going through Amy's mind on the evening that she took her mother's life. I have decided that it is better to let this matter go along with the memories of my loving wife, Martha.

Amy stood in horror over this written statement made by her father. She quickly gathered up all the folders, tucked them under her arm, and dashed for the door to leave. Suddenly, Edmond came up from behind her and grabbed Amy's arm as she opened the apartment door. With great anger, he stated, "Those papers can never leave this apartment, Amy! Why did you break into my file cabinet?"

Amy's panic level had now crossed its maximum threshold. She was silently out of control as she desperately pulled her arm out of her father's weak grasp. Amy darted down the stairs to leave, while Edmond attempted to run after his daughter. He tripped on the top step, causing him to tumble down the stairway to the intermediate landing.

Amy heard her father's agonizing fall. She stopped on the stairs to listen for his calls for help. She slowly walked down to the 1st floor and waited for several seconds to look around. Amy wanted to make sure that no neighbors had come out to investigate the noise in the stairway. While everything remained silent, Amy exited the building entrance and proceeded to take the folders out to her car.

Amy was tempted to leave and simply claim that her father must have fallen down the stairs after she had left his apartment. She had concerns that he may still be able to call for help. Amy cautiously walked back and entered the apartment building, stopping inside the building entrance to listen for any signs of movement. The only audible sound was a tenant's television set blaring through their closed door on the first floor.

Amy quietly proceeded up the steps. She found her father lying in a heap, and leaning against the wall at the bottom of the flight of stairs. Her father was unconscious. He had blood running out of his mouth and nose, leaving an expanding stain on the carpet. Amy got a smile on her face as she quietly walked back down the stairs to return home.

After she drove about two miles from her father's apartment complex, Amy started laughing. She joyfully commented, "He'll probably be dead before anyone finds his sorry ass."

Approximately, two hours later, a pizza delivery man found Edmond lying in a pool of blood on the stairway landing. He had alerted one of the neighbors in the building to call an ambulance. Fortunately for Edmond, he was transported to the hospital, and only sustained minor injuries.

* * * * *

Later that evening, Emily called Amy to tell her the horrible news about her father's fall in the stairway. She stated, "Edmond miraculously survived his fall. He suffered from a minor concussion, two fractured ribs, and a punctured lung. Your father definitely has an angel sitting on his shoulder."

Amy reluctantly expressed her relief with her father's extraordinary luck. She then provided her conclusive statement, "Well, Emily, perhaps now you can better understand why my dad needs to be put into a rest home. He obviously cannot live in that apartment anymore, and Greg will not be able to care for him either."

Emily's suspicions were aroused regarding her niece's spontaneous presumptions, as well as Amy's stated urgency to place her father in a rest home. Emily downplayed Amy's assertions, "I think that we will wait to hear what the doctor has to say, Amy. Your father is injured but the doctor said that he is expected to make a full recovery. I feel that Edmond still has all his previous living arrangement options. Therefore, where your father decides to go, or not to go, is his decision to make. Furthermore, Amy, after I talked with your father this evening, we both agreed that it will be better if I take care of all his living needs. Your assistance will no longer be required."

Amy's heart sank into an abyss of nervousness when her phone conversation with Emily ended. She realized that her heinous actions increased the potential risk of her worst fears coming to fruition. Greg's illegal adoption could now be exposed by both his birth parents. Amy was also having regrets that she did not break her helpless father's neck in the stairway earlier that afternoon, when she had the golden opportunity to do so.

* * * * *

Chapter 50

Circa 1983-1985

As the years passed, Greg had disregarded the unresolved issues of his relatives. His grandfather never made a decision about moving to New Jersey. Greg had been offered a new job assignment through his engineering company, which would require his family's relocation. Amy and Emily, as well as Edmond, appeared to be locked in a feud of which Greg had no knowledge. He turned his focus in support of Mimi's family.

Shortly after Greg had taken the new job assignment in Virginia, Theresa McMillan had lost her very short battle with cancer. Mimi had understandably spent considerable time in Connecticut to be at her mother's bedside. She also did her best to console her father, younger brothers, and sister. Her father, Bob, was deeply hurt by the passing of his wife. This loss also weighed heavily on his health. Within less than two years, Bob's life also ended with a massive heart attack, in 1985. To lose both parents within the span of just two years was hard for everyone to deal with, especially for Grace. She had lost the only loving grandparents she had ever known.

After the passing of Mimi's parents, Greg and Mimi had begged Amy and George Bradford to act like grandparents to Grace. However, this was a request that fell on deaf ears. Greg instinctively knew that Amy and George never wanted to be parents, let alone fulfill the role of grandparents. They found it easier to be an abstract U.S. mail dispensary of money and gifts, rather than to be flesh and blood relatives. After years of intentionally avoiding their granddaughter, it seemed pointless for Amy and George to attempt to bond with Grace. Greg's relocation to Virginia had also helped to support Amy and George's reasons for remaining absentee grandparents. Their preference was to be nothing more than faceless silhouettes in Grace's imagination. Grace only saw Amy and George in photographs from distant years of the past. She was approaching seven years of age, and Grace was accustomed to the nonexistent relationship with them.

* * * * *

Shortly after Bob McMillan had died, his estate was divided into six equal portions for each of his children. A large certified envelope was hand-delivered to Mimi. It contained a check, a copy of her father's Last Will and Testament, and some other peculiar legal documents. While Mimi was reading her father's will, Greg picked up an envelope. It was rather old and yellowed, and it denoted a return address to the Catholic Charities in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mimi looked over and quickly grabbed the envelope from Greg. She stated, "There is something that we need to discuss. I'm afraid that you might get angry after I tell you."

Greg was baffled, but expressed his assurances, "Look, Mimi. I don't know what is in those papers that you just took from me, but I can assure you that I won't get angry. Now, please, let me see them."

Mimi still held the envelope out of Greg's reach, and she had a worried look on her face. She stated, "There is something that I have never told you before. I was afraid that you would not understand, so I decided long ago to wait until after both of my parents had died." She took a deep breath and stated, "My two older brothers and I were adopted. This envelope contains adoption papers that my parents received from the court shortly after they took legal custody of me."

She handed the papers to Greg, and he sat quietly with a blank stare. As he read Mimi's family history, he inquired, "I would like to know why you decided to avoid telling me this for over 11 years? Why did you feel you had to wait until after your parents died to tell me?"

Mimi then made a delicate attempt to explain her reasons for this non-disclosure. "Before we moved in with each other in 1974, I had many arguments with my parents. I did not want you to think that these arguments were because I was an adopted child. I really wanted to tell you, especially that evening after we left Texas. We were staying in that Tennessee motel room and discussing who our lineal parents are. You laughed at the notion of your parents being descended from royalty. However, you didn't discount my parents from the lineage, and you wanted my input. Until we received these documents today, I didn't know who my biological parents are."

Greg pushed his emotional feelings to the back of his mind as he read the court papers out loud. "It says that your birth name is Crystal Bartles, and that your unwed mother's name is Mary June Bartles. However, it only denotes that your father was a Caucasian, and that he was 63 years of age at the time you were conceived. Do you have any idea who this man is?"

Mimi had tears streaming down her face, and she sadly stated, "I don't know any more than what those papers tell us. My adoptive mother, Theresa, originally thought after several miscarriages that she wouldn't be able to conceive children. Seven years, after I was adopted, she miraculously became pregnant. She accidentally let it slip out during her baby shower that this was her first pregnancy. She revealed to the women attending her shower that I and my two older brothers were adopted. These parents then told their children. We found out about our adoptions at the bus stop when the other kids called us bastards. I was only 7 years old, and I asked my older brothers what a bastard is. They told me that it meant that all three of us had mothers who gave us up for adoption. That evening my two brothers got into a big argument with my parents and demanded to know who their parents are. I was too scared to ask because I thought my parents might send me away if I asked anything about my birth parents. It definitely changed the way I looked at my parents. My father used to refer to me as Daddy's little girl. However, that whole notion was blown to shit after I learned that I was adopted!"

Mimi got up from the table to go out onto the porch. Greg followed along behind her. He was torn between the need to console Mimi, or to delicately attempt to express his discontent regarding Mimi's concealment of her adoption. He stood silently trying to think of the right words to say. He then stated, "Look Mimi, this doesn't change anything about how I feel about you, but it makes me wonder what will fall out of the closet next. You know that I loved both of your parents very much. I fail to understand how you would think that I would be uncompassionate with regard to the fact that you were adopted. This makes me feel that after 11 years you don't know me very well. At worst, I feel that you don't trust me."

Mimi's sorrow now changed to anger. She retorted, "Your words support my past reasons for not telling you about my adoption. You have taken a horrible event in my past and thrown it in my face. Regardless of my explanations about why I did not disclose my adoption—you have turned it into an infraction of trust and a lie. Greg, you could never understand my feelings in this matter, unless you had also been adopted. Since you come from a blue-blood family, I can only contend that you're incapable of understanding my position." Mimi stormed off the porch, went into the bedroom, and slammed the door behind her.

Greg wanted to say more, but he felt that it would be best to wait until Mimi cooled off. That afternoon when the school bus dropped off Grace, he walked down the driveway to greet her. He hesitantly stated, "Mommy isn't feeling very good right now. You and I can go out to eat supper."

Grace could sense by her father's uneasiness that there was a problem. She asked, "Is Mommy really sick, or did you both have an argument?"

Greg understood that Grace could discern patterns of emotion. He simply replied to her, "Yes Grace. We had an argument, but it will resolve itself in time."

Grace then inquired further, "Is this problem about me?"

Greg thought long and hard of how he should respond to Grace's question. He offered a truthful explanation that would pacify his daughter's curiosity. "Mommy told me today that she was adopted shortly after she was born. We do not know who her biological parents are. At this point, Grace, I really don't know what else to say. You will have to accept what I am telling you for now, until we have researched this further."

Grace just smiled, "What difference does it make anyway, Daddy? Both of my grandparents who raised Mommy are now gone. We might as well figure that both of her real parents are also dead. I wouldn't want any other grandparents."

Greg looked at Grace in amazement. He marveled at how his young daughter only needed a few seconds to rectify an emotional event of the truth that had aimlessly tormented him for several hours. He took his daughter's hand and remarked, "Thank you, Grace. You're absolutely right, and you have greatly helped me to see past my selfishness."

Greg excused Mimi's hidden secret in spite of his inability to understand her reasons for not disclosing this fact. He couldn't help but reflect on the conversation they had that night in Tennessee after they fled from Texas. He had recently learned that the McMillan's were not Mimi's biological parents. So, who are her parents, and what is their connection to an alleged royal bloodline? Greg's memories of his last conversation with Kathryn Jones had also resurfaced. The words that Kathryn had expressed to Greg were still indelibly engraved in his mind:

"There are certain aspects regarding your family that you are not aware of. I am not in a position to tell you what these matters are, Greg. However, I will state that Emily will eventually tell you. She had promised her mother, Amanda, that she would."

Greg was distracted at work for many of the days that followed. He was immersed in deep meditation, attempting to connect Kathryn's statement with the aspects of Mimi's unknown lineal past. At first, Greg had considered each of these revelations to be unrelated. Now, they seemed to be irrevocably tied to a larger hidden truth regarding both of their families' genealogies. Greg had reasoned that since Emily was the only surviving member to her family's lineal past, then she would eventually have to divulge these facts. Perhaps, now, was the time to give Emily a gentle push.

Greg dug down into his briefcase to retrieve his address book. He located Emily's new address at the Sycamore Gardens retirement community in Pennsylvania. In the interest of time, Greg had foregone the need to write a letter, and chose instead to call Emily by phone. He called the main number of the retirement community and received the receptionist, who rang Emily's room. After several rings Emily answered the phone. She was very happy to hear that the caller was Greg.

"Hello, Aunt Emily, this is Greg. I'm sorry that I have not contacted you for a while," said Greg with a cheerful greeting.

Emily replied, "That's OK, Greg. I realize you are very busy with your life, but it is always a pleasure to hear from you. I am curious though, Greg. What made you think of me today that would give you a reason to call?"

Greg was not prepared to render an explanation as to why he would be compelled to call Emily after so many months. He replied, "Some revelations have surfaced about Mimi, and I'm having problems in dealing with them. It all started after both of Mimi's parents had died in the last two years. She received some paperwork from the lawyer of Bob McMillan's estate, which revealed that Mimi is adopted, but we really don't know who her parents are. I have forgiven her for not disclosing this fact to me for over eleven years, although, I am still having problems in understanding Mimi's reasons for hiding this from me. I asked Mimi for a rational explanation. She said that I could never understand her reasons unless I had also been adopted."

Emily was quiet for a long time, thinking deeply about Mimi's unknown origins. There were also partial facts that Emily had received from her attorney, Joseph Danbury. Emily recalled the memory of her meeting in Joseph's law office in 1974, when she wanted to disinherit Greg. Joseph said that Mimi is one of the chosen bloodline descendants who had been hand-selected to become Greg's wife.

After hearing dead silence on the phone for several seconds, Greg thought he had been disconnected. He asked, "Hello... Emily... are you still there?"

Emily snapped out of her deep thoughts, and replied, "Yes, Greg. I heard what you said, I was temporarily distracted. I don't know what to tell you. Since you have lovingly forgiven Mimi, then you will not need to hear any further comments from me in this matter. There is, however, something I will need to discuss with you, but it will have to wait for now. I will be getting back in contact with you, soon. We can talk more at that time. Please be patient, and give me some time to prepare."

Greg courteously replied, "I understand, Aunt Emily, and you can call me when you are ready." Greg was happy to hear Emily's comments. At the very least he had nudged her to acknowledge that the time had come for her to reveal the facts of his hidden lineal heritage.

After Emily ended her phone conversation with Greg, she realized that the moment her mother, Amanda, had prophesied from her death bed twenty years ago, finally arrived. She needed to reveal the facts regarding Greg's adoption. However, she still had to convince Amy and George to acknowledge this need. For the longest time, Emily had removed any desire to tell Greg anything. Nevertheless, she saw this latest news regarding Mimi being an adopted child, as the perfect opportunity and reason for Amy to give her consent to relinquish these facts. Emily knew that Amy was tormented most of her life over the fact she was adopted. Perhaps this news might help to unite Greg and Mimi with Amy. Emily was also very taken with Mimi's emotional explanation to Greg, when she stated he could never understand her feelings unless he had been adopted. Emily believed this was, indeed, a perspective of truth that had been divinely brought into the light.

* * * * *

That evening, Emily called Amy to relay the news about Mimi being an adopted child. When Amy picked up the phone, Emily made a request with her greeting. "Hello, Amy, this is Emily, and if George is home, I would also like him to be part of our conversation."

Amy paused to tell George to listen on the second phone in the bedroom. She returned, after George picked up the phone receiver. "OK, Emily, we're both on the line," said Amy. "What did you need to discuss with us?"

Emily wasted no time in getting to the news. "Greg called me yesterday from his office in Virginia. He informed me that Mimi has revealed the fact that she was adopted when she was a baby. Greg was very upset that Mimi had waited until after both of her parents had died to tell him. She also told Greg that he could never understand her feelings in this matter, unless he had been adopted." When neither Amy nor George made any remarks, Emily continued. "I felt that you, Amy, would especially understand Mimi's feelings in this matter. Is this a fair presumption for me to make?"

Amy responded, "Yes, Emily. I feel that Mimi's statement is true. I can understand her reasoning, but this is something that Greg will have to accept and learn to deal with. I can also sense where you are going with this Emily. We cannot tell Greg that he is adopted because it was an unlawful adoption proceeding. Furthermore, if we did tell Greg, then we would also have to tell Scott about his adoption. I won't do that, either."

Emily attempted to downplay the legal risks. "I fail to see any problems, Amy. As long as we all consent to tell Scott and Greg about their adoptions, neither Bucks County Hospital nor the Bucks County Orphans' Court would need to be involved."

Amy's nervousness caused her to bite her lip, while she quickly thought about Emily's assertions. Amy's mind raced to visualize the scenarios that would follow, after revealing that both of her sons were illegally adopted. Emily was wearing blinders to avoid the peripheral circumstances that would prevail. Amy then responded with her calculated reasoning. "Well, Emily, I will assume that you also intend to tell Greg that you and my father are his birth parents. I don't feel the need to reveal this. However, let's just consider what would happen if we did this. Greg would have all his family tree information, but what about Scott? The only place that has this information is Bucks County Hospital. They made it very clear to us that Greg and Scott's birth records would be permanently sealed in their filing facilities. Furthermore, Scott could not petition the Bucks County Orphans' Court, because the Court did not finalize his adoption. Therefore, he would not be given the same privilege as Greg. Do you feel it would be fair to Scott if we reveal that his whole life has been a lie, and that he has no legal recourse to receive the true identities of his birth parents? In addition, Emily, what will be gained in telling Greg and Scott about their adoptions? Your proposal is allegedly based on the need for Greg to have a better understanding regarding Mimi's non-disclosure of her adoption. I really think that your true intentions have been motivated for years by a heartfelt need to tell Greg that you are his birth mother."

Emily briefly considered Amy's reasoning, and she quickly responded to Amy. "I know who Scott's birth parents are because I selected them. You stated the only reason you have for not revealing these facts to your sons is based on the purported knowledge that Scott would be denied, regarding the identity of his birth parents. Therefore, Amy, your reasoning is no longer valid, nor is it a matter for concern."

Emily heard George clear his throat, and then muffle the phone receiver. Amy's loud rants were heard in the distant background, angrily discussing the matter with her husband. After about two minutes, Amy came back to the phone and stated, "Look, Emily, my answer is still no. I will never give my consent for Greg and Scott to be told about their adoptions. You are bound to the same contract agreement of secrecy that we both signed at Bucks County Hospital in 1955. I never want to hear anything else about this bullshit again... do you understand?

Emily sighed, and sadly replied, "Yes, Amy. You have made your position in this matter very clear. Goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, Emily sat in silent prayer attempting to receive guidance. Regardless of the dubious legal concerns which restricted her, her conscience was a higher authority than any man-made laws or contract agreements. Much of Emily's adult life had been directed through the angry prophetic statements that her mother, Amanda, had made to her. Her mother's remarkable foresight into the future far outweighed any legal repercussions. Emily sensed that her deceased mother had always been watching over her during the last 20 years. Her mother's final request, which Emily promised to fulfill, still echoed in her ears:

"The day will come when your son, Greg, approaches you for the truth. You must find the strength to tell him everything he needs to know, or you shall bear the consequences for avoiding this responsibility!"

Emily got up from her chair to walk over and sit at her desk. Then she pulled out a box that contained her stationery. Rather than call Greg by phone, Emily decided to write him a letter that would reveal his adoption without actually telling him. Since Greg was approaching his 30th birthday, the time to reveal the truth seemed appropriate. Emily felt that, even if Greg could not read between the cryptic lines of what she wrote to him, Mimi would certainly be able to do so. Emily was also quite certain that Greg would be calling Amy for an explanation.

* * * * *

Chapter 51

February 8, 1985

When Greg arrived home from work, late Friday afternoon, Mimi and Grace had surprised him by preparing a special dinner and a cake for his 30th birthday. Birthdays for Greg had lost their luster over the years. The only thing they did is remind him that he was getting older. Mimi gave Greg a warm hug and a kiss. She then happily stated, "You have mail!"

Greg sifted through the amusing cards from family relatives. They pointed to the inescapable fact that he was now 'over the hill' at the age of 30 years. He finally came to the last envelope in the pile which was sent from Emily Baxter.

Emily's birthday card contained the typical birthday wishes, and she had also enclosed a short letter:

Dear Greg,

I must apologize for the length of time that I have taken in getting back with you. Yes, there is still much that we both will need to discuss, but not at this writing. My only request at this time is for you to think more kindly toward your parents. They have endured much more than they will ever reveal. I don't think I am at liberty to write anything that they do not wish to have discussed or "aired" until I have talked with them. Life is so short, Greg. I am sure that Mimi should understand, having lost her parents at such an early time in her life! Please remain patient and allow me more time to prepare and to talk further with your parents.

Hoping all your birthdays will always remain pleasant and memorable.

Love,

Aunt Emily

Greg read Emily's letter several times, and then he gave the letter to Mimi to read. Greg scratched his head and stated, "I don't know what in the hell Emily is saying in this letter. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Mimi silently read the letter, and then provided Greg with her interpretation. "Emily is trying to tell you something, Greg. The key part to her letter is the sentences about Amy and George." Mimi then read this portion of the letter out loud:

"They have endured much more than they will ever reveal. I don't think I am at liberty to write anything that they do not wish to have discussed or 'aired' until I have talked with them."

Greg still sat with a puzzled on his face, as he formulated a question from his confused thoughts. "What is it that Emily thinks my parents won't reveal? What do they not wish to discuss, or "air" to me?"

Mimi smiled and said, "I believe that Emily is telling you that you are adopted, like me. I will presume from her letter that you must have told her about the fact I was adopted. Am I correct?"

Greg had a sorry look on his face. He confessed, "Yes, I told Emily about you telling me about your adoption after both of your parents had died. I was originally upset but have since moved on and let this go."

Mimi grasped Greg's hand and said, "This is why she told you. I'm curious about something else that Emily said in the beginning of her letter." Mimi read the sentence out loud:

"I must apologize for the length of time that I have taken in getting back with you. Yes, there is still much that we both will need to discuss, but not at this writing."

Greg gave his interpretation regarding this portion of Emily's letter. He explained, "I think this goes back to the last conversation I had with Kathryn Jones. Kathryn said there are certain aspects about my family which I'm not aware of. Emily promised her mother, Amanda, that I would eventually be told. I must admit, Mimi... I had never even considered the possibility that I was adopted by Amy and George. If this is true, and we were both adopted, then this places the entire matter of what Dick Weisel revealed to us back in 1979 into a more relevant perspective. Possibly, we are both descendants of some ancient royal bloodline. The primary difference between us now is that you have some idea of who your parents are. However, I don't have the foggiest notion of who my parents are."

When Greg quickly got up from the table, Mimi grabbed his arm. She asked, "Where are you going, Greg?"

Greg pulled his arm away and blurted, "This can't wait for Emily to provide answers. I'm calling my mom for an explanation."

Mimi followed behind Greg and expressed her concerns. "Look, dear, Emily asked you to remain patient, so you should just wait for her to get back with you. Please don't call your mother." Greg ignored his wife's advice to wait. With great haste, he was already angrily pounding the buttons of his parents' phone number.

Amy Bradford answered the phone, and upon hearing Greg's voice as the caller, she said, "Happy 30th birthday!"

Greg was not in the proper state of mind for cordialities. He remarked, "Why thank you, Mom, and this is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. I received a birthday card from Emily, and it had a short letter enclosed. I won't read the whole letter to you, but there is one sentence that perhaps you could shed some light on for me. Emily is referring to you and Dad in this sentence." Greg read the sentence to his mother:

"They have endured much more than they will ever reveal. I don't think I am at liberty to write anything that they do not wish to have discussed or "aired" until I have talked with them."

Amy was silent, so Greg pressed for an answer. "What is it that Emily says you need to reveal to me? This also seems to be something that Emily is not at liberty to tell me without receiving your permission. So, please tell me, Mom, what is this revelation... did you find me in a crashed spaceship wrapped in a red swaddling cloth like Superman or something?"

Amy tried to contain her horrified anger. She calmly responded, "I don't know what Emily is trying to say, Greg, and I will have to talk with her to make this determination. Emily did inform me that Mimi told you about her adoption. I assure you that this is not the case with you because I am your birth mother."

The truth then hit Greg like a giant boulder. He stated, "Funny that you should make that statement, Mom. I never even mentioned the possibility that Emily is telling me that I am adopted. When Mimi read Emily's letter, she came to the same conclusion that you just did. So again, Mom, if I'm not adopted then what is Emily saying that you and Dad need to reveal to me?"

Amy now realized she had been completely caught off guard, and she struggled to end the conversation. She quickly stated, "I don't know what Emily is saying to you in her letter, and I don't care what your wife thinks either. I will talk with Emily and call you back after I receive her explanation, goodbye, Greg."

Mimi had been standing in the bedroom doorway listening to Greg's side of the conversation that he had with his mother. Furthermore, Mimi did not need to hear Amy's remarks to conclude that her suspicions were correct. Emily is telling Greg that he is an adopted child.

Greg had a blank expression on his face as he stared at the wall. Mimi sat down next to him on the bed and said, "Now you can understand how I felt when I was 7 years old. It is really hard to accept the fact that your life was a lie, especially after discovering this truth on your 30th birthday. Unfortunately, I doubt that Amy or Emily will ever call you back. Now you can understand why I asked you to wait for Emily to contact you. At least you know the truth, even though you have none of the facts regarding your birth parents. However, we can search for this information. Let's eat supper, and sleep on it tonight. Tomorrow, we will start the search and try to find some clues as to who your parents are."

* * * * *

Emily Baxter was getting ready to turn in for the evening when the phone rang. The caller was a very inebriated and word-slurring Amy Bradford. She hysterically cried as she expressed her sorrow, "Emily, how could you do this to George and me? You promised that you would never tell Greg about his adoption. Late this afternoon I received a phone call from him. He said you wrote him a letter and stated that we have something to reveal to him."

Emily grinned as she replied to Amy, "I didn't tell Greg that he was adopted. I only asked him to think more kindly toward you and George because you both have endured more than you would ever be willing to reveal. I have no idea how Greg interpreted this letter to mean that he was adopted."

Amy was in no mood to be playing games and angrily raised her voice in her reply. "It was Mimi, who came to this determination, and I have no doubts that you knew she would. I want to know how you're going to reverse the damage you have created. I might just decide to sue your ass for breach of contract!"

Emily sighed with her response to Amy, "Really now, Amy, aren't you overreacting? I fail to see anything in this matter other than an innocent misunderstanding. I also don't understand how you could sue me for breach of contract because Greg and Scott's adoptions were both illegal. Please understand, Amy, making a big stink in this matter will only make the situation worse and drag the entire family into this mess. Your threat of taking me to court parallels your mother Martha's past attempts of seeking legal custody of Greg. I'm sure that you would not want to reflect your mother's character. Martha is just one of the matters from your past that you painfully had to endure. However, you would never reveal this to Greg any more than you would reveal this in court. The facts of how your mother died that evening in Temple Memorial Hospital, while she was under your nursing care, might also become exposed. I know that you don't want to go there, either!"

Amy became mysteriously quiet and now fully understood that she had no legal grounds to do anything. Emily wrapped up her conversation with Amy. She stated, "Look, Amy, I asked you once before to tell Greg and Scott that they are adopted. After all, Scott is 33 years of age, and Greg is now 30. You have nothing to gain by maintaining this secret, and you have nothing to lose by telling them the truth. I could have easily forced you to tell them years ago, after you violently ended Martha's life, or after you stole your father's memoirs and left him for dead in his apartment stairway—but I didn't hang this over your head. I realize you have been tormented, and this has contributed to your dysfunctional tendencies. I have kept my promise never to tell Greg and Scott about their adoptions, and my advice to you still hasn't changed. Either reveal the truth, or continue to ignore this problem and hope that it goes away. The choice has always been yours, Amy, and there is nothing else I have to say in this matter. You know where to reach me if you decide to change your mind...Goodnight, dear."

* * * * *

It was predictable that Amy would choose to take the easy way out of her dilemma, and just ignore Greg. He was relentless in his attempts to uncover the facts of his alleged adoption. The following Friday he made the three hour car trip to the Pennsylvania Bucks County Historical Society to search the microfilm newspaper archives for the publications of his Bucks County Hospital birth announcement. Greg also looked for Scott's birth announcement. He found both birth announcements, in which each denoted: "A son to Mr. and Mrs. George Bradford of Milford, New Jersey."

By contrast, Greg found a big dissimilarity when he searched the Bucks County Hospital patient discharge listings. There was no 1952 publication notice for Scott's discharge with his mother. However, Greg found a February 1955 discharge for a "Mrs. Carl Mendel and son Greg E. of Milford, New Jersey."

Greg located the librarian, and inquired, "Is it possible for a typo error to get published in the newspaper?"

The librarian shrugged her shoulders and stated, "I guess that anything is possible. If there was a typographical error then it would most likely have originated from the hospital. The newspaper would only publish what they had received from the hospital's patient registers."

Greg left the library to return home, and thought back through his childhood memories of living in the small community of Milford. This rural river town only had a population of about 2000 people in the 1950s. Surely, he would have had memories of a boy named Greg Mendel, who also had the same birth date as him. However, he could not even recall a Mendel family ever living in this small town.

As Greg was traveling toward the Pennsylvania Turnpike, he got a brainstorm. He looked at his watch, and saw that it was still early in the afternoon. He would have enough time to get to the Milford post office before it closed at 5:00pm. Greg recalled Amy's past condescending rants about the Milford postmaster being a nosy son-of-a-bitch. Hearing this repetitive statement from Amy 20 years ago meant nothing at that time. However, it had great significance now. Perhaps the post office would have a record of a Mendel family that resided in Milford in the mid-1950s. Greg contended that his pending investigation would either qualify or disqualify the Bucks County Hospital patient discharge publication he saw earlier that morning.

* * * * *

Greg arrived at the Milford post office. Upon entering the building, he was greeted at the front counter by Raymond Smith, who immediately recognized Greg. Raymond let out a hearty laugh, and loudly stated, "Holy shit, if it isn't Greg Bradford! What can I do for you, son?"

Greg smiled, shook Raymond's hand, and replied, "Hello, Ray. I was hoping that perhaps you could provide some information. I'm looking for a Mendel family that might have resided in Milford during the 1950s."

Raymond scratched his head, and responded, "Damn... I don't remember any Mendel family, Greg. You said that this family might have lived in Milford during the 1950s, but we don't keep mail records from that far back. However, we have a crusty old coot in the back who might know. He's older than Moses, and has worked in this post office for around 40 years." Raymond turned and shouted over the wall into the back room. "Hey, Hilly, get your ass up front because I have a question for you!"

A very decrepit old man slowly made his way to the front counter. His rough face displayed impatience, while the cup he held in his shaking hand was slopping coffee onto the tiled floor. Mr. Hill loudly exclaimed, "What in the hell are you shouting about, Raymond? I'm old, but I'm not deaf!"

Raymond quickly pointed at Greg and said, "This young man would like to know something. Have we ever had a Mendel family living in our Milford community?"

Mr. Hill thought for several seconds and then stated, "I've lived in this town all my life. I've also worked in this Post Office for almost 40 years. I don't know of a Mendel family, currently or previously, living in our area."

Greg smiled, "That's what I thought Mr. Hill, but I wanted to check it out anyway."

Raymond then became inquisitive. "May I ask why you're looking for this Mendel family?"

As Greg turned to walk out the post office door entrance, he replied, "I'm planning a family reunion, Ray. Thanks for your help!"

* * * * *

That evening, after Greg returned home, he shared the newspaper photocopies with Mimi and Grace. He also told them about his visit to the Milford post office and the conversation he had with the Post Master. The information provided by Mr. Hill disqualified the possibility of a Mendel family living in that community in the 1950s.

Grace then asked, "If a Mendel family did not live in Milford, how will you find them, Daddy?"

As usual, Grace's question was totally logical. Greg shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "Perhaps I need to give Emily another call."

Mimi groaned, and then stated, "You tried that before, and it went nowhere. What makes you think that Emily will be any more forthcoming with answers than she was in the past?"

Greg was getting frustrated. "What other choices do I have, Mimi? According to Kathryn, Emily owes me some information about my family history, and I have waited long enough."

After finishing supper Greg placed a phone call to Emily Baxter. When she picked up the phone, Greg gave his friendly greetings, "Hello, Aunt Emily, this is Greg. I guess I really screwed up by calling my mom, rather than waiting for you to call me back."

Emily let out an exasperated sigh with her response, "Well it's a little late for you to come to that realization, now. Your mother said that you felt my letter led you to believe that you are adopted."

Greg paused before making his reply, "This is my gut feeling, Aunt Emily. At best, I only have questionable evidence which supports this."

Emily became very curious and asked, "What is this evidence you have which supports your belief?"

Greg replied, "I went to the Bucks County Historical Society this morning to search for the hospital birth announcements for Scott and me. Both of our birth announcement publications denoted a son to Mr. and Mrs. George Bradford of Milford, New Jersey. I was the only one that showed a hospital discharge. At least, I think it is my discharge. The publication showed the discharge of a Mrs. Carl Mendel and son Greg E. of Milford, New Jersey. However, I have confirmed with the Milford post office that no Mendel family has ever resided in Milford—not currently, or in 1955."

Emily could feel goose bumps forming on her arms with her son's discovery of the discharge notice. She had covertly allowed this notice to be published in the 1955 newspaper before she left the hospital with Greg. She gently stated, "Look, Greg, Amy and George are your parents, and they raised you. Why would you think otherwise?"

Greg could feel his restraint slipping away, and he had to give Emily a substantiation to support his claims. "Aunt Emily, I had a private conversation with Kathryn when she was dying in the hospice care center. There are also some facts that Mimi and I learned from a member of the Knights Templar when we lived in Houston. I have much more to tell you, but I cannot discuss this over the phone."

Emily was now feeling faint over Greg's unexpected confession. With a quivering voice, she stated, "I am sending you documents, which show that Amy and George are your parents. If these do not satisfy your questions, then we can meet to discuss this further."

Greg then ended the conversation, "That sounds fair, Aunt Emily. If necessary, I will contact you after I have reviewed them."

* * * * *

Four days later, Greg received a Manila envelope that contained two photocopies. One showed a baby's footprints and mother's thumbprints, while the other page contained a Bucks County Hospital Birth Certificate. The background of the birth certificate was illustrated, showing an artist's rendering of the hospital's front exterior. The hand-written data fields appearing on this document denoted Amy Elizabeth Bennett and George Bradford as the birth parents of Greg E. Bradford, Milford, New Jersey.

Mimi examined the birth certificate. She then stated, "This isn't the birth certificate you received from Amy to use when we got our marriage license."

Greg exclaimed, "You're right, Mimi. That birth certificate was given back to Amy after we had gone through our premarital counseling with Father Peter. Do you remember all the scrutiny I went through with that priest when I gave him my birth certificate to examine?"

Greg paused for several moments. He sat down and appeared to be in a trance of deep thoughts. Suddenly, Greg stood up and excused himself to go into the bedroom to phone his brother, Scott.

Within a few minutes, Mimi knew that an argument had broken out between these brothers. She could hear Greg's loud shouts through the wall that separated the kitchen from the bedroom.

After their phone conversation ended, Greg returned to the kitchen with a riled expression on his face. He stated, "Scott said that he never received an illustrated Bucks County Hospital birth certificate, like the one that Emily sent me. He had only received the birth certificate coupon. However, I wasn't surprised to hear that Scott had to borrow his birth certificate from Amy to get his marriage license. Scott said that he also was told to return his birth certificate to her after he was done using it."

Mimi asked, "So what was your argument with Scott about?"

Greg then gave the details of their conversation. "Scott was married in New Jersey. The courthouse that he went to for his marriage license in New Jersey, wouldn't accept his Bucks County birth certificate. Scott didn't have enough time to get a state-issued birth certificate from the Department of Vital Records in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Instead, he had to secure a certified letter from the Bucks County Pennsylvania Courthouse to validate his birth at Bucks County Hospital.

"Then I explained to Scott about all the evidence I had, which pointed to the fact that we both may have been adopted. He refused to believe my findings, but he also had a hard time refuting them!"

Mimi placed her hands over her eyes to trace her memories back to 1974. She then exclaimed, "I also recall that the document Amy gave you wasn't a birth certificate. It was only a hospital-issued birth registration!" Mimi grabbed the photocopies from Greg to re-examine them. "This is a photocopy of your true birth certificate, which was issued by Bucks County Hospital, in February 1955. Why is Emily in possession of this original document, and not Amy? The only thing that your two birth certificates have in common is that they were both issued by Bucks County Hospital, but they were each issued to different parties. This may also help explain the newspaper publication that showed your discharge from the hospital as Mrs. Carl Mendel and son Greg E."

Greg and Mimi simultaneously arrived at the same conclusion regarding his two birth certificates which he received from different members of his family. If Amy and George were Greg's adoptive parents, perhaps they were entitled to receive only the birth registration coupon. This would leave the birth mother in possession of the illustrated document.

The partial truth finally was cryptically revealed by Emily; she is Greg's birth mother. One question that still remained was why Emily used the assumed name of Mrs. Carl Mendel when she was admitted into the hospital.

* * * * *

Chapter 52

Circa 1986

Another New Year had passed along with sad, but fond memories of Mimi's deceased parents. Greg and Mimi were exhausted and had determined that they needed to take a family vacation to get away and relax. Another factor that weighed heavily was when they had to put their 11-year-old dachshund, Mickey, to sleep after he had suffered a back injury. They also desired to escape the matters surrounding their adoption searches, as well as the winter cold of Virginia. Orlando, Florida seemed to be the best place to go. The costly holiday tourist season was over, and neither Greg nor Mimi had been to Disney World before. It was also felt that this vacation would provide an extra special treat. There was a scheduled launch of a NASA Space Shuttle on January 22nd. Greg had always wanted to see a rocket launched from Cape Canaveral. From the time that he had seen the first televised manned rocket launch with Alan B. Sheppard in 1961, Greg, like many boys of the 1960s, had unattained childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut.

To save on the cost of air fare and a rental car, they decided to make the approximate 900 mile drive to Orlando, and arrived on January 19th. It was good that they had visited Disney World on their first two days. The Challenger Shuttle launch had been continually delayed due to either weather or technical problems. Greg had persuaded Mimi to extend their stay in Florida until the next scheduled launch date on January 27th. Greg called his office to inform them that he was extending his vacation for a few more days of warm sunshine. However, the weather had unexpectedly taken a turn for the worse.

On the day of the rescheduled shuttle launch, Greg awoke to an unseasonable temperature that had dropped overnight to 31 degrees. Mimi was understandably angry because Greg had convinced her to extend their vacation in Orlando, so he could see the Space Shuttle launch. She did not desire to be paying good money to vacation in this freezing sub-tropical climate of Florida. Needless to say, Greg knew that he would be going to see the space launch alone. Grace and Mimi would be walking to eat breakfast, and shop for souvenirs in the local Kissimmee tourist areas.

Greg wore several layers of clothes and packed some snacks and bottled water. He left before sunrise and drove his car to the NASA causeway to watch the Shuttle launch. This viewing area is less than 7 miles from the launch pad, which is the closest public viewing area. He had assumed that the cold weather would better assure his ability to get a good parking spot to watch the liftoff. He also knew that this would be his last opportunity, because if this launch was also scrubbed, he could not delay his departure from Florida to return home.

It was a beautiful clear sky, but it was also very cold in this marshland area. Many of the people who were parked on the NASA causeway had faithfully appeared at this location for the last scrubbed launches. They were becoming frustrated with yet another delay because of the cold temperatures. Greg sat in his car to listen to the radio and get the details on the launch. He heard that the countdown would only be delayed until the temperatures had risen above the freezing level of 31 degrees.

Greg had fallen asleep in the driver's seat for about two hours and was awakened as the rising sun warmed the interior of the car. He stepped out of the car to strip off his sweater and stretch his legs. Most of the people parked on the causeway were now upbeat because the launch was still proceeding. A man who walked past the rear of Greg's parked car saw his Virginia license tag. He introduced himself as Charles, who was on vacation with his family from Roanoke, Virginia. Charles invited Greg over to his pickup truck to meet his family and to have a cup of coffee.

When they arrived at Charles' pickup truck, Greg observed this family came well prepared with a tripod mounted video camera. Charles' wife offered Greg a view of the shuttle launch site through the zoom lens of their camera. Greg carefully held up the camera, and took steady aim on the streams of gas vapors that were cascading down from the exterior of the shuttle onto the ice-covered base of the launch pad. The space shuttle seemed close enough to touch through magnification of the camera's lens. Greg then started to point the camera around the parking lot, and carefully focused on people several hundred feet away with amazing clarity. He walked behind the backside of the pickup truck, and got on his knee to steady the camera on the truck's opened tailgate. Greg slowly turned the focus of the lens' field of range down the seemly endless row of vehicles. He froze the camera's cross hair site on the side of a large, white extended van which displayed: 'BRANSON PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, HARLEY, TEXAS'. Greg attempted to zoom in on three people who were standing at the front of the van. However, they were obscured by the car parked next to them.

Charles walked up behind Greg and asked for his camera back. The launch countdown had resumed at t-minus 10 minutes. Greg handed the camera back, and thanked this family for their kind generosity. Then he started to quickly jog toward the white van that he saw through the camera. The camera lens had given the illusion of this van being in close proximity, but Greg soon determined that this vehicle was actually parked several hundred feet away.

Greg was now close enough to see the white van. His jog slowed to a quick walk as he approached the vehicle. A slim man with long salt and pepper hair and beard was standing near the driver's door. Greg looked through the windows at two people who were sitting on the hood of the van using the windshield as a back rest. Greg slowly walked up behind the man, and tapped him on the shoulder.

When the man turned around, Greg immediately recognized him as Dr. Davis Branson. Greg made a polite greeting, "Hi, Dr. Branson. You probably don't remember me, but I'm Greg Bradford. My wife, daughter, and I met you at Dr. Patterson's picnic in 1978."

Dr. Branson smiled, "Well, Greg. I recall the picnic. Although, my memory does not serve me well, because I really don't remember you."

Greg quickly responded, "I never took the opportunity talked with you, Dr. Branson, but I enjoyed the picnic. My wife and I were very amazed with your stage demonstration that was performed by the twin boys."

Dr. Branson again smiled while pointing to the hood of the van. He remarked, "As a matter of fact, Keith and Kent DeMaribus came here with me to watch the rocket launch." The doctor stepped aside to let Greg walk around him to meet the twin teenage boys. They were sitting side-by-side on the hood of the van, and their identical clothing made them appear to be mirror images. The twins nodded their heads to Greg while they both held a small plastic scale model of the space shuttle between them.

Greg looked at the adolescent boys, and stated, "You guys have really grown. You were only 6 years old the last time I saw both of you. I guess that we will now finally have an opportunity to see the Space Shuttle launch."

The twins both silently smiled and returned their focus back to the launch pad. Each twin had one of their hands clenched onto one of the two side rocket boosters of the plastic model.

Greg turned away to laugh. He then commented to Dr. Branson, "The twins look like they are holding a turkey wish bone, and are getting ready to make a wish."

Dr. Branson stood stone cold with no facial expression or evident appreciation for Greg's humor. He reached into the van to turn up the volume of the radio. The locally broadcast radio program could be heard echoing throughout the parking area as the countdown was within the last 60 seconds.

Greg then quickly apologized to Dr. Branson, and stated, "I'm sorry for my warped sense of humor, doctor."

Dr. Branson once again smiled, and put his arm over Greg's shoulders. He turned to face the launch pad and kindly stated, "I wasn't offended by your comment, Greg. I was just surprised by your intuitive accuracy of future events. You are about to witness a major recourse for humanity."

The last ten seconds of the countdown resounded on the radio. Greg turned his head to look at the twins who were tightly clasping the side-mounted booster engines of the plastic model. Greg got a queasy feeling as the distant loud roar could be heard from the rocket engines' ignition. He turned away from the twins to watch the shuttle slowly clear the launch pad. Soon the spacecraft had made the routine graceful turn with its ascent into the cloudless, blue Florida sky.

Greg again turned his focus back to Keith and Kent, but they weren't watching the liftoff. Both twins had their eyes closed. Their hands were shaking as each boy tightly grasped one of the two side rocket boosters of the model. Greg could feel the sweat rolling down his face as he gazed at the intensity of the twins. Kent, who had been holding the right rocket booster of the model pulled hard enough to break it off. Suddenly, screams of panic could be heard throughout the causeway parking area.

Greg quickly returned his attention back to the sky. All he could see was an expanding ball of fire and a detached rocket booster zooming away out of control. His eyes focused on the skyline as fiery pieces of space shuttle debris left streaming contrails while they floated down through the atmosphere toward the ocean.

Dr. Branson and the twins were smiling at each other. Greg walked over to the front of their van to throw up. He had tears streaming down his face as he wiped his vomit covered mouth on his shirt sleeve. Greg looked up to watch the demise of the Shuttle Challenger, as a thick plume of smoke slowly expanded and blocked out the sun. All observers on the causeway stood in silent shock as Houston Control made an announcement over the radio, "Something tragic has occurred, and Mission Control is closely monitoring the situation..."

Dr. Branson called to Keith and Kent. "There's nothing else to see here, boys! Let's beat the rush out of the parking area. We'll grab a bite to eat before we journey back to Texas." Dr. Branson hopped into the van. He looked out the window at Greg, who was still silently devastated over what he had witnessed.

Dr. Branson smiled at Greg and calmly stated, "Yes, Greg, what you think happened—did happen. I don't expect you to understand any of this now. However, soon the day will come that you will understand. Whether you choose to join us now or later, will be your decision to make... but your family can't hide forever, and you will eventually have to make a choice. Please feel free to contact Dr. Russell Patterson when your family is ready to take the next step."

Greg wanted to make a response to Dr. Branson, but he couldn't speak. He was still rendered speechless with what he saw. He continued standing with his mouth open as the white van pulled away and left the parking lot. The entire causeway was filled with shocked spectators. However, none of them had witnessed what Greg saw. Even if he had reported the actual cause of the Shuttle Challenger disaster to the authorities, nobody would believe him. Therefore, Greg thought it was best not to tell Mimi or Grace about it either.

* * * * *

Chapter 53

Circa 1994

As the years passed, Grace had entered her early adolescence as a distinguished honor roll student in a private school. She was already taking college algebra courses, by the time she had reached 9th grade. There were other aspects in Grace's life, which seemed very uncommon. Despite having avoided receiving childhood immunizations, she was blessed with excellent health. In fact, Grace had never even suffered from a common cold, sore throat, or ear infections, let alone the other expected childhood ailments of chicken pox, mumps, or measles. Grace's secluded living environment had also helped to support her well being. However, their rural location of Luray, Virginia required traveling across several miles of country highways to get anywhere. In 1994, Grace had turned 16 years old, and she was more than ready to learn to drive a car. Greg and Mimi were happy to see that their daily chores of transporting Grace everywhere she needed to go would soon be diminished with Grace's ability to drive on her own.

After Grace obtained her driver's permit, Greg had volunteered to be her driving instructor. He was quite pleased to see that his daughter had virtually no difficulties in learning to drive the family car. She soon demonstrated the confidence and ease to travel on interstate highways during rush hour traffic. Grace was also capable of driving in any type of hazardous weather condition. One thing Greg had not contemplated was the vast amount of wildlife that inhabited this remote rural mountain river valley. The native animals included a sparse population of timid black bears, plus large quantities of whitetail deer. It was much easier to spot a deer in the wintertime because the foliage was minimized. In contrast, when the spring season arrived, the camouflaging forest and ground cover along the roadways grew thicker. Springtime in Virginia also brought rainy weather, and foggy mornings became more frequent.

The date was drawing near for Grace to take her final DMV driving tests. Her aptitude and driving skills were so developed that Greg seldom had to instruct Grace. Greg's eyes would often gaze at the scenery, rather than focusing on the road. One Wednesday morning, Grace was driving to school with her father riding as the licensed passenger, when a large whitetail deer jumped out in front of their car. Greg wasn't watching the road, but he heard Grace shout, "A deer!"

What happened after Grace's exclaimed outburst would forever remain as a metaphysical blur in both of their memories. All that Greg saw was a blinding flash of light. After his eyes had readjusted, he saw a giant steaming hole in the windshield. There were also no signs of the expected front end damage from the car's impact with a deer. Greg reached forward to inspect the windshield, which was hot to the touch around the edge of the gaping hole. There were no cracks in the glass, and the hole had a polished smooth surface around the perimeter of the opening. He looked over at Grace as she pulled her hand away from the vinyl padded dashboard, leaving a melted impression of her palm and five fingers.

Greg quickly asked, "Are you OK, Grace? Where is that deer you saw? Did it jump over the car?" When Grace gave no explanation, Greg stepped out of the car. He walked around to the front bumper of the vehicle to look for the deer. The only thing he saw was four smoking hoof prints that had been partially melted into the black macadam of the road's surface.

Greg returned to the car totally mystified. He saw Grace cupping her hand in pain. She clenched her teeth, and stated "I hurt my hand on the dashboard, and it might be broken because it's starting to swell up."

Greg was still in oblivious shock. He cautiously replied, "Well... we certainly have to get you to the hospital for X-rays, but we can't go in this car with a big hole in the windshield. We'll back track to Sonny McCain's house, and ask him to take us to the hospital. Scoot across the seat, Grace, and let me drive."

Grace was crying in pain as she observed her father's peculiar silence. She questioned her father's reluctance to offer an explanation of what happened, "Is the deer dead, Daddy?" Grace leaned forward to make a closer inspection of the interior damage. Grace gasped, "My hand melted the dashboard!" She then looked up in horror and asked, "What made that large hole in the windshield?"

Greg was not in a position to speculate on what caused the perfectly polished hole in the windshield with the absence of any particulate scattered glass. He also didn't know how a deer could disintegrate into nowhere. Greg avoided Grace's questions and simply replied, "Let's get your hand checked first, and we can discuss the accident later."

They soon arrived at their neighbor's house. Sonny McCain was standing in his worn-out jumpsuit working under the hood of his car in the driveway as Greg approached. Sonny was staring at their windshield, and Greg attempted to show a smile as he turned off the engine.

Sonny wiped his hand over the smooth edge of the hole in the windshield. "How did this happen?" he asked. He looked around the interior of the car when Greg and Grace got out, and inquired, "Did either of you get cut by broken glass?"

Greg was brief with his explanation. "We had an encounter with a deer, and Grace hurt her hand on the dashboard. Could you please drive us to the Warren County Hospital?"

Sonny stuffed the wrench he was holding into his pocket. He walked over to close the hood of his car and said, "No problem, Greg. I'll get a bag of ice, and a towel for Grace's hand." Sonny then threw his keys to Greg, "Start up my car for me, and we'll soon be on our way."

* * * * *

They were quickly en route to the hospital. After several minutes of silence, Sonny inquired, "You said that you had an encounter with a deer, but there wasn't any damage to the front of your car. In fact, the only damage was a clean-cut hole in your windshield, and a hand print embedded in the dashboard. Do either of you want to explain how that happened?"

Greg paused and then replied, "I don't know, Sonny, and I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's just get Grace to the hospital for X-rays, and I will tell you about the accident later."

Sonny shook his head in disbelief and stated, "You're pretty lucky that this accident happened today. My wife is on duty at the Warren County Hospital emergency room, and she will get Grace taken care of, pronto."

Greg smiled with Sonny's reassurances, but he saw nothing lucky about this bizarre accident. Greg's concerns returned to a haunting flashback from Dr. Patterson's picnic in Texas. He still vividly remembered Grace as one of the 12 babies that were used in a demonstration. The infants utilized their mind-linked telekinetic abilities to shred a giant teddy bear on a stage before of an audience of astounded parents. Now, that past memory from 1978 would be forever linked with the scene of a disintegrated deer's smoking hoof prints melted into a macadam roadway.

When they had arrived at Warren County Hospital, Sonny escorted Greg and Grace to the front desk of the Emergency Room. He waved to his wife, Susan, to come over. Susan saw Grace grimacing in pain with a towel wrapped around her hand, and she asked, "What happened to you, Grace?"

Greg quickly gave a short explanation, "We had an accident trying to avoid hitting a deer. Grace smashed her hand on the dashboard when she hit the brakes."

Susan handed Greg a clip board, and said, "Here, Greg. You can fill out this paperwork. I'm going to take Grace to the back and get X-rays."

Greg walked to the waiting room to sit down. Sonny calmly stated, "I'll be right back. I have to move my car away from the ER entrance."

Greg was finishing the paperwork when Sonny had returned to sit down next to him. Sonny placed his hand on Greg's shoulder, and asked, "Now, will you tell me what really happened?"

Greg nervously gave an abridged version of what he had recalled. "I'm not sure what happened, Sonny, so we will need to keep what I'm about to tell you between us, OK?"

Sonny nodded his head in confidence, and said, "My lips are sealed, now tell me what happened."

Greg then provided his recollections of the accident and what had occurred when a deer leaped in front of their car. He was still unable to explain how it had happened. He looked at Sonny with a bewildered expression and stated, "Perhaps now you can understand why we can't discuss this with anyone else. When I figure out how this accident happened, then I'll let you know."

Sonny didn't make any further inquiries, and said, "Don't worry, Greg. You can trust Susan and me, and we'll soon find out how your daughter is doing. Did you want to call Mimi, and let her know that you are here with Grace?"

Greg gave a hesitant response. "I want to wait until after we get the results of Grace's X-rays before I call Mimi. However, I do need to call my office and Grace's school to tell them that we won't be coming in today."

About 30 minutes later, Susan McCain returned with a doctor to speak with Greg. The elderly doctor looked like he was half asleep, desiring to be anywhere other than a hospital emergency room. He introduced himself with a tone of melancholy, "Hello, Mr. Bradford. I'm Dr. Collins and I need you to come back with me to discuss your daughter's X-rays."

Greg anxiously followed behind the doctor's slow pace, and he saw Grace sitting in a chair outside the examination room. Greg briefly stopped and asked, "How are you doing, Grace?"

Grace forced a smile and whispered her reply, "They gave me a shot for the pain, so I feel better. Please let me know what the doctor says. That bumbling jerk wouldn't tell me anything."

Greg entered the examination room as Dr. Collins was turning on a wall mounted light panel. The doctor appeared to be moving in slow motion while clipping up the first X-ray, and then pointed at the screen. "Grace has one fracture. This injury appears to be a ruptured bone cyst that she has in this carpal bone of her hand." The doctor slowly pulled the sheet from the board and clipped up the next image. He continued with his analysis, "This X-ray was taken of Grace's forearm. There is another small bone cyst appearing in the ulna bone, which connects between the carpal hand bones and her elbow joint. I do not wish to be an alarmist, Mr. Bradford, but there is a possibility that this could be a sign of bone cancer. We cannot easily make this determination until after we do biopsy lab tests. Surgery will be required as soon as possible to scrape out these bone cysts. We will need to graft a small piece of bone to fill and repair each of the cyst cavities. As a precaution I also want to perform a scan of Grace's entire body. This shall determine if she has any other bone cysts in addition to what we found in these x-rays."

Greg had an uneasy feeling overcome him. He nervously stated, "Doctor, please perform the body scan. I'm going to call my wife and let her know what's going on."

After he left the examination room, Greg stopped by to talk with Grace. He explained the current status to his daughter. Grace was a little frightened and asked, "When are they planning to do the surgery, Daddy?"

Greg tried his best to calm Grace and stated, "I'm not sure, Grace, but this is something that will have to be taken care of soon. I'm going to call Mommy now. I can get Sonny to pick her up, and drive her here to the hospital. Don't worry, because Susan McCain will keep us informed on what's going on. I also want Mommy to be here because she knows much more about these medical procedures than I do."

When Greg returned to the waiting room, Susan walked over to him and stated, "I have already called Mimi. Sonny left to bring her to the hospital. He also told me that your car needs repairs, so you can use my car until yours gets fixed. Now just relax, Greg. When the results of Grace's body scan are completed, either Dr. Collins or I will come to get you."

Greg had a great appreciation for Sonny and Susan McCain. They were his closest neighbors, and he could always depend on them if an emergency like this arose. Sonny was retired, and several years older than his wife, Susan. This couple personally knew every family within a ten mile radius of their region in the Shenandoah Valley. Since the McCain's had no children of their own, they showed fond interest and concern for Grace's welfare and treated her like a daughter.

Greg took a seat in the waiting room, and Sonny arrived back at the hospital with Mimi about 90 minutes later. Mimi walked over to sit down next to Greg. She tensely stated, "Sonny explained to me about Grace's hand fracture and what you told him about the deer accident. Do you suspect that Grace had anything to do with the hole in the windshield?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It had to be Grace. I had my head turned away from the road, and then I saw a bright flash of light after Grace shouted about the deer. The only evidence of a deer was its smoking hoof prints melted into the macadam road." Greg expanded his thoughts to another possibility and asked, "Think back to 1978, Mimi. Do you remember that picnic at Dr. Patterson's ranch?"

Mimi waved Greg off from making any further comments about that day, because Sonny had returned to the waiting room, and he was walking toward them. Sonny approached Greg, and stated, "Look, Greg. You'll probably be here until Susan gets off work, so you can drive back home with her. You can keep her car to use until after we get your windshield fixed. I'm going to get a replacement windshield for your car this afternoon, and we'll replace it tomorrow morning."

Greg looked up to smile at Sonny, "Thanks, buddy. I appreciate everything that you and Susan have done for us."

Sonny smiled and replied, "That's what neighbors are for!"

Thirty minutes later, Susan came out to the waiting room to retrieve Greg and Mimi. She stated, "The results of the body scan are in. I'll take you back to talk with Dr. Collins. After you talk with Dr. Collins, I will take you to see Grace. She can be admitted as a patient today and have her surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning."

When they walked into the examination room, Dr. Collins already had the scanned image attached to the wall light panel. He ambiguously stated, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the scan results are negative. There aren't any other bone cysts. The preliminary results indicate that these cysts are benign, rather than a malignant bone cancer."

Greg interrupted the doctor and asked, "So what is the bad news?"

Dr. Collin's eyes were enlarged by Greg's question to him. A perplexed look appeared on his face as he pointed to a black spot on Grace's body scan image. He cautiously explained, "It's probably nothing... but the scan shows an anomalous black spot within the soft tissue of Grace's right buttock. We did another series of X-rays of this area, and we are still at a loss to provide an explanation. This object appears to be a square with each side measuring approximately 12 millimeters, and it is about 4 millimeters thick. Has Grace ever had an accident that may have lodged a piece of shrapnel in her buttock?"

Greg and Mimi looked at each other and shook their heads no. Mimi replied, "We have no idea what caused this, Doctor. Furthermore, if it is a piece of shrapnel, then there would have been an obvious wound that we would have been aware of."

Dr. Collins responded, "We shall remove whatever this object is tomorrow after we repair both of Grace's bone cyst cavities. Then we will determine what it is."

After the consultation with Dr. Collins was over, Susan McCain then escorted Greg and Mimi to see Grace. Susan peered around the side of the doorway at Grace and said, "I brought you a couple of visitors, Grace."

Grace was overjoyed to see her parents, and asked, "How much longer must I sit here? My butt is getting sore, and the pain medication is wearing off."

Mimi then replied, "Well your butt might get a little more uncomfortable. The doctor also found a small piece of metal or something lodged in your right buttock."

Susan then politely interrupted, "You will be admitted into the hospital today, Grace. The minor surgery on your bone cysts will be done early tomorrow morning. At that time, we will also remove whatever has become lodged in your buttock."

Grace appeared perplexed as she fidgeted with discomfort on her chair. She inquired, "How big is this object that needs to be removed?"

Susan first looked at Greg and Mimi, and then replied to Grace's inquiry. "The X-rays showed that this object is about the size of a postage stamp, and it is about 1/8" thick. The doctor can't determine what it is, but he's confident that it's nothing to worry about. All of your problems will be over tomorrow morning, Grace."

Mimi then looked at her watch, and stated, "I'm going to stay here at the hospital with you, Grace. Daddy will be returning home with Mrs. McCain."

Susan slightly altered Mimi's plans, and stated, "I have some more paperwork for your parents to fill out, Grace. Then your mother will be right back."

Greg and Mimi returned to the waiting room with Susan. After being handed another clip board, they sat down to complete Grace's hospital admission paperwork. Greg was completing the forms, and then he had an epiphany. "I just realized how that object got into Grace's buttock. Do you remember shortly after Grace was born, and Dr. Patterson did surgery to remove a cyst from Grace's right buttock? Do you think he accidentally left a piece of a surgical tool in there?"

A startled look of acknowledgment appeared on Mimi's face. She concurred, "I observed several surgeries when I attended nursing school, but I don't recall any square surgical device of that size. I think you're on right track, though. It appears that Dr. Patterson didn't remove a cyst. Instead, he must have implanted something... but what could it be?"

Greg's anger was building. He responded, "I have no idea what this object is either. We will need to figure out some way to retrieve it after the doctor completes Grace's surgery. I really don't want to expose more innocent people to Dick Weisel's demise."

Mimi placed her hand on Greg's leg and stated, "When you go home with Susan this afternoon, please talk with her. Explain how this object may have been implanted there. I'm sure that Susan will have the ability to retrieve this from the lab after it is extracted from Grace tomorrow morning."

Greg contemplated this with uncertainty. "I think we have already told Sonny and Susan too much as it is. Do you also want me to tell them about our darker secrets from Houston?"

Mimi glared at Greg in frustration and replied, "What other choices do we have? Do you want to get possession of that object after it is surgically removed from your daughter's ass, or don't you?"

Greg was effectively convinced of his options. "I'll talk with Susan tonight. I'll also ask her to find a way to discreetly remove this specimen from the lab after Grace's surgery is over."

After completing the admissions' paperwork, Greg stopped by to see Grace again. "I'm going back home with Mrs. McCain now, Grace, and I'll be back tonight. Mommy will be here at the hospital with you until I return. Don't worry, Sweetie, everything will be fine."

* * * * *

When Greg left the hospital with Susan, he waited until they arrived at her home to discuss anything regarding their car accident. Greg got out of the car and saw Sonny wiping down the finishing touches of his car's new windshield replacement. He looked at the completed task that Sonny had done single handedly. Greg dryly stated, "I thought that you said that we were going to replace the windshield, Sonny. You could have waited for me to help you."

Sonny replied, "I had a block and tackle hoist and nylon rope to help me lift the windshield. It's installed but we will still need to reattach the chrome trim around the edge perimeter. We can let that task wait until tomorrow morning."

Both Sonny and Greg turned to look at Susan. She had stooped down to examine the damaged windshield that lay on the ground next to the car. She profoundly stated, "I've never seen a piece of glass with a hole like this, unless it was intentionally cut out. The edge of the hole is polished and perfectly smooth."

Greg looked at Sonny, and exclaimed, "Let's get in your car and go for a ride. I want to show you both something else that I'm sure you haven't seen before!"

After they got into the car, Sonny started the engine, and asked, "Where are we going, Greg?"

Greg replied, "I'll show you the remains of the deer that walked out in front of my car this morning."

They drove down the narrow County road for about 4 miles. Greg tapped Sonny's shoulder, and stated, "Now slow down, Sonny, because my car's skid marks should be right around this next corner."

As soon as the skid marks were located, Sonny pulled his car off onto the grassy shoulder of the road. Susan got out of the car to look around for a deer carcass. She inquired, "So where are the remains of the deer you hit, Greg?"

Greg walked to the end of the skid marks. He looked at Susan and attempted to explain the bizarre event that occurred that morning. "We didn't hit the deer, Susan." Greg bent down and pointed to the remaining evidence of four deer hooves, which were embedded approximately one inch into the road's macadam surface. Greg hesitantly remarked, "This is where the deer was standing... before it vanished."

Susan looked at Greg with an odd expression. She got down on her hands and knees to make a closer examination of the deer's hoof prints. The impressions displayed perfect outlines of each hoof, which appeared to be melted into the surface of the road. Susan needed Greg to clarify his assertions. She inquired, "Are you saying that the deer jumped out of the way before you hit it?"

Greg took a deep breath, and stated, "No, Susan. The deer simply vanished, and all I saw was a brilliant flash of light. It was as though the deer disintegrated without a trace, along with 60 percent of my windshield. Now, tell me folks, do you see any broken glass anywhere?"

Sonny and Susan inspected the roadway, and both shook their heads, no. Greg then continued to explain another stark similarity regarding the accident that morning. "Grace's hand print left a permanent impression in my dashboard just like that vaporized deer left the impressions of its hooves in this roadway!"

Susan paused to look at Sonny. She then inquired, "Okay, Greg. I will agree that this is what the evidence shows but can you explain what, or who, caused this to happen?"

Greg was getting frustrated and responded, "I have my hunches, but I'm reluctant to tell you too much. At least one person has died after telling Mimi and me what he knew. However, what I will say is that a major clue is being surgically removed from my daughter's buttock in surgery tomorrow morning. I will need to obtain this object before I can make any further determinations."

Susan was scratching her head while attempting to understand Greg's claims. She stated, "If the object in Grace's buttock might explain this accident, then you must also know how it got implanted there."

Greg gave a long pause to think about his response because he wanted to try to give a reasonable explanation to Susan. He explained, "Shortly after Grace was born, the doctor who delivered her claimed that he had found a small cyst in her right buttock. He went ahead and did surgery without even telling us that this procedure needed to be done. Until the scan was performed today and detected the square object in her buttock, Mimi and I had no idea that this thing was in there. We need to know what it is, and more importantly, why it was implanted. I feel it will provide the answers to many questions I have had since 1978. I'm sorry that I can't tell you any more than this. The less that is known by the both of you, and the surgical team, then the safer we all shall be. We will also need you to find some way of removing this specimen from the hospital after Grace's surgery is completed."

Susan glared at Greg with deep concern. Susan emphatically exclaimed, "What you are asking me to do, Greg, could cost me my job!"

Greg then got more specific and stated, "Look, folks. You saw the windshield of my car. You see these deer hoof prints embedded in melted asphalt. My daughter was obviously used as an unwitting depository for a small unidentified, square object. Furthermore, I wasn't joking when I told you that at least one person died for only divulging partial facts about his secret organization. I'm pleading with you, Susan. Please find a way to remove this object from the hospital after Grace's surgery. I have no idea what this implanted square is. However, if this clandestine organization finds out that this object has been removed from Grace, I truly fear what they may do to get it back. They might also eliminate everyone who has knowledge of it."

Susan then looked over at Sonny, who was nodding his head in agreement with Greg's harsh assessment of the current circumstances. "OK, Greg," said Susan, "You have convinced me. I will find a way to get that specimen removed from the lab after Grace's surgery is completed."

Greg smiled at Susan, and said, "Thank you in advance for your efforts, Susan. I realize that I am asking for you both to have blind faith in this need. You may never know any more than you do now, but you won't have to deal with the realities either. Mimi and I have learned the hard way that some mysteries in life are better left unknown."

* * * * *

The next morning in the hospital operating room, Dr. Collins' surgical team had completed the bone graft on Grace's fractured carpal bone in her hand. They determined that a bone graft would not be required for the cyst in her forearm. After they completed the suturing, Dr. Collins stated, "Make sure that the patient's arm is secured, and then we'll turn her over for the quick extraction of that object from her buttock."

After turning Grace over, they coated her right buttock area with a soaked sponge of iodine. An incision was made, which exposed the embedded square object of contention. The nurse handed the doctor hemostats, and the mystery square was carefully removed. Dr. Collins wiped the object off and held it up to the overhead lights. He intuitively remarked, "It's not translucent, and it appears to have some type of non-organic plastic exterior." The doctor pinched the object between his fingertips and said, "It has some flexibility, but I have no idea of what is encased inside of it. Nurse, please send this specimen to the lab for further examination. Now, let's stitch this young lady's ass and finish up, because I have a scheduled round of golf to attend."

After the surgery was completed, Dr. Collins came out to the waiting room to talk with Greg and Mimi. With an expressed smile, the doctor stated, "Grace came through the surgery perfectly, and she will heal fine. We performed a bone graft on the ruptured cyst that was in her hand carpal bone. We only had to scrape out the infected cyst cavity that was in her forearm, and it should heal without a bone graft. However, I'm still not sure about what we removed from Grace's buttock. It has a plastic exterior, but I have no explanation of what it is or how it became implanted where it was. The specimen has been turned over to the lab for further examination. When those results come back, we will contact you. Currently, we are putting a plaster cast on Grace's arm, and she will be in the recovery room until her anesthesia wears off. You both may see her after she is returned to her room. If her next examination checks out OK, she can be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning." Greg and Mimi each shook hands with Dr. Collins and thanked him for his services.

* * * * *

Susan McCain had been monitoring the operating room schedules on her desktop computer. She tracked the specimen that was extracted during Grace's surgery. Then she waited until the lab personnel went on their morning break. Since Susan was the head nurse in the emergency room, she also had access to the hospital lab. Susan entered the lab to remove Grace's specimen and the transmittal papers that were delivered shortly after her surgery. After locating the sealed container and the paperwork, Susan shoved them into her scrub jacket pocket. She later transferred the items to her purse in the nurses' locker room.

* * * * *

That evening when Susan arrived home from work, Greg and Sonny were already waiting for her. Susan got out of her car and stated, "Gee, Greg. I thought that you would still be at the hospital with Grace."

Greg tried to avoid Susan's casual conversation. He replied, "I was there after Grace was returned to her bed from the recovery room, and Mimi is still at the hospital with her. So how did it go, Susan? Were you able to retrieve the specimen?"

Susan smiled, "Yes, Greg. I retrieved it, but I also wanted to see what it is."

Greg started to get slightly aggravated. He responded, "Susan, please tell me what you didn't understand, regarding everything I told you and Sonny yesterday afternoon."

Susan replied with imploring words of persuasion, "Oh come on, Greg. What harm could it do to me? Considering the fact that I put my job on the line, I should also be permitted to see what it is."

Greg's face exhibited a reluctant expression of surrender. He recalled asking Susan to have blind faith in accepting the need to take risks. So, he also felt that it was necessary for Susan to know why she had jeopardized her job. Greg relaxed and calmly responded, "OK."

Susan was now acting like a little girl on Christmas morning. She excitedly stated, "Let's go in the house and examine the specimen."

They went into the dining room, where Susan removed the glass container from her purse. They all looked at the barely exposed plastic square, which was covered by a padding of cotton gauze. "Wait here a minute, because I have to get some surgical tools in my bedroom dresser," she said.

When she returned, she found Greg and Sonny handling the square object. Susan angrily scolded them both. She stated, "This specimen was placed in a hermetically sealed container for a reason—to prevent contamination of the specimen. This container also prevents the specimen from contaminating the persons handling it." Susan set a box of surgical gloves on the table, and said, "Wear a pair of these if you want to touch it!"

Susan pulled out a magnifying glass from her leather satchel to make a closer examination. She then stated her observations. "It has a seamless plastic exterior and at this magnification it doesn't appear to be porous. It is also slightly flexible, but it feels rigid around the perimeter edges. I believe that this outer cover is just a moisture-proof envelope to protect the contents that are inside the plastic exterior."

She removed a multi-pocketed cloth roll of scalpels from her leather satchel. Susan removed one of the knives from its sleeve while holding the plastic square in her other hand. Concerned with exposure to an unknown, possibly dangerous, substance, Sonny grabbed Susan's forearm to stop her as he urgently asked, "Just what in the hell do you intend to do, Susan?"

She glanced over at Greg and responded, "I need to cut off this plastic skin. Once this exterior portion is removed, we will be able to see the contents inside."

Greg said nothing in opposition to Susan's intentions. Therefore, she continued with her examination of the specimen.

Susan pulled out a stand-mounted clamp from the leather satchel. She placed it on the table top, which she then clamped to the magnifying glass. Reaching back into her satchel she removed an elastic head band with an attached high intensity light. After inserting two new batteries, she switched on the light. This effectively illuminated the area that she was looking at. Susan firmly held the plastic square between her thumb and index finger and started to slice down the exterior edge until a small hole appeared. Then with dexterous precision she slowly followed from the exposed hole with her scalpel to cut a vertical slit along the perimeter side. She carefully pulled back the plastic covering, which partially exposed the contents. Greg and Sonny were each anxiously perched and looking over Susan's shoulders to get a closer look. After she had one complete side open, she continued to cut through the adjoining side from the bottom corner. Finally, she carefully extracted the contents. She placed them gently on a soft polishing cloth she had arranged next to her on the table. There were two ultra-thin outer pieces of stainless steel with rounded corners. The metal sheets contained two inner thin layers of plastic, which sandwiched the interior contents of 10 white sheets of paper.

After closer examination of the inner sheets, Susan stated, "I would say that these sheets are photographic film. However, they are positive images and not negatives. Each sheet appears to have something printed on the surface but the image appears to be speckled under the limited power this magnifying glass. I'll be right back. I'm getting my microscope."

Greg then looked at Sonny as Susan left the room. He curiously remarked, "Susan seems to have a lot of surgical gear for only being a nurse."

Sonny then explained Susan's background to Greg. He said, "Susan was a registered nurse in the Army, and she had to perform a lot of meatball surgery in a Vietnam field hospital. She used her GI Bill benefits to continue with medical school after she left the service. She later had to drop out of school when her father became terminally ill. After her father died, she decided not to go back to medical school, and to continue with her nursing career. Susan still has excellent surgical skills, wouldn't you say?"

Greg smiled and responded, "Yes, Sonny. I totally agree with you."

Susan came back carrying a large microscope. She plugged it into a wall socket, and turned on the base light. She very delicately used rubber tipped tweezers to pick up one of the small photographs. She carefully placed the sheet between two glass slides, and clipped the slides onto the microscope viewing base. "I don't know if the light on this microscope will be bright enough," she said. "I also don't want to damage the image with the heat that is being emitted by the microscope's light."

After changing the magnification power on the microscope lens, Susan stated, "I'm not sure what to make of this image, Greg. Just this one sheet contains hundreds of individual pages, but they seem to be written in code. The layout almost looks like some sort of an expanding tree graph that links with the end of the preceding page. Then it continues to link with the beginning of the succeeding page."

Greg and Sonny each took a turn looking through the microscope. Greg asked, "If this sheet is actually a photograph, then what type of a camera was used to make hundreds of multiple images on one tiny sheet? I've heard of spy cameras that can make individual miniature images on microfilm. However, I've never heard of a camera that could photograph hundreds of images on a single frame."

Susan proceeded with the arduous tasks of inspecting each of the other sheets. When she got to last three pages she looked up with a very confused expression on her face. She paused and then inspected the last two sheets. Susan got up from her chair and said, "Both of you should take a look at this sheet. The last three sheets are similar, but they appear to be displaying hieroglyphic symbols. This form of writing possibly dates back to the ancient Egyptian era or earlier."

Susan left the table again and came back with a textbook. She was furiously paging through the book to find an approximate match of the hieroglyphic symbols. Then she stated, "I had taken an archeology course as a minor when I was in college, but I am far from being an expert. These symbols look similar to the cuneiform hieroglyphics used by the Sumerians. I'm not really sure, because many of these images don't even look remotely like the ones shown in my college text book."

Greg's face looked hopelessly lost, and he inquired, "What are cuneiforms?"

Susan turned back through several pages of the book, pointed to an image, and provided an answer. "Here is an illustration, Greg. Cuneiforms are cylinders that had raised, reverse-imaged hieroglyphic symbols, like these, engraved in the surface. The cylinder would be rolled into slabs of soft clay, which made reversed or mirror-imaged impressions. After the clay dried it became a permanent stone tablet, and thousands of these tablets were discovered in one of the Sumerian libraries. The Sumerians were thought to be the first advanced human civilization which existed in the Middle East region of what is now Iraq. This region of ancient Mesopotamia also was formerly called Babylon, and before that it was known as Sumer, which is thought to be the location of where the Garden of Eden originated. The Sumerian civilization is approximated to have existed before 7000BC, and they were the forefathers of the Egyptians.

"You talked about a clandestine organization that is tied to these miniature picture documents, Greg. One secret society that allegedly originated from this civilized era was the Masons, who are also referred to as the great architects of modern civilization. The first Master Mason was a man named Nimrod. He was the chief architect who oversaw the construction of the Tower of Babel." Susan stopped with her ancient history lecture, and looked at Greg to make a suggestion. "With your permission, Greg, I could contact an archeologist. He may be able to transcribe these three sheets of hieroglyphic symbols."

At this point, Greg stood up and firmly responded, "My answer is no, Susan. We took a big risk in just opening the plastic envelope of these documents. Since the seven other sheets appear to be coded text, then we would have to assume that even the three pages that display hieroglyphics are also coded or indecipherable. I can't thank you and Sonny enough for everything you have done for my family. I already have one person's death on my conscience, and I refuse to carry the burden of two more dead people. We are evidently dealing with an ancient society which emanates from the dawn of civilization. However, as I have learned the hard way, human life is not sacred to these people. I have no doubts that they will kill anyone who stands in their way, or who may compromise their secret goals."

Susan took a more defiant approach with Greg. She asked, "Well, then, where do you intend to find the answers you seek?"

Greg nervously replied, "I will have to return these documents to the doctor who surgically implanted them in Grace."

Sonny then entered into the conversation. He inquired, "OK, Greg, and what makes you think that this doctor won't kill you after these records are returned?"

Greg answered Sonny with subdued confidence, "Because I know too much. This secret organization also needs Grace as a willing participant in their plans. After all, this doctor could have easily killed Grace to retrieve these documents, but he didn't. He was also the doctor who genetically enhanced her."

Susan stopped Greg for clarification and asked, "You said that this doctor genetically enhanced Grace?"

Greg went on to give an abridged explanation, "I was told that all humans were somehow genetically de-tuned over 7000 years ago with substituted junk DNA. Grace is part of the second generation of humans that are being returned to what their normal evolved state should be. You saw the evidence of what Grace can do, but she has not learned to control these abilities. Therefore, I will need to return these documents to the doctor who implanted them in Grace. I hope to receive some answers from him in return."

Susan shook her head in disagreement as she carefully packaged the ten sheets of images into a small plastic bag. She handed it to Greg and cautiously stated, "I don't know, Greg. It seems that you may be making a deal with the Devil."

Greg appreciated Susan's concerns and replied, "You might be right, but I really have no other choice. Involving anyone else in this matter would only endanger the lives of more innocent people. I'm sorry, folks, but this is the way that it has to be. Thanks again for your help and expressed concerns. Please don't talk to anyone about what you have seen or what I have told you. I'm going back to the hospital to pick up Mimi, and Grace will be getting discharged tomorrow morning. I'll drive my car tonight and stop back tomorrow to get the chrome trim for the windshield. How much money do I owe you for the windshield replacement, Sonny?"

Sonny got up to walk Greg to his car, and kindly stated, "Don't worry about that now, we can settle up later. You have a lot of other problems to deal with, Greg, and please be careful. Susan and I feel that you are dealing with very unpredictable people."

Greg forced a grin, and replied, "I'm not worried, Sonny. Like I said before, if these guys wanted to kill me, then they would have done so 16 years ago."

* * * * *

When Greg arrived at the hospital, Mimi was watching the television in Grace's room. Grace was slowly falling asleep. Greg walked to his daughter's bedside and gave her a kiss, "How are you doing, pumpkin?"

Grace looked up and replied, "I'm sore, but I can deal with it. I want to get out of this hospital. I'm fine, and it really shouldn't matter whether I'm resting here or at home."

Mimi looked over at Grace and firmly stated, "Tomorrow, Grace. It doesn't matter how well you think you are because Dr. Collins won't release you before he thinks you are ready. Please try to get some sleep." Mimi gave Grace a kiss and said, "Daddy and I are going home now. We will be back at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning to bring you home."

* * * * *

As Greg and Mimi left through the hospital entrance, Mimi quietly inquired, "Did Susan get the specimen?"

Greg replied, "Yes. However, all that this square contained was 10 sheets of highly compressed photographs. Seven sheets had coded text, and three of the sheets displayed ancient hieroglyphics."

After they got into their car, Greg continued with further comments regarding the analysis of Susan's inspections. "Susan used a surgical scalpel to cut open the plastic enclosure. We had to examine each enclosed sheet under a microscope to see them. There are hundreds of individual pages contained on each of the ten sheets. Each of these sheets was linked in series with each other, like continuous tree branches."

Mimi sat in total silence for most of the drive home and tried to make sense of this entire matter. She finally asked, "So what are you going to do, dear?"

Greg paused and then explained his only path forward. "I'm going to return these records to Dr. Patterson, and perhaps he will be able to help us resolve Grace's problem. I keep getting flashbacks to the picnic at Dr. Patterson's ranch and that freak show with Dr. Branson and the twin boys."

Mimi then quickly stopped Greg's verbal visions from the past. She confidently stated, "Well, we don't need to reminisce about this again because all of that bullshit ended in 1979!"

Greg then felt that the time had come to tell Mimi about what he had witnessed in Florida in 1986. He grimly stated, "I also thought that it all ended in Houston, Mimi. However, I had to revisit it again when I was at the Challenger Shuttle Launch in Florida. I unexpectedly ran into Dr. Branson and the twin boys, who were 13 years old then. Now they would be grown men."

Greg proceeded to tell Mimi the facts about what he had observed, and recalled his memories from that infamous day. "I fear that Grace is transforming with the same abilities these twins have, but she doesn't know how to control these metaphysical powers. It's a strong possibility that any surge in Grace's adrenaline causes her to emit an enormous concentrated energy wave. I suspect it neutralizes any solid matter, which is in the immediate path of her focus."

Mimi was quietly thinking for the rest of the trip home until they pulled into their driveway. After Greg turned off the engine and headlights, they both sat silently in the darkness of the car. Mimi asked, "What did you mean when you said that Grace can neutralize solid matter?"

When Greg opened the car door, the internal dome light illuminated the passenger compartment. He then rendered his explanation, "What I meant, Mimi, is that the deer which walked in front of our car, simply vaporized. The only evidence of a deer that remained was four smoking hoof prints. More than half of the windshield disappeared without a single trace of broken glass. And consider the condition of the dashboard."

Mimi's hand shook as she traced Grace's embedded hand print in the dashboard with her index finger. She reluctantly asked, "When will you be contacting Dr. Patterson?"

Greg replied, "I already called my engineering office to tell them that I would be on vacation today and Friday. I will call Dr. Patterson's office in Houston tomorrow after we pick up Grace from the hospital. I feel quite confident that Dr. Patterson will listen to me."

Mimi started to weep, and asked, "I'm also sure that he'll listen, but will he help us? I'm so sick of all this bullshit, Greg, and I just want it to end."

Greg tried to comfort Mimi with his reply, "Everything has to end eventually, dear. How it ends will depend on what we do, and contacting Dr. Patterson is currently our only option."

* * * * *

Grace was discharged from the hospital Friday morning, and they arrived back home. Greg placed a call to Dr. Russell Patterson's office in Houston, Texas. However, the receptionist explained that Dr. Patterson had temporarily discontinued his medical practice. He is currently a United States Congressman, and he is living in the Washington D.C. area. Greg hung up the phone, and went to talk with Mimi. He happily stated, "It appears that Dr. Patterson is now Congressman Patterson. He is living in Washington D.C.!"

Mimi smiled and jubilantly stated, "Well at least you won't have to go to Texas to see him. The United States Government phone numbers are listed in the blue pages of the phone book. So then, give his office a call!"

Greg placed a phone call to the U.S. House of Representatives. The switch board operator connected Greg with Congressman Patterson's office. The receptionist answered the phone, "Congressman Russell Patterson's office, how may I direct your call?" Greg quickly stated, "My name is Greg Bradford, and I live in Luray, Virginia. I would like to speak with Congressman Patterson, please."

The receptionist replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Bradford, but Congressman Patterson isn't taking any calls today. Congress is in session, and he is currently out of his office. If you wish to leave a message, I will have it delivered to Congressman Patterson's desk."

Greg paused and quickly thought of a meaningful message to leave. He made his response to the receptionist, "Yes, Ma'am. I would like to leave a message. Please tell Congressman Russell Patterson that I have recovered the information packet that he medically administrated in 1978. Please have him contact me if he would like me to hand-deliver these documents to his office in Washington."

Greg then provided his home phone number where he could be contacted. The receptionist politely read back Greg's message to be sure she had written it down correctly.

The receptionist stated, "I will place this message on Congressman Patterson's desk. He shall be in contact with you when he is available." Greg then thanked the receptionist for her assistance and said goodbye.

* * * * *

That afternoon Greg received a return phone call from Congressman Patterson's office. "Mr. Bradford, this is Congressman Russell Patterson's receptionist. Please hold while I connect you."

Dr. Patterson was now on the phone, "Well hello, Greg. It has been a while, since we last talked."

Greg pleasantly replied, "Yes it has been a while, Dr. Patterson. I believe the last time we spoke with each other was a little more than 15 years ago. At that time, my wife, Mimi, daughter Grace, and I had attended your picnic. Since you have returned my phone call so promptly, I will presume that you would like me to visit you in the D.C. area."

Dr. Patterson responded, "Why yes, Greg. I would very much like to meet with you. I'm sure that you will probably have an endless list of questions for me. I will arrange for you to be picked up at your home in Luray around 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, and brought to the D.C. area. We can have dinner together, OK?"

Greg hesitated and replied, "You really don't have to be inconvenienced by picking me up. I can drive into D.C. to meet with you."

Dr. Patterson quickly responded, "Nonsense. This will be no trouble at all because you shall be my guest, OK?"

Greg made no response, so Congressman Patterson concluded their conversation and stated, "Then it's a date, and I shall see you tomorrow evening. Good bye, Greg, and I look forward to talking with you."

After Greg hung up the phone, he told Mimi about the conversation he just had with Dr. Patterson. Greg smirked and remarked, "Dr. Patterson said he is sending a car to pick me up at our house. However, he forgot to ask me for directions."

Mimi laughed and replied, "I guess the driver will be calling here when he gets lost on some back gravel road. It seems rather odd, though. Why would Congressman Patterson send a car, all the way to the sticks of Luray, just to bring you to Washington D.C.?"

* * * * *

The following afternoon at 5 o'clock sharp, a large, black sedan pulled into the driveway. The driver tooted the car's horn. Mimi eyed the car with caution and commented, "Isn't it amazing how easily they found our house without the need for you to give them directions? This entire matter seems pretty damned suspicious."

Greg gave Mimi and Grace a kiss. He assuredly stated, "I see this meeting with Congressman Russell Patterson as a reciprocating exchange of information for our individual needs." Greg pulled Mimi aside and whispered in her ear to avoid having Grace hear his comment. "There's no need to worry, Mimi. Dr. Patterson wants his documents back, and we need some answers. Please also understand that if the Knights Templar wanted to kill us, this would have happened long ago." Greg then left the house to walk to the waiting car.

Mimi nervously watched from the front porch with Grace. Greg got into the back seat of the black sedan, and the car drove away.

* * * * *

The chauffeured car had almost reached the end of a 10 mile stretch of county highway. The driver quickly turned off the road and drove into an open field. Anxiety had rapidly overcome Greg, and he felt as though he was about to have his life suddenly cut short. Greg called up to the driver, "I'm afraid to ask why you have driven into this cow pasture. Do you know a shortcut route to Washington D.C. that I'm not aware of?"

The driver stopped the car and turned around in his seat to smile at Greg. He replied, "You can get out of the car now, Mr. Bradford, and a helicopter shuttle will be taking you from here. I have a beacon transmitting our location and the helicopter will be arriving in a few minutes."

Greg's curiosity had increased. He and the driver both got out of the car. Then Greg inquired, "If Congressman Patterson was arranging a helicopter transport, why didn't he just ask me to meet it at one of the local municipal airports?"

The driver frowned and stated, "Mr. Bradford, I don't know anything about a Congressman Patterson. I was only instructed to pick you up at your home and deliver you to this location. The less you tell me, the better off we both will be."

A helicopter could be heard approaching. The chauffeur provided Greg with instructions of caution, "Turn your head, and stand back as the helicopter lands, Mr. Bradford. Please also keep your head low when you approach the helicopter"

After the helicopter landed, Greg carefully walked forward while ducking below the whirling overhead props. He entered the pilot compartment to sit in the passenger seat, and pulled the door closed. The pilot looked at Greg and loudly instructed, "Please, buckle up, Mr. Bradford!"

After Greg was safely harnessed in his seat, the pilot waved to the chauffeur, and lifted off. The helicopter flew briskly along the river valley, maintaining a clearance that was barely above the dense forest treetops. Greg turned to the pilot and asked, "Where are we headed?"

The pilot kept his focus on his low altitude flight when he replied to Greg. "We will be arriving at Washington National Airport in less than one hour, and Congressman Patterson will be meeting you there."

Greg felt unsettled as he nervously clutched the small jewelry box in his pants pocket. The box contained the plastic bag with the miniature documents. Greg silently repeated a mission statement to himself, "I must succeed for Grace's sake..."

* * * * *

Chapter 54

At 6:05pm the helicopter touched down in a remote area of Washington National Airport. In close proximity was a small twin engine private jet. The helicopter pilot then instructed, "Watch your head as you exit, Mr. Bradford. I will be escorting you to meet with Congressman Patterson." After the pilot secured the helicopter he walked past Greg and said, "This way please, Mr. Bradford."

Greg followed the pilot as he walked up the stairs and entered the small jet aircraft. They saw Congressman Dr. Russell Patterson seated at a table watching television. Dr. Patterson got up to shake hands with Greg and turned to his pilot, "We can leave as soon as you are ready, Jonathan."

Greg had a concerned look on his face and asked, "We're leaving? And where are we headed to?"

Dr. Patterson smiled and replied, "If the weather cooperates, we should be landing at Hobby Airport in Houston, in less than three hours. Then we will proceed to my ranch to meet some other people. I also hope that you didn't expect a gourmet meal, because this flight has a bar, but no food services. I had my secretary deliver a bucket of fried chicken and some side fixings to my jet. I figured that this flight will give us some privacy, and time to get reacquainted."

The jet was approaching the runway and the pilot's voice interrupted over the cabin speaker. "Please turn your seats to the upright position, gentlemen, facing the front of the cabin, and remain buckled until I give the OK."

Greg then looked over to Dr. Patterson and inquired, "That pilot flies helicopters and passenger jets?"

Dr. Patterson replied, "Yes. Jonathan is one of three pilots who are at my disposal 24/7, but he is the copilot for this flight."

After the jet had taken off and reached its flight altitude the pilot called back over the speaker. He announced, "OK, gentlemen, you can walk about the compartment now. If we are approaching any bad weather, I shall notify you in advance."

Dr. Patterson walked to the rear of the passenger compartment. He returned with a thermal chest containing the food, and he removed the packaged items. The doctor arranged portions of food in magnetized bowls, which stuck to the surface pads of the table top.

They were eating their meal, in silence, for several minutes. Greg then inquired, "Why did you go to so much trouble to bring me to your ranch in Texas tonight?"

Dr. Patterson took a few seconds to answer after he swallowed his food. He then responded, "Because that is where you and I last talked. So, I am bringing you back to where we left off. There is something I want you to see, and you shall be witnessing a major recourse for humanity."

Greg's face took on an expression of horror with Dr. Patterson's statement. In subdued anger Greg stated, "The last time I heard that statement was immediately before the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster."

Dr. Patterson looked at Greg with a calm expression and stated, "Yes, Greg. I am aware of this fact. Dr. Branson told me you were in Florida that day watching the Challenger Shuttle launch with him and the twins, Keith and Kent. He also informed you that it was the twins who caused the Challenger disaster. Dr. Branson said that you were sickened and quite devastated over what you had witnessed. He didn't expect you to understand the reasons why such a nefarious act should be committed, but he also declined to offer you an explanation. However, Dr. Branson assured you that soon the day will come, and that you would understand. Well, Greg... today is that day, and I feel quite certain that after tonight you shall completely understand our reasons."

Greg stood up from his seat. He demanded, "Tell me, Doctor, did those reasons also substantiate the brutal murder of Dick Weisel, in 1979?"

Dr. Patterson carefully attempted to explain this event, and stated, "Dick Weisel was a very trusted brother of the Knights Templar. He was betrayed by someone who had secretly monitored his last conversation with you. Dick called me the night after he visited you. He also told me that you kicked him out of your house, and you asked him to refrain from any further contact with you. The fact that you severed ties with Dick Weisel on that evening is probably why you and your family didn't disappear as well. The Grand Council had ordered Dick Weisel's assassination for his breach of sworn secrecy. About a month later a doctor on my staff, Dr. Bolton, disappeared. He has never been seen again since that time."

Greg interrupted Dr. Patterson, to make an inquiry. "Dr. Bolton was Grace's pediatrician. Did he disappear for the same reasons that ended Dick Weisel's life?"

Dr. Patterson replied, "Yes, Greg. Dr. Bolton also had full knowledge of our fraternal group's redirected secret agenda utilizing the enlightened descendants. This was a covert program which directly opposed the long-range plans of the International Grand Council. After Dr. Bolton's disappearance, the genetic programs were halted. Then I, and every doctor involved in these experiments, was ordered to turn over our records. All the children who were part of this program, as well as the histories of their lineal ancestors, were demanded by the Council. Instead, every doctor around the world who participated in this genetics modification program quickly destroyed all of their files." Dr. Patterson paused to smile at Greg, and stated, "Each doctor also contributed to the creation of a complete appended file record of all their enlightened descendants. This file record had remained safely hidden for over 16 years."

Greg grinned as he reached into his pocket to retrieve the small jewelry box. He stated, "I will presume that these are the records, which you had hidden in my daughter's buttock."

Dr. Patterson opened the case and saw the 10 sheets of photographed records enclosed in a plastic bag. He gratefully replied, "Thank you for returning these to me, Greg. I feel that you have proven yourself to be worthy of the entire truth regarding the matters which your family members were unknowingly born into."

Greg then told Dr. Patterson about the incident that he and Grace had with a deer. Greg explained the subsequent medical procedures that were performed on his daughter, which revealed the implant. In conclusion, Greg posed the question that had been sitting in the back of his mind. "I am very curious as to how you could get so many images on a postage stamp-sized picture?"

Dr. Patterson leaned back into his chair to gather his thoughts. He explained, "In 1964, one of our lodge brothers had met an acquaintance in Japan by the name of Dr. Koana, who developed a legendary camera lens called the Ultra-Micro-Nikkor. It was a monster lens that weighed about 2 pounds. It had a magnification resolution of over 1200 lines within a space of only 1 millimeter with almost no distortion. Dr. Koana demonstrated the capability of this lens by using an English novel. He printed all 330 pages of this book on a single image that was about a half inch square. Dr. Koana was also able to enlarge these micro-sized images to their original size using the same lens. The doctors in our genetics program created a complete appended collection of the entire royal bloodline genealogy and had it encrypted with a code. Dr. Koana was contracted to place all of these coded records on several sheets. However, each sheet could not exceed the dimensions of a ½" square. After the images were completed, I was appointed as the gatekeeper to guard them. If it became necessary, I had the responsibility of securely hiding these documents."

Dr. Patterson further explained the internal division of their organization that was caused by the Grand Council's revised plan. He stated, "Shortly before your daughter, Grace, was born in 1978, there were over 100 doctors from around the world participating in the Knights Templar genetic modifications experiments. They became very concerned when this program was accelerated. With the removal of preliminary research, the expedited genetic experiments led to adverse physical reactions with some of the infants. Some of these reactions caused irreparable brain or other organ damage. Several of the babies died. The timeline for creating the Knights Templar clandestine army of enlightened descendants had been accelerated. The Grand Council continually disregarded the need for adequate research. The genetic modifications had to be slowly developed for at least one more of these successive lineal generations. In other words, Grace's children would be part of the last generation, and these descendants were prophesied within the Knights Templar master plan to inherit the Earth. However, what I and other doctors within this program did not realize is that the Grand Council's true master plan had been changed. Their new plan called for massive genocide, which would wipe out over 95% of humanity with a pandemic created by a genetically designed virus.

"To make matters worse, the Grand Council had been infiltrated by the Vatican, which eventually forced the abandonment of the entire master plan. The Vatican then proceeded to make its own selections about who would survive the final pandemic cataclysm. I, along with the other doctors, scientists, and microbiologists, silently dissented. We sought an alternative plan to stop this insane scheme, yet still achieve the original goal that would place the royal bloodline in its rightful throne to rule the world.

"Even after the Grand Council closed down the genetic modification experiments, the dissenting Templar Knights relocated the program to our hidden training centers. We covertly continued the development of the remaining descendant families, in unknown locations around the world. Furthermore, since all the original birth records were destroyed, the Grand Council had no means of locating a majority of these lineal bloodline descendants. You, Greg, have witnessed what two young boys, cloaked as spectators, could do to a large Space Shuttle. We are currently building a small army of these soldiers to stop the Vatican-controlled International Grand Council, before it unleashes a genocidal pandemic."

Greg could feel the hair standing up on the back of his neck. He politely avoided Dr. Patterson's offensive battle plans, and simply stated, "Dr. Patterson. My first concerns are for my daughter, Grace, and her unpredictable abilities which can destroy solid matter. However, I wish to be a humble guest and show courtesy to your hospitality as well as your stated ambitions in your war against evil. Much of this topic matter was very similar with the last conversation I had with Dick Weisel before I asked him to leave my home. Since this passenger jet is your home, I do not wish to say anything derogatory that would lead to my being thrown out while we are traveling at 30,000 feet in the air. So I will simply attempt to recall what Dick Weisel and I talked about in our last conversation. I shall then place this in context to what we are currently discussing."

Greg paused to trace his memories to find the proper starting point. He stated, "I witnessed what my daughter can do just by becoming scared or panic stricken. This problem concerns me as much as the twins, Keith and Kent, and how they destroyed the Challenger Space Shuttle. Did the Knights Templar ever consider what my daughter and the twins could do if they got really pissed-off or cornered? Furthermore, has your organization considered that you may be creating a genetically enhanced super army which can never be defeated? Dick Weisel truly believed that there are no other alternatives. The Knights Templar plan of using enlightened descendants is allegedly the only thing that stands between the victories of freedom versus the enslavement of humanity. You have now kicked up the stakes from humanity just becoming serf slaves to possibly becoming among the countless billions of deaths that will be caused by a genetically engineered bio-weapon. However, in retrospect, creating an army of super humans only complicates the situation more. Your plan will most likely force the Vatican-led Grand Council to carry out their genocidal program.

"At your picnic in 1978 you claimed that humans had been de-tuned with junk DNA. This alteration stripped us of our supernatural powers. It also demoted us to unwitting slaves who would be dependent on the banks, world rulers, and religious leaders to provide our needs. However, even if our human greed is fulfilled, our selfish nature will always additionally seek the power of domination over others. Perhaps this may explain why our creator had stripped humanity's demigod abilities, and to also prevent us from eminently destroying the planet."

Dr. Patterson refrained from debating these issues further. He respectfully responded, "Your Doubting Thomas attitude is one of the things that I admire about you, Greg. You scrutinize everyone and everything. I understand that you will need to be convinced, and I have a person who I want you to meet when we arrive at my ranch. He will show you the truth in these matters, and where all of this is leading."

Greg again had to inquire about his primary concerns. He asked, "Can this person also help Grace to control her abilities?"

Dr. Patterson replied sternly, "That is why your family was asked, in 1978, to continue with the training program, Greg. Your daughter would enhance her abilities, and she would learn to control them as well. I assure you that after tonight, your current concerns will be minimized."

Dr. Patterson rose from his chair, grabbed a VCR tape, and inserted it into the player. He stated, "We have about two hours before we land in Houston. I wanted to watch a couple of classic western episodes of 'Gunsmoke' before we arrive there. This early television series provides me with an escape to the simpler ways of life. I like to observe an environment where the good guys win and there's always a happy ending."

Greg was certain there was a deeper philosophical meaning behind Dr. Patterson's statement. The doctor's comparisons between Hollywood fiction and the reality of humanity residing on the edge of extinction seemed odd. Greg truly questioned the current dilemma and whether the Vatican or the Knights Templar could ever be defined as good guys. He was also not convinced that a victory by either of these warring factions would lead to a happy ending for humanity.

* * * * *

Chapter 55

A chauffeured car greeted Dr. Patterson's jet at Hobby Airport, and quickly drove them south on interstate highway I-45. When Greg arrived at the ranch with Dr. Patterson he saw a lit-up area in a field. A large object was covered by a draped canopy in the center of a small crowd of people. As they neared the assembly of people, Greg asked, "Is that another light studded teddy bear hiding under that cover, Dr. Patterson?"

Dr. Patterson chuckled with his response, "No. It isn't a teddy bear, but we shall be observing something remotely similar. Let's just ride on the suspense of anticipation until it gets completely dark."

Greg disliked Dr. Patterson's tendency to talk in riddles. He became even more uneasy when they walked by two Branson Pentecostal Church vans parked in the grass.

When they had reached the crowd of visitors, Greg once again met Dr. Branson and the twins, Keith and Kent DeMaribus. The twins were now grown men at 22 years of age. The assembled group included several other enlightened male and female trainees from the Branson Compound training center. Out of the corner of his eye, Greg also noticed the mysterious silhouette of a man silently standing alone just outside the range of the overhead lights. This man seemed to be continually staring directly at Greg and watching every move he made.

After about 30 minutes of introductions and friendly chatting, Dr. Patterson killed the flood lights. He then pulled off the draped canopy to unveil a large telescope mounted on a motorized base. The telescope had been electronically cabled to a large TV monitor sitting on a picnic table which displayed a distorted, blurry image. Greg's attention was then drawn to a motorized, humming sound, coming from the distance. His eyes slowly became adjusted to the darkness. Greg could now see a small rotating radar dish unit that was mounted on the top of the barn. The radar provided a sweeping 100 mile radius range that was displayed on a second TV monitor. The radar map limits denoted the ranch barn as the center axis point, while the band range on the monitor extended into the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Patterson called for everyone's attention as he pointed to a twinkling star in the western sky. He stated, "To the naked eye, this celestial object appears to be just another typical glimmering star. In actuality, it is one of many secretly manned space stations that are in low maneuverable Earth orbits. They are currently linked with the military's High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, otherwise known as HAARP. Their base station is located in Alaska, and HAARP can electrify the ionosphere to manipulate weather as a weapon by moving the jet streams. They are also advancing this program to meet their future goals. Very soon, these manned space stations shall assist in the Grand Council's final solution for monitoring and carrying out the genocide of over 95% of the world's population. These space stations can create open holes in the protective ozone layers of the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere is the outer band which shields our planet from the harsh gamma radiation that continually bombards our planet from outer space. These orbiting stations can direct this radiation stream to specific locations and regions on Earth's surface. It is just one weapon that our enemies have at their disposal for unleashing deadly radiation on anyone who dares to challenge their authority. They can accurately direct this radiation on a single home, community, state, or an entire continent. Tonight we will stealthily remove one of their high orbiting sanctuaries of evil, and we shall all be witnessing another major recourse for humanity!"

Dr. Patterson focused the telescope on the twinkling space station. He then had to adjust the monitor's contrast and brightness because of the object's intense bursts of light. The spherical space platform displayed a synchronized flashing array of blue, red, yellow and green colors. Dr. Patterson called the group of enlightened descendants to gather around the radar monitor. He then pointed on the radar map screen to a spot offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

The students turned their heads as Dr. Patterson pointed up at the orbiting space station. He ordered, "Remove the space station from its orbit and have it crash into this location in the Gulf of Mexico."

The group of descendants, which was comprised of over 20 adults, held hands and concentrated on the distant twinkling object in the night sky. Within approximately 90 seconds a fireball could be seen as it slowly streaked over their heads. It broke into several flaming fragments in the dark Texas sky. The falling debris was tracked and displayed as fast moving blips on the radar monitor until they disappeared into the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Patterson and all the Branson Compound participants happily gave loud cheers of success. However, Greg just silently turned and looked away from this contrived madness.

Greg revisited the same gut penetrating shock he had previously witnessed with the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986. Regardless of what Dr. Patterson said during their flight that evening, Greg would never be able to understand the reasons for these acts of destruction. The tragedy in Florida from over eight years ago still haunted him. He now witnessed the unprecedented ability of using mind-linked telekinesis to pull objects down to Earth from a space orbit. This mentally induced capability far exceeded blowing up a space shuttle. The combined power of the enlightened descendants was now only limited by their imaginations.

Greg walked away from the celebrating crowd to collect his thoughts. He tried his best to make sense of this evolving supernatural phenomenon. Greg stopped walking when a man suddenly appeared and stood in front of him. This gentleman looked to be middle aged with conservatively trimmed dark hair, and he was fully dressed in black attire. The man smiled at Greg and introduced himself. "Hello, Greg, my name is Monsignor Monahan, and I am an emissary of the Vatican in Rome. I was hoping that we may have a few minutes to talk together. Dr. Patterson has often told me about his special regards for your family, and I am quite pleased to meet you in person."

Greg's uneasiness had increased significantly. The attendance of a monsignor emissary from Rome directly contradicted Dr. Patterson's statements regarding the Vatican being the enemy, as well as the evil controlling force within the Freemason Grand Council. Greg walked around the Monsignor in avoidance. He replied, "Nice to meet you, Monsignor Monahan. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I need some time alone because I'm in no mood for a friendly conversation."

Monsignor Monahan continued to follow behind Greg and talked to him as he walked away. The Monsignor stated, "I knew your grandmother, Amanda Baxter, quite well, and I have been watching over your ancestral family for many generations."

Greg froze in his tracks, and turned around to look at the monsignor. He stated, "My grandmother died almost 30 years ago, Monsignor. So, I will presume that you knew my grandmother when you were a teenager."

The monsignor smiled because he had captured Greg's curiosity. He cheerfully replied, "No, Greg. I was a monsignor at that time. Furthermore, Amanda's daughter, Martha, and her son, Robert, had recently been deceased. You were very special to the Baxter and Bennett families, Greg, and you can even go so far as to say that you are their legacy."

Greg remained silent as he continued to walk beside Monsignor Monahan. He was baffled with how this Catholic emissary could possibly have attained the personal knowledge he possessed about his Philadelphia relatives. In fact, his relatives were Baptists, with a deep prejudice toward Catholicism, and this further aroused Greg's curiosity.

Once Monsignor Monahan had Greg's undivided attention, he probed further into the current personal matters of Greg's daughter. He asked, "Has Grace fully recovered from the injury she received in the automobile accident?"

Greg became alarmed and asked, "Excuse me, Monsignor, but how would you even know about my daughter, Grace?"

The monsignor smiled and responded, "I know about Grace from what Dr. Patterson has told me. Like I told you earlier, Greg, I have been watching over your family for a long time. I also know why Grace is having problems controlling her immense powers." When Greg made no further comments the Monsignor continued with his analysis of Greg's daughter. He knowingly stated, "Grace's superior abilities were inherited from you and Mimi. She shares your uniquely combined DNA attributes, which were chemically augmented after the awakening hallucinogenic journey you both took at Lake Travis in 1976."

Greg became even more intrigued with Monsignor Monahan's intimate knowledge of the early years of his marriage. The monsignor recalled every aspect of this secluded 1970s drug-cultured picnic at Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. Neither Greg nor Mimi had ever discussed this picnic with any of their close friends or their relative family members. Yet, somehow, Monsignor Monahan had witnessed this picnic. The monsignor recollected the events of that weekend, as though he was in attendance at this private gathering.

Monsignor Monahan then continued with the other contributing factor that led to Grace's current problems of uncontrolled abilities. He declared, "Grace's problems had ultimately been preordained when you and Mimi declined your family's enlightenment training in 1978. Since Grace never learned the art of meditated self-control or how to focus around an emotional disturbance, she also presently cannot effectively regulate her evolving powers. Your daughter's abilities far exceed any of the enlightened students attending here tonight. Furthermore, I must stress that Grace is very valuable to the spiritual realm. Therefore, she is also vulnerable to the evil forces which have prevailed on this planet long before the creation of Homo sapiens."

Greg stopped walking, and turned to face the monsignor. He inquired, "Are you saying that Grace is possessed, and that she is not the cause of her unpredictable disintegrating outbursts of energy?"

The monsignor replied, "No, Greg. Grace is not possessed. She is divinely marked and has been chosen to fulfill an important mission in the not so distant future. Thus, Grace is a threat to the evil forces, and they may attempt to detour her path of destiny."

Greg looked sternly at Monsignor Monahan. He angrily stated, "Presently, Grace is a threat to herself because she can't control her powers. What is causing this transformation in Grace?"

Monsignor Monahan provided a profound response to Greg's question. "Currently, Earth's solar system is entering the end of its 220 million year orbit within the Milky Way galaxy. In actuality, Earth did not originate in this galaxy. Your solar system was disconnected from the Nexus star cluster, which was a small galaxy that collided with the Milky Way over 5 billion years ago. The Earth shall soon pass through this intergalactic crossroad, which emits a cosmic energy stream known as the Grand Dimensional Nexus. This approaching radiating field of energy is the source of your daughter's growing transformational powers and abilities. Your planet and its inhabitants shall be dramatically reborn because your DNA is being mutated. Earth's inhabitants shall become genetically altered into an advanced consciousness and physical reality. In turn, this evolved state of being shall remove everyone's need for the current establishments of government, religion, commerce, and monetary banking systems. The epoch for those in power is about to end, and they intend to suppress humanity's transformation at all costs. Grace, as well as each enlightened descendant you have watched here tonight, has been genetically advanced since their birth. Their mental capabilities shall only get stronger with the passage of time."

The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming Greg. He asked, "Is there anything that you can do for my daughter, Monsignor?"

Monsignor Monahan then removed a small leather bag from his jacket pocket. He opened the bag and removed a gold necklace. The monsignor turned to face the distant lights and held up the object which dangled from the end of a gold chain. Greg moved closer to examine an oval shaped turquoise stone which displayed a polished, hand-carved raised image of a kneeling woman. The monsignor stated, "This is the Isis Amulet. Grace must always wear this amulet necklace and never remove it under any circumstances. It shall protect her from the evil forces and also enable Grace to focus and control her abilities." Monsignor Monahan then returned the amulet to the leather bag, and further stated, "I have borrowed this necklace from one of the Vatican's many depositories of ancient artifacts. It shall be of greater value in the possession of Grace than being locked in a vault of relics. Tell me, Greg, what will you offer in exchange for this priceless amulet and for Grace's assured well being?"

Greg paused, and presumed that he would now be required to make a sacrifice of biblical proportions to guarantee the safety of his daughter. He cautiously replied, "Well, Monsignor Monahan. You said that this amulet is priceless, so I will presume that money is removed as an offer of exchange. Perhaps you should state what you want from me in exchange for the amulet."

The monsignor smiled, "I can sense your thoughts, Greg. You now perceive this transaction as a contract with the Devil. However, in exchange for the amulet, I only wish for you to receive my expressed warnings in good faith."

Greg did not need to verbally pledge his good faith, because his pleading eyes willfully beckoned the monsignor to state his conditions. Monsignor Monahan slowly swung the leather bag containing the amulet in front of Greg like a pendulum. Then he stated his warnings. "You and Mimi will soon need to make a conscientious decision to either enter the pending battle against evil or to pay the price for your avoidance. Furthermore, you both have faithfully completed your obligations as loving parents. Your daughter, Grace, is now on her own predestined path, which you shall have no power or ability to change, and which Grace shall be unable to resist. Grace has been chosen for a prophesied mission that was predestined long ago which only she may succeed in fulfilling. Will you accept these warnings in good faith and pledge yourself to honor them?"

Greg's anger became elevated. He was being forced into a compromise that would relinquish Grace to the Knights Templar army of descendant warriors, in exchange for the amulet. Greg vehemently looked at the monsignor and retorted, "We all have choices, Monsignor Monahan. Individuals have free will to determine their own destinies, as well as bearing the consequences for those choices."

The monsignor laughed with his response, "Your grandmother, Amanda Baxter, said those very words to her daughter, Emily, almost one year before you were born. Amanda was absolutely correct. Furthermore, your grandmother's words are held to be true, 40 years later, with your circumstances. You, Greg, as well as your wife, Mimi, and your daughter, Grace, were all innocently conceived with a divine purpose. Nothing happens by accident or by chance, and eventually we reach our destiny regardless of which path we take or avoid."

Greg became more insolent, "Well, Monsignor Monahan. Since you mysteriously know so much about my past and present, perhaps you will look into your Vatican crystal ball, and tell me what my future destiny is!"

The Monsignor smiled and replied, "It is the same destiny that awaits all mortals, Greg... death. The significant points regarding your life's story is defined by how you live, and whether you deflect or help the people you meet along the way. Everyone reaps from the seeds that they have sown. The problem you have, Greg, is that you have yet to establish your true calling in life. You see any humanitarian task that befalls you as either reprehensible, evil, or of no importance to your own personal needs. However, for your benefit, Greg, I shall give you a glimpse into your near future. Nevertheless, you shall still ignore my advice and proceed in your vain attempts to succeed, while you analogously fight with your adversaries inside a burning house."

Monsignor Monahan put his arm over Greg's shoulder. They casually walked into the darkness of the grassy field as the monsignor foretold prophesies of Greg's near future. "You have already determined that Emily Baxter is your birth mother. However, she will lack the courage to confess this directly to you. You shall then commit diabolical acts against Emily to force her to tell you the truth. In doing so, you shall become the cause of her death. After Emily's funeral, you will hire an attorney to file a lawsuit against Bucks County Hospital to release your birth records. Even though you feel certain that you can trust this lawyer, he will betray you after he takes your money. You will bravely undertake this legal task by yourself as a pro-se litigant and file your case in a federal district court. Although the laws and the evidence are in your favor, the judge shall be forced by the Pennsylvania State Department to dismiss your case through a summary judgment. You and Mimi shall expend hundreds of hours doing legal research, filing court papers, and lose a large sum of money in expenses over the course of four years. Furthermore, you shall still never be any closer to disclosure of the truth than you are now."

Greg looked at the Monsignor in wonder, and remarked, "That's a pretty extensive and intriguing future prophecy, Monsignor Monahan! You are also probably partially correct. Even though I may not follow your advice, I will at least make a mental note of what you told me to watch out for."

The monsignor smiled and stated, "I already know that you will ignore my advice, Greg. You have always enjoyed impossible challenges, especially when they are only in your best interests. You are so much like your mother. She was also blinded by her self-seeking ambitions, with little regard to the forewarned repercussions or whom she would hurt while proceeding on her chosen path."

Greg desired to end this conversation before he lost his temper. He held out his hand to shake and tensely replied, "You can keep the amulet, Monsignor Monahan. Thank you for providing me with your wisdom, warnings, and good advice."

The monsignor reached out, and firmly gripped Greg's right hand. He smiled as Greg instantly fell into a subconscious trance. He could feel Monsignor Monahan's hand, but Greg could only see visions of his entire life within a short span of seconds. Many of the past 39 years' events that were mysteriously brought to light by the monsignor were not consciously remembered by Greg. Thus, these exposed past proceedings had either never been apparent to Greg, or they were totally unknown by him to have occurred.

The monsignor released his hand grip and watched as Greg desperately attempted to catch his breath. Greg stepped back in fear and gasped, "Who in the hell are you, and how did you do that?"

Monsignor Monahan laughed and replied, "Who I am, is not important, Greg. I wanted to show you that sometimes our future path in life can be illuminated more clearly by reflecting on how we arrived at where we are today. I wanted you to witness how many times you were saved from imminent death. You need to understand that your life was continually spared for a very special purpose. If you can begin to look beyond yourself, you will understand that life was intended to be an interchanging experience with all people. You must also understand that both good and evil share this planet of humanity's creation."

The monsignor had his back turned to the distant lights. Even though his face was eclipsed in a shadow, Greg could see the faint glow of Monsignor Monahan's eyes. He also felt the monsignor's penetrating energy as it pierced deeply into his soul. Monsignor Monahan placed his hand over Greg's heart and calmly stated, "If you are ever in doubt, Greg, search here for the truth. I shall continue to watch over your family and pray for their well being. Please communicate my fond regards to your wife, Mimi, your daughter, Grace, and Emily."

Greg stood silently stunned as Monsignor Monahan handed him the leather bag containing the Isis Amulet. Then the monsignor walked away to rejoin the people gathered with Dr. Patterson at the telescope.

Greg sat down on the grass to recollect random portions of his last 39 years of life. He was still reeling in awe over the profound experience he had just received from Monsignor Monahan. Dr. Patterson was right. Greg did meet a man who showed him the truth in these dubious matters of humanity and where all of this is leading. However, the hardest reality for Greg to accept was the self-evident truth about his own life. Greg reached into the leather bag, removed the Isis Amulet necklace and, carefully, placed the gold chain around his neck. After gently slipping the turquoise Amulet down under his shirt and stuffing the leather bag in his jacket pocket, he started walking back to the group of people who were still huddled around the telescope.

Regardless of who or what Monsignor Monahan was, Greg realized this Vatican emissary was not evil, nor did the amulet repel his advances. By contrast, a sudden calm came over Greg, and his anxiety level vanished while he wore the amulet. However, Greg regrettably understood that his acceptance of the Isis Amulet was in exchange for his silently pledged consent to relinquish his daughter, Grace, to the Knights Templar.

* * * * *

Chapter 56

Both Greg and Dr. Patterson were en route back to Hobby Airport for their return flight to Washington National Airport. Dr. Patterson was taking a short nap in his seat. This was relieving to Greg because he was still rendered speechless from his encounter with Monsignor Monahan. The car ride would give him time to prepare additional questions to ask Dr. Patterson during their flight home.

After boarding the private jet at Hobby Airport, Dr. Patterson went to the bar refrigerator to get some sodas. He also grabbed several bags of assorted snack foods from an overhead cabinet. Upon returning to his seat, he offered Greg a choice of refreshments. Then the doctor exhaustedly slid back into the leather upholstery of his passenger seat.

Dr. Patterson looked over at Greg. He asked, "Did Monsignor Monahan explain the matters to you regarding what we are up against?"

Greg took a long time to compose his response and turned away to look out the window. After careful forethought, Greg replied, "Yes, Dr. Patterson. The monsignor was quite revealing. He has effectively shown me my place in these future events and what my choices are. I concluded that I have no choice because either way this entire matter will be a losing situation for all of us."

Dr. Patterson responded, "Then what you are telling me, Greg, is that you have no hope. Are you already admitting defeat?"

Greg nervously tapped his foot, as he attempted to avoid Dr. Patterson's provoking questions. Greg replied, "What I am saying, Doctor, is that life is truly based on illogical contradictions. For instance, we are each supposedly given free will. However, from what Monsignor Monahan has told me, we are each conceived for an individual purpose. We are placed on a predestined path that is beyond our power to change. The monsignor also pointed out that good and evil rightfully share the planet. Even so, we are forced against our will to kill each other. Both oppositional forces in most wars fight against each other, allegedly, 'in the name of God'. Therefore, it's an oxymoron of principles."

Dr. Patterson patiently stared at the floor. He thought deeply about Greg's words of torment. He then asked Greg, "Would it be fair to say, since both good and evil share this planet together, that both are required to maintain the balance of human nature?"

Greg's words grew more intense with Dr. Patterson's simplification of this dilemma. He exclaimed, "I can't determine the difference between good and evil anymore! When we flew down to Houston earlier this evening, you convinced me that the Vatican was the root of all evil in the world. However, the man who rendered the truth to me is a monsignor emissary from Vatican City in Rome. This is another confounding contradiction."

Dr. Patterson responded, "There are conscientious objectors on both sides of any conflict and the factor of individual conscience is what resists the forces of evil. Inversely, the same can be said about the conscience of good people reverting to acts of evil. This battle has been raging on Earth for thousands of years, and it has existed for countless eons, long before this planet became inhabited with humans."

Greg was developing a pounding headache, and he wanted to cut through this philosophical rambling. He asked, "Then perhaps, Dr. Patterson, you will explain to me what Monsignor Monahan didn't. Please tell me why I must enter this conflict. Why has my family been specifically prophesied to be part of these surviving bloodline bastions of descendants who shall inherit the Earth? What makes me any more special than another human mortal that is not descended from this royal bloodline?"

Dr. Patterson smiled with his reply, "Now you are arriving at the heart of the matter, Greg. First of all, we are all immortals, and our mortal flesh and bone structure is what contains the essence of what we are. This planet is a collection of individual souls or immortal life energy forces that have been relocated here from all over the universe. However, the majority of us have no memory of where we came from. Earth was originally a cooperative experimental laboratory comprised of hundreds of different alien cultures from within our galaxy. Some of these cultures came from outside the dimension of our universe.

"An alien race of humanoids called the Annunaki, who were also known as the biblical Nephilim, colonized this planet over 400,000 years ago to mine gold. They created many of the natural surroundings of plant and animal life we see today. The Annunaki required manual workers, so they genetically combined their DNA with early man apes. They created Homo sapiens to be an intelligent class of subservient slave laborers. One of the first human-hybrid civilizations, called Sumer, was a city located in the Middle East.

"Eventually, the Annunaki began to marry the daughters of Man. These divine unions of marriage formed two distinctly different classes of humans—royalty and serfdom. The royal bloodline was derived from the earliest human women who married and mated with the Creators. Their family descendants were called the 'chosen ones' because they were conceived directly from the blood of Gods. By contrast, the humans of serfdom were caste as inferior slaves and the Annunaki referred to them as 'dust of the Earth'. The Annunaki left our planet 26,000 years ago and established their chosen bloodline to rule over the kingdom of Earth. Ever since the Annunaki's departure, the succeeding lineal generations of human slavery have continually plotted to suppress the royal bloodline, and to eradicate their descendant survivors.

"The documents that were implanted in Grace contain the complete genealogy of these royal bloodline descendants. These records have been secretly protected for over seven millennia. Over this long period of time, countless people have devoted their lives to protect this bloodline and to work towards their reinstatement as the rightful world rulers. Your family is part of about 2000 tabulated royal descendants still remaining. You all are being inducted into this conflict to take back the kingdom and to defeat all enemies who have conspired to prevent this from happening."

Greg stared deeply into Dr. Patterson's eyes. He now more clearly understood the massive deceptions within society. Historians, religions, and tyrannical international governmental powers have been plotting together since the dawn of human civilization. Their goal was to suppress the Creators' succession of the ruling bloodline descendants. Nevertheless, Greg still could not grasp the notion of his family being part of the world ruling class of royalty.

The genealogy documents still raised one more question of curiosity with regard to the three pages which displayed unusual pictographic symbols. Greg asked, "I saw that three of the pages in this set of documents displayed ancient hieroglyphics. Is there any special significance to these family generation entries?"

Dr. Patterson leaned back in his chair to look up at the cabin ceiling. He carefully responded, "These ancestors are probably the most controversial pedigrees of the royal bloodline. They make up only a small portion of the scrolls that were discovered by the Knights Templar when they began excavating under the Jerusalem Temple Mount in 1118AD. The scrolls revealed that many of the Biblical patriarchs were pseudonym names. Most of these exalted personages were, in actuality, Egyptian pharaohs. Therefore, this documented genealogy exposed the Bible to be nothing more than history rewritten as an allegory or myth. These scroll documents are what enabled the Knights Templar to blackmail the Roman Catholic authorities. The documents also gave the Templar's supreme wealth and power that exceeded any monarchy of their day. However, this made the Knights Templar a potential threat, which eventually led to their abolishment and their need to remain a clandestine underground organization. Most of your ancient royal bloodline is descended from the Egyptian pharaohs. These Egyptians had descended from the Sumerian Rulers, who descended from the bloodline of the Annunaki creators. So you can understand why this ancient revisionist history would be very damaging to the Roman Catholic authorities. In addition, it would damage the present day international establishment whose leaders are comprised of illegitimate oligarchs with foundations based in over 7000 years of Biblical fraud."

Greg then changed the subject with a more significant question. He asked, "How many of the remaining 2000 royal bloodline descendants are currently participating within the Knights Templar forces?"

Dr. Patterson responded, "Less than half of these descendants have been asked to participate. Only a handful of them had continued with their enlightenment training. As you have witnessed tonight, we do not require a large standing army of troops, nor planes, tanks, and guns."

Greg then dug deeper with his inquiries, "And what will happen if the royal blood descendants fail?"

Dr. Patterson had a stern expression on his face. He stated, "Like I told you previously, Greg. This spiritual war has been in existence forever. It is what the Old Testament refers to as the dissenting angels' heavenly revolt against God. If the forces of evil succeed, then the Creator shall destroy the inhabitants of this planet and start over, just as this judgment has come to pass before on Earth and on other planets throughout our galaxy!" Dr. Patterson regained his composure. He calmly stated, "So perhaps now, Greg, you can see that the stakes are much higher than even you could have imagined."

After hearing the ultimate consequences for failure, Greg asked a logical question. "If the Vatican knows that they will be destroyed by the Creator after defeating the royal bloodline descendants, then why would they proceed at war?"

Dr. Patterson was becoming frustrated with Greg's inability to understand the spiritual dynamics of this timeless war, so he sought to simplify the conversation. He replied, "As I have already pointed out before, Greg, the soul or life force that exists in each of our flesh and bone bodies is immortal. Therefore, the soul is indestructible. To make this easier for you to comprehend, let's say that we are playing the board game called Monopoly. Each player in this game starts with equal shares of wealth. Each player utilizes different risk strategies to succeed. After a few hours, there is a winner and the game ends. Now the players either pack up their pieces, and they go elsewhere, or they could start a new game again, from scratch. This is a simplified and abridged version of how the Earth's life cycle works. In reality, the game of life is played over a far greater span of time and on a very complex scale of risks and balances. However, the outcome is still the same.

"So far, you and I have only addressed the ramifications for our failure. If the Knights Templar and the royal bloodline descendants succeed, humanity shall take the next step onto a higher spiritual plane of existence. We will break the invisible binding chains that have continually suppressed our natural evolution for over 400,000 years."

Greg pondered Dr. Patterson's unique correlation, but he detected a comparative dissimilarity from what he had learned earlier from Monsignor Monahan. Greg stated, "Thank you for your beginner's level explanation of how life works, Dr. Patterson. What you said would make sense if life was just a game of chance based on a lucky roll of the dice. However, tonight Monsignor Monahan explained that in life, nothing happens by accident or by chance. Each of us eventually shall reach our predestination regardless of which path we take or avoid. It was very apparent that the good monsignor has an intimate knowledge of the distant past as well as a comprehensive vision of the future. Monsignor Monahan claimed to have talked with my grandmother over 30 years ago. He also said that he has been watching over my ancestral family for many generations. I would have dismissed this monsignor as a religious quack until I shook his hand. Then I mysteriously saw my entire lifespan of 39 years flash before my eyes in a few seconds. Now, would you please tell me who, or what, Monsignor Monahan is?"

Dr. Patterson got a hesitant look on his face. He said, "There are some things that I am not at liberty to divulge, Greg. However, I will state that Monsignor Monahan is far older than he looks. There are very few people who have been given the privilege to receive his guidance. The Monsignor had arranged for tonight's meeting at my ranch over two months ago, and it was scheduled specifically for your benefit and better understanding."

Greg's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. He anxiously asked, "How could Monsignor Monahan possibly have scheduled this event, two months in advance? I never even discovered the documents you implanted in Grace until two days ago, and I didn't call your office about my discovery until yesterday."

Dr. Patterson smiled and stated, "Monsignor Monahan has pretty amazing insight. You would almost have to conclude this monsignor's abilities are spiritually divine. Everything that the monsignor has told you is the truth, Greg. Nothing happens by chance or accident. Furthermore, Monsignor Monahan would not have asked me to arrange this event for you tonight if he did not feel it was crucial. You asked me how Monsignor Monahan could foresee the events of the last three days from his desk in Rome, two months ago. We again shall have to conclude that this was a divine intervention. It was also the same watchful eye that had spared your life on several occasions in the past to allow your continuance to this place in time. Our Creator works in many mysterious ways, Greg. You are one of few who have been chosen to witness this divine power. Please think very hard about everything you have witnessed, and what we have discussed tonight. I'm going to take a short nap before our jet lands in D.C."

Greg's sweaty hand was shaking as he clutched the Isis Amulet that was tucked inside his shirt. He silently stated, "I hope this amulet works for Grace, because she is truly going to need it!"

* * * * *

Chapter 57

Circa 1997

All of Greg's family matters regarding his adoption seemed moot in light of his experience in Texas three years ago. He fully understood that his family could not escape from the pending unknown future of world events. Greg had given the Isis Amulet to Grace with the simple directive to wear this necklace and never remove it. He was also reluctant to share the details of his experiences in Texas at Dr. Patterson's ranch. Greg did not want Mimi to worry about an uncertain future which was beyond their ability to change or avoid. The protective properties of the Isis Amulet would have to suffice as the only appeasement to Mimi's concerns regarding the future well being of their daughter, Grace.

Grace was now a young woman approaching 19 years of age. She had entered Shenandoah University in northern Virginia for her continuing education. Even with Grace's compensating scholarship, it was deemed to be less expensive to purchase a car for her to commute daily rather than paying the additional costs for her to live on campus. Grace had done well during her first semester at the college. She was on the Dean's List with a grade point average of 3.8 and adjusting easily to the demands of college.

Over the last 12 years, Greg had no interest in resuming his inquiries regarding Emily's revealing letter. The birth certificate she sent, which led him to the discovery that she is his birth mother, would suffice. Presently, Greg concluded that he needed to find his birth father. The name of Carl Mendel, which was published in his February 1955 newspaper hospital discharge announcement following Greg's birth, was his only lead. Greg and Mimi both felt that attempting to squeeze answers out of Emily Baxter would be difficult. It would be easier to continue the search for his paternal father on the latest digital search engine called the World Wide Web. By 1997 the Internet had been steadily growing. Genealogy websites were a global abundance that could easily be reached from home by using a computer, keyboard, and a mouse controller.

The following weeks of Internet searches had only led to dead ends. The entire matter of finding the Mendel family connection had greatly tormented Greg. His last resorted attempts to make inquiries with Emily Baxter had also failed. She no longer answered her phone, and she would not reply to his letters.

Greg then decided to take a different approach when he chose to call Emily at 10 o'clock in the evening. He knew that she would be half asleep and possibly forget not to answer the phone. This hunch had worked when he called her that evening. A very groggy Emily Baxter answered the phone, "Hello."

Greg very politely spoke, "Hello, Aunt Emily. I hope that I'm not calling you too late."

Emily was slow to respond, "Actually yes, Greg. I usually get to bed around 9 o'clock because I rise early in the morning for breakfast. I suspect that I know why you have called. I cannot give you any more information than I have already sent you, but we will talk again when I'm ready. Is there anything else that you want to discuss while I'm up?"

Greg quickly changed the subject matter to something that Emily would talk about. He asked, "I know very little about your parents. Would you first tell me something about my grandfather, Samuel?"

Emily was more than happy to talk about her father. She stated, "Regardless of what anyone ever said about my father, I will always regard him as a good man. At one time, Greg, I thought that I was adopted because there is more than a seven-year difference in age between me and my older sister, Martha. My father assured me that I wasn't adopted. He said that I was very special. He called me his miracle child because my mother, Amanda, was 42 years old when I was born. My oldest brother, Robert, is 14 years older than me. My other brother, Isaac, died of bone cancer at 36 years of age and his son, Jim, died in 1970."

Greg wanted to keep Emily talking while he jotted down notes. He inquired, "What can you tell me about your grandparents?"

Emily paused while she searched her memories. She stated, "Both of my paternal Baxter grandparents lived in Berlin, New Jersey. They were deceased before I was born in 1913, and so was my maternal grandmother, Sara Mills. My maternal grandfather, James Mills, died in our Wyoming Avenue home. I was only 3 years old when he died, so I barely remember him. My father's two sisters are both deceased, and my mother was an only child. All of my first cousins in my father's family are also dead. I am the only surviving second generation family member left."

Greg then asked, "Do you have any Mills' family relatives whom you stay in touch with in Europe?"

Emily responded, "I never met any of them. Most of my mother's family in England failed to stay in touch after her family moved to the United States in 1881."

Emily yawned and said, "I hope this gives you some of my family's history, Greg. It will have to do for now because I have to go back to sleep. We'll talk some more at a later date, OK?"

Greg politely said, "Thank you for chatting with me. Please call me when you are ready for me to come up for a visit."

Greg rewrote his notes to correct some of his illegible scribbling while his conversation with Emily was still fresh in his mind. At least Emily provided some information that he could research. However, he wasn't any closer in finding the Mendel family connection. The elusive Carl Mendel, denoted in his 1955 hospital discharge, was still unknown.

* * * * *

Mimi continued to surf on the Internet and researched several genealogy websites. One evening she finally hit a major find when she had discovered a published 300-year old family tree, which listed the family surnames of Baxter and Bennett. Mimi called Greg to come over to the computer. "I think I have found something that you need to see, Greg. This lady, Beverly Timbrook Grayson, has published numerous pages of her family's lineal tree branches. They include Emily Baxter's family and also Edmond Bennett."

Greg spent several minutes back tracking through the indexed Baxter family history which preceded the American Revolution. He asked, "How in the hell was this lady able to obtain all of these birth, death, and marriage records, which date back to the latter 17th century?" Upon closer examination, Greg stated, "It appears that Beverly Timbrook Grayson is a distant cousin of Emily Baxter. The surname Timbrook is derived from Beverly's grandmother's married name. Beverly's grandmother is Samuel Baxter's sister. Therefore, Beverly's grandmother is also Emily's Baxter's aunt."

Greg then started to examine some of the Baxter family birth and death dates. The only one that stood out from his recollections was Emily's birth date of October 27, 1913. As Greg followed the Baxter family tree backwards in time he came to Amanda Mills, born in Oldham, England in 1876. Greg quickly did the math in his head. He curiously stated, "Wait a minute, Mimi, something is really screwed up with Beverly's dates."

Greg pulled out the tablet from his briefcase that contained the notes he had written during his last conversation with Emily. After examining his notes, he declared, "I was right! Emily told me that her mother Amanda was 42 years old when she gave birth to Emily in 1913."

Greg then performed the simple subtraction on the tablet, and showed it to Mimi. He stated, "Beverly's record shows that Amanda Mills was born on August 14, 1876. According to Emily, her mother would actually have been born in 1871."

Mimi then went back through her Internet browser history of links that she had visited. She explained, "In England, they use a BMD index which is an acronym for their Birth/Marriage/Death registry index."

Mimi located the website, and ran a query on the BMD search engine for:

England/Oldham/Amanda Mills/birth record/DOB: 1876/

father's name: James / mother's name: Sara

Mimi then ran the same search for Amanda Mills born in 1871. She explained her findings, "It appears that Emily was mistaken. Amanda Mills' birth registration with the parents' names of James and Sara only matches for 1876. There's no matching parent-child BMD registration for Amanda's birth in 1871."

Mimi again viewed Amanda's 1876 birth registration, and pushed the command button to order a copy of the record. She stated their options, "We can't order this England birth record over the Internet. We will have to purchase an international cash voucher and order a copy of Amanda Mills' birth certificate via pre-paid express mail. Then we should have this record within three weeks."

Greg nodded his head in agreement. He stated, "At least this birth record will clarify the five-year difference in what Beverly denotes in her records, versus what Emily told me."

* * * * *

Less than three weeks later, Greg received a reply from the Oldham, England Registry, and the letter stated:

Dear Mr. Bradford,

Re: Birth Certificate Amanda MILLS

With regard to your recent application for the above certificate, I did locate a birth entry in the June quarter of 1876, which is the one you requested (reference OBT 111 entry 288) but the parents' names did not match your application form entries. However, on your application form you stated that the birth was 8/14/1876 but the June quarter only covers April to June inclusive so too early for the birth you require! I did have a look but could not find the birth of Amanda Mills in August 1876. Sorry I cannot help you further with this inquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Bower/Deputy Registrar

After reading this letter from the England Registry, Greg was totally perplexed. He exclaimed, "It appears that Beverly is also wrong with Amanda Mills' birth date."

Mimi then returned to Beverly's online family genealogy index and pointed to the bottom of the screen. "Look, Greg, Beverly also has her email address posted. So why don't you write to her and possibly set up a time to meet with her? Perhaps she can give you the family information that Emily won't."

Greg smiled and said, "That's an excellent idea."

* * * * *

Two weeks had passed but Beverly had not replied to Greg's email. He then sought an alternative way to contact her. He did an internet search for a phone listing for Grayson. He found a listing for "Robert and Beverly Grayson; Berlin, New Jersey." Greg exclaimed, "This must be Beverly's phone number because the Baxter Family originated from that area of New Jersey."

Greg called Beverly Grayson's home phone, and her husband, Robert, answered the phone. Greg courteously explained his purpose for calling, "Hello, Mr. Grayson. My name is Greg Bradford, and I have been reviewing your wife's genealogy records on the Internet. I have some new information for her family tree, which extends from the Baxter and Bennett families."

Robert paused and then he responded. "Beverly is taking a nap right now, and she cannot come to the phone. You said that you have some additional family history for the surname, Baxter?"

Greg replied, "Yes, Mr. Grayson. My deceased grandparents are Samuel and Amanda Baxter. Their daughter, Emily, is my mother." After a long pause Robert finally replied, "I'm not ignoring you, Greg. I wrote down everything you said for Beverly to read. Please give me your phone number, and I will have Beverly call you back after she wakes up." Greg gave Robert his phone number, and thanked him for relaying the message to Beverly.

Greg had considered not saying anything about Emily Baxter being his mother, but he wanted to provide Beverly with a good reason to call him back. Within two hours Greg received the expected return phone call from Beverly Grayson. She introduced herself, "Hi, Greg. This is Beverly Grayson and I must admit that your assertion regarding Emily Baxter being your mother has overwhelmed me. I haven't corresponded with Emily since the 1970s, and I wasn't even aware that she had married. When did Emily get married, and what is your father's first name?"

Greg hesitated in his answer. "Well... first of all, Emily never did marry. My surname of Bradford is the name I received when I was adopted. Secondly, to answer your other question, I don't know who my biological father is. It's only been recently that I found out that Emily Baxter is my birth mother."

Beverly was now even more confused, and she digressed, "I looked up your phone area code of 540. I see that you live in Virginia. Would you be able to come up to New Jersey and visit me, so we could compare notes?"

Greg was quick to respond, "Yes, Mrs. Grayson. I can come up there next Saturday."

Beverly responded, "That will be fine, Greg. Please call me Beverly because we are distant cousins and that also makes us family. I will make lunch for us, and we should have plenty to discuss."

Greg chuckled with his reply, "OK, Cousin Beverly. I found your Berlin, New Jersey street address of 35 Briarwood Lane when I searched for your phone number on the Internet. I'll be arriving there Saturday morning around 11 o'clock."

Greg spent the rest of the week leading up to that Saturday, reading Beverly's bibliographies of the Baxter family. She also had minor entries for Samuel's wife, Amanda, and her parents James and Sara Mills, which denoted that they had immigrated to America from England, in 1881. However, one piece of information that was not in Beverly's index was the surname, Mendel. All of Greg's local searches for a Carl Mendel turned out to be dead ends. The Doylestown, Pennsylvania newspaper denoted this name with Emily's patient discharge from the hospital. The librarian at the historical society believed it was correct. Thus, Greg could only conclude that Emily had used an assumed family name when she was admitted into Bucks County Hospital. Greg had also investigated the maiden name of Amanda's mother, Sara Mills. This also proved to be an uneventful search because Sara's previous name was Grimshaw.

One evening while Greg was aimlessly searching the Internet, his daughter Grace walked by to say good night before she went to bed. She asked, "Are you still searching for Carl Mendel, Daddy?"

Greg turned away from the computer screen to look at his daughter. He replied, "Yes, Grace, but I'm not having any luck."

Having honed her research skills during her last semester at the college, Grace quickly brainstormed. She offered a suggestion, "Well, since Amanda Mills came from England in 1881, then why don't you look for him there?"

Greg sat and thought hard about Grace's suggestion. He replied, "Well, Grace, there are many Mendel families in Europe and in the United States. I had presumed that Carl Mendel would have been close to Emily's age and living in the United States if he is my father."

Then Greg had remembered that Emily said her mother, Amanda, was 42 years old when she was born. This would mean that Amanda was born in 1871. However, since there was no record for the Amanda Mills that Greg was looking for then, perhaps, Amanda Mills was an assumed name? One of the websites that Mimi had been frequenting was the Latter Day Saints [LDS] family search engine. It contained both the 1881 Great Britain and 1880 United States census registries. Greg did a birth search for 'England/Mendel/1871' and only one name appeared.

Grace smiled when she saw the look of relief appear on her father's face. She asked, "Did you find him?"

Greg got up from his chair to give Grace a hug as he exclaimed, "Yes, Grace! I not only found Carl Mendel, but I also believe that I found out what Amanda Mills' real name is. It's Julia Frida Mendel, and she was born in Islington, England, in 1871!"

* * * * *

The following Saturday morning Greg anxiously arrived for his visit with Beverly in Berlin, New Jersey. After he finished eating lunch with Beverly and her husband Robert, Beverly walked Greg to her basement office to exchange their genealogy records. Greg saw the rows of file cabinets in an adjoining room. He asked, "How did you ever amass such a thorough collection of records, Beverly? It must have cost you a fortune."

Beverly smiled, "I belong to three genealogy organizations that are tied to historical libraries in several counties. I also have friends who work at the New Jersey Department of Vital Records."

Greg grinned, "Well, I guess that answers my question."

Greg admired Beverly's extensive hobby in genealogy, even though he really couldn't appreciate her massive quest to trace her family's distant ancestors. At 76 years of age, Beverly had accomplished finding over 400 years of information to add to her indexed record collection. However, she had only published the last three centuries of her findings.

Genealogists came in two extremes of purpose. The Mormon Latter Day Saints had the ultimate goal of tracing and connecting their family's lineages back to the time of Jesus Christ. Greg's lesser task was only to locate his birth father. However, Beverly fell somewhere in between these spectrum limits. This sweet, elderly, grey-haired woman, who was also Greg's very distant cousin, seemed to be driven by an addiction or some other lifelong ambition that was probably beyond his comprehension to understand.

Beverly looked at Greg with a serious expression, and inquired, "What do you have to show me, Greg?"

Greg opened his briefcase and extracted an envelope containing the letter he had received from the Oldham, England Registry. He carefully stated, "There seems to be a conflict of dates regarding when and where Amanda Mills was born. I sent a search application to the Oldham Registry in England to get Amanda's 1876 birth record. I discovered that this record does not exist."

Beverly read the letter and then reached behind her chair to get some papers. She stated, "Your uncle, Robert Baxter, was the person who got me started in genealogy. He gave me these records back in 1953 to hold for him, but he never asked me to return them."

Beverly removed several documents and Robert's hand written notes from a large envelope. After sifting through the papers, she pulled a birth certificate out. She stated, "I believe this is what you were looking for, Greg." He looked at the birth record, which denoted Amanda Mills, born in Oldham, England on August 14, 1876. The birth registration also documented James and Sara Mills, as her parents.

Greg's confusion showed in his angered response, "But the Oldham Registry claimed that this record does not exist."

Beverly explained, "Well, I can only contend that this Oldham Registry record for Amanda Mills had been removed for a reason. However, you may understand why it was removed after you see this next record." Beverly handed Greg a death record for Amanda Mills, which denoted that this same baby girl had died three days after she was born. Beverly placed her hand on Greg's hand and softly stated, "You now know who Amanda Mills wasn't."

Greg then went back to his brief case to take out some photocopies. After handing them to Beverly, he went on to explain his sequence of searches. "This first document is the newspaper microfilm record of my discharge from Bucks County Hospital in 1955. I believe that Emily used the assumed name of Mrs. Carl Mendel when she was admitted into the hospital to give birth to me. Furthermore, through a phone conversation I had with Emily, she told me that her mother, Amanda, was 42 years old when she gave birth to her. If Emily was born in 1913, then Amanda would have been born in 1871. My daughter, Grace, had suggested that I search for Carl Mendel in England. There are many Mendel families in Europe, so I queried the LDS database census records. I narrowed my search for the surname Mendel, born in England in 1871. The England 1881 Census showed only one girl named Julia Frida Mendel and her father's name is Carl."

Beverly reviewed the census photocopy and exclaimed "Excellent sleuthing, Greg! I never had the nerve to asked Emily about Amanda Mills' registry records. I thought that perhaps Emily didn't know anything about her mother's falsified birth records."

Greg went on to explain why he suspected that Amanda Mills was a name assumed by Julia Mendel. He gave the details of his research findings, "I returned to the Great Britain BMD index to search for any records on Julia Mendel after 1881. However, no other records existed for her. It was as if this 10 year old girl dropped off the edge of the Earth in 1881. It appears to me that Julia had assumed the new identity of Amanda Mills when she came to America in 1881. Even so, this theory leads to more questions, such as, who were James and Sara Mills?"

Greg's experiences with the Knights Templar in Houston, coupled with the disclosed knowledge he had gained from Monsignor Monahan, were starting to explain the relevant linkage of these documented past events. However, Greg wanted to hear Beverly's interpretation of the evident facts. He then asked Beverly two logical questions. "Why would Julia Frida Mendel assume the identity of a baby that died in 1876? What was the need for her to assume the name of Amanda Mills when she came to America in 1881?"

Beverly was cautious with her speculated reasons for a 10-year-old girl to assume a new identity. Beverly recalled her memories and stated, "My mother once told me that Amanda's father, James Mills, was very wealthy. He had several bank branches in Camden County, New Jersey. James had also set up his son-in-law, Samuel Baxter, with a bank in Feltonville, which is located in the Philadelphia area. This banking position occurred several years after he had married Amanda. Samuel had previously been a textile machine repair man before he met Amanda Mills."

Beverly stopped with her historical recollections as she nervously watched Greg writing down notes. She retreated from any further disclosures to Greg, and simply stated, "I feel that the only person who can answer your questions about Julia Frida Mendel would be Emily Baxter. Possibly, the Danbury Law Firm could be helpful. Joseph Danbury handled all of our family's estates, including the banks that James Mills owned in Philadelphia."

Greg looked away, negatively shaking his head. In a frustrated tone of voice he said, "Ever since Emily revealed my adoption and cryptically exposed herself to be my birth mother, she has not been very willing to talk. I hope she will eventually tell me more about her mother, Amanda. I also don't know anything about the Danbury Law Firm, and it's highly unlikely that they would give me any information. Perhaps it's time for me to give Emily another push and just show up without telling her that I'm coming to visit her."

Beverly then pulled one more document from the top of her desk to give to Greg. She said, "This is a hand-drawn family tree. Emily gave it to me in 1971, so I could incorporate this information into the Baxter indexes of my genealogy records."

Greg reviewed the document and noticed that the portion for the Mills' family lineage had been cut off. He pointed at the snipped record, and asked, "What happened here, Beverly?"

Beverly got up from her chair to unlock a file cabinet. She retrieved a hermetically sealed, transparent plastic envelope. She handed the document to Greg and stated, "The copy I gave you, Greg, matches what Emily gave to me in 1971. Emily had cut this part off her family tree drawing."

Greg then reviewed the sibling branches of this Baxter family tree. It listed Emily, her brothers, Isaac and Robert, and her sister, Martha. Greg made his verbal interpretation of the information Emily had provided. "Here are the entries for the children of Samuel and Amanda Baxter. Robert and Becky Baxter, and it denotes that they had no children. Isaac and Doris Baxter, and for their children, Emily denotes that she is 'still working on this.' Edmond and Martha Bennett, and for their children, Emily also denotes that she is 'still working on this.' Finally, for Emily's entry in this family tree, she claims that she is enjoying her life in single bliss."

Greg shrugged his shoulders, and inquired, "I don't know why Emily didn't list Isaac's son, or why she didn't list Martha's son and daughter? What was there for Emily to still be working on? Emily already denoted that Robert and Becky had no children. Therefore, Isaac and Martha also would either have, or not have, children."

Beverly sat quietly waiting for Greg to grasp the words that he had just spoken. "Think about it, Greg," Beverly remarked. "It's understood as to why Emily did not mention giving birth to you. However, what reason could Emily have for omitting the mention of her brother, Isaac's son and her sister, Martha's two children?"

Beverly's question finally sunk in and Greg now understood. He exclaimed, "Because all three of these children are adopted!"

Beverly smiled, "You were a little slow Cousin, but I knew that you would figure it out!"

Greg had finished his exchanges of information with Beverly and was ready to return home. Beverly grabbed the large folder of Robert Baxter's genealogy documents and handed it to Greg. She kindly stated, "Here, Greg, these copies are for you, and I have the originals. I'm sure that your Uncle Robert would have wanted you to have them because you located the missing family link that he wasn't able to find. He would have been very proud of your accomplishments."

Greg reciprocated and handed his envelope of records to Beverly. He gratefully stated, "These are copies of my documents and family tree that you can have for your files. You may want to wait to publish them until after I have talked with Emily. I can't thank you enough for all of your genealogical insight and help, Beverly. Please, let's stay in touch with each other."

Beverly gave Greg a hug and replied, "You'll always have my support, Cousin."

While Greg drove home to Virginia, he contemplated his upcoming surprise visit with Emily. He had high expectations of receiving the disclosure of the truth. Emily had promised her mother, long ago, that the facts would eventually be revealed to Greg, and that point in time had finally arrived.

* * * * *

Chapter 58

Greg rose from bed after a restless night of sleep. He was still in the process of recovering from the previous day's exhaustive meeting with Beverly Grayson. As Greg poured a cup of coffee, he heard the shuffling of papers in the den. He found Mimi reviewing the envelope of documents that he had received from Beverly.

"I trust you aren't becoming addicted to the Internet, dear," Greg said. He watched his wife staring at the monitor screen, "How long have you been online?"

Mimi kept her focus locked on her searching as she replied, "Not long. I'm verifying something that I found on Samuel Baxter's death certificate. I'm using an information search engine on the Internet that has the Social Security Death Index, and I looked for Samuel Baxter. I first searched for your grandmother, Martha Bennett. It verified that Martha is deceased, and her Social Security Number is denoted because it is now retired. However, when I did a search on Samuel Baxter, this database showed nothing in the Death Index. So I did a separate search by entering his Social Security Number, which is noted on his Pennsylvania Death Certificate. This database shows that his Social Security Number was issued in Pennsylvania, but it is still active!"

Mimi got up from the computer, and Greg sat down to rerun the search. When the queried results came back the same, Greg asked, "How could Samuel Baxter's Social Security Number still be active? He died 45 years ago!"

Greg and Mimi retreated to the front porch to think. Greg recalled something that Beverly Grayson told him. "Beverly said that a lawyer by the name of Joseph Danbury, with the Danbury Law Firm, was my relative family's estate attorney," said Greg. "Therefore, he or his successor in this law firm would have had the responsibility of retiring Samuel Baxter's Social Security Number."

Greg returned to the computer and ran a yellow pages search for: 'Pennsylvania / attorney / Danbury'. The search returned the result for the 'Danbury Law Firm, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania'. Greg jotted down the Law Firm's business phone number. He decided to wait until he went to work the next day to call Joseph Danbury with his inquiry regarding Samuel Baxter's Estate.

* * * * *

The following morning at work, Greg searched for an empty office to place a private phone call to the Danbury Law Firm. His adrenaline was pumping as he dialed the number. The law firm's receptionist answered, "Danbury Law Firm. How may I direct your call?"

Greg quickly stated, "My name is Greg Bradford, and I need to speak with Joseph Danbury, please."

The receptionist replied, "Which Joseph Danbury did you want to speak with, Senior or Junior?"

Greg paused and stated, "My inquiry is related to an estate from the 1950s. So, I suppose that I will need to speak with Joseph Danbury, Senior."

The receptionist placed Greg on hold, and buzzed Joseph Danbury's office. "Mr. Danbury, a Greg Bradford has asked to speak with you. Are you available to take his call?"

An elderly, raspy voice replied back from the receptionist's intercom. Joseph harshly inquired, "What in the hell does Greg Bradford wish to discuss?"

The receptionist was hesitant with her response, "Mr. Bradford stated that he has an inquiry about an estate from the 1950s. Do you have time to speak with him?"

Joseph Danbury's voice was now more aggravated. He replied, "Take his goddamn phone number and tell him that I will call him later."

The receptionist returned on the phone with Greg. She stated, "I'm sorry, Mr. Bradford. Mr. Danbury is not available now, but he said he will call you back later today. May I please have a phone number where you can be reached?"

Greg provided the receptionist with his home and office phone numbers. After hanging up the phone, Greg returned to his office desk to wait for Joseph Danbury to call him back.

Joseph Danbury reached across his desk to call his receptionist through his intercom. He sternly ordered, "Hold my calls... I don't wish to be disturbed!"

Joseph removed a cigar from his desktop humidor, snipped the end and fired it up with his lighter. He took several long draws on the cigar, which created a bright flame that quickly diminished to a glowing orange ember. A thick cloud of smoke billowed into the room. Joseph's mind was racing at the speed of light. However, at the feeble age of 92 years, his body struggled to keep pace as he slowly rose from his chair to pour a large glass of brandy. Joseph took a long gulp. He reminisced about the memories of his previous Walnut Street Law Office, in Philadelphia, and the problems he had to endure resulting from the illegitimate birth of Greg Bradford. Joseph slowly paced the floor, and he stared out his office window, while angrily muttering to himself. "So, Emily's little bastard son has come full circle, and he has returned to cause me more problems."

Joseph had a pretty good idea what Greg wished to discuss. His adoptive mother, Amy Bradford, was another annoyance that called his Law Office all too frequently to prevent any attempts that Greg may make to get information regarding his adoption. Amy even went to the expense of retaining Joseph Danbury as her attorney. She had to assure that he would confidentially follow her directives to seal anything regarding Martha Bennett's Last Will and Testament. In that Will, her mother had specifically named her stepson, Greg, as her only child heir. However, Martha's Will documentation never saw the light of day due to the obvious implications. Nevertheless, Joseph's gut feeling told him that Greg Bradford was searching for something else besides information about his adoption. Joseph was running every conceivable possibility through his mind to ascertain what it might be. It really didn't matter because anything that Greg might request of the firm would be denied anyway. After a few minutes of contemplations, Joseph walked to the receptionist's desk to retrieve Greg Bradford's phone number. He returned to his office, slamming the door behind him, and sat down to return Greg's phone call.

Greg was eating a sandwich at his desk. He was blankly staring at his cubicle office walls when his phone gave a double-ring, which indicated an incoming outside call. "Greg Bradford speaking," he answered in anticipation.

A wheezing sigh could be heard from the caller, followed by a firm response, "This is Joseph Danbury returning your call. You wished to speak with me regarding an estate from the 1950s. I will contend that you presume this law firm handled the estate you are inquiring about."

Greg politely responded, "Yes, Mr. Danbury. This was the Estate of Samuel and Amanda Baxter, and they are my deceased grandparents."

Joseph became intrigued and replied, "Yes, Greg. I was their attorney but what is your inquiry with regard to their estate?"

Greg quickly pulled up a tablet containing his reference notes. He explained, "I have recently determined that Samuel Baxter's Social Security Number was never retired after he died, and it is still active. Since you were the attorney for my grandfather's estate, then you would have had the responsibility of retiring his Social Security benefits. Is this correct?"

Joseph silently scoffed at Greg's ineptness. He casually stated, "Yes, young man, this would normally be the case. However, Samuel Baxter's Social Security benefits continued to pay out for his wife, Amanda. In the 1950s, it was common for a housewife who was never employed to continue receiving her husband's paid Social Security benefits after he died."

Greg responded, "Yes, Mr. Danbury. I am aware of this because I have researched this fact... but his wife Amanda died in 1965. So you should have retired Samuel Baxter's Social Security Number after she died. Is this correct?"

Greg heard Joseph Danbury's phone receiver drop on his desk. He listened to the attorney's attempts to recover from an extended coughing spell. After regaining his composure, Joseph returned to the phone and remarked, "Yes, Greg. Samuel Baxter's Social Security benefits should have been retired after his wife Amanda died in 1965... but I was no longer their attorney at that time. Since their estate had no assets, there was no need for them to have an attorney. However, their daughter, Emily, was the executrix of her mother's estate. So, perhaps you should make your inquiry with Emily Baxter, and not this law office. Now, young man, if you have no other issues that are relevant to this law firm, then this conversation is over. Kindly give your mother, Amy Bradford, my best regards." Greg could hear Joseph Danbury's loud cackling laugh as he slammed the phone receiver down to break off their connection.

After Joseph Danbury was through laughing at Greg's dead ended attempts to receive information, he wiped a stream of drooling saliva from his chin using his necktie. He then searched through the Rolodex on his desk to locate the phone number of Sidney Dilts. Sidney shared the responsibility, with Amy Bradford, as Emily Baxter's co-powers of attorney for her estate. Joseph dialed the phone number. He then impatiently tapped his pen on his desk as he waited for Sidney to answer his phone.

Finally, a soft voice answered the phone, "This is Sidney."

Joseph brazenly responded, "Hello, Sidney. This is Joseph Danbury and I need you to pass along a message to Emily Baxter for me. It appears that her bastard son, Greg Bradford, has made a discovery that could devastate Emily financially. I am reluctantly doing you a great courtesy by bringing this to your attention. I wish to reiterate my reluctance in giving you this information, because I sincerely loathe you, Sidney. You're a pedophile and a sneaky shit that lures in little old lonely ladies seeking companionship. Then you steal their money. However, I felt compelled to at least alert Emily regarding what her son could expose."

Sidney could feel the sweat forming on the palms of his hands as he cautiously asked Joseph to explain this matter. "What could Emily Baxter have possibly done that may destroy her financially?"

Joseph laughed and stated, "Well, let me tell you, Sidney. After Emily's father, Samuel, died in 1952, his Social Security account continued to pay benefits to his wife, Amanda. However, after Amanda died in 1965, Emily neglected to retire her father's Social Security Number. Therefore, these monthly benefits have been continually paid out for the last 32 years!"

Sidney was defensive with Joseph's stated allegations against Emily. "Perhaps Emily just forgot to retire her father's number. Maybe she didn't know that benefits were still being paid after her mother died."

Joseph again laughed at Sidney's attempts to cover for Emily, and remarked, "Just try using that excuse with the Social Security Administration, Sidney, and it won't hold shit! After Amanda Baxter died, Emily dropped my legal services for her mother's estate because all of her mother's assets were tied to a family trust. Since Emily was the executrix of her mother's estate, then it was Emily's responsibility to retire her father's Social Security Number... but she didn't. Therefore, all of these Social Security benefits have continued to be paid. Emily received the checks and deposited them in a bank account that only she could access. Evidently, she later arranged for these checks to be direct deposited into her account. Thus, Emily will not be able to claim ignorance in this matter."

Sidney then asked, "How much money are we talking about Joseph? Couldn't Emily just pay it back?"

Joseph laughed even harder and stated, "Sure, Sidney. Emily could pay it back, but I'm betting that she has already spent most of it. The amount of money she fraudulently received would probably double with the compounded fines and interest she would owe. I must digress though, because at Emily's age, it is unlikely that she will do prison time. However, the government may certainly clean out whatever money and assets she has left."

Sidney was beginning to get very annoyed, and asked, "What will happen to Emily's monthly payments from her family trust? Can the government also seize this money?"

Joseph calmly replied, "No, Sidney. No one can touch the family trust funds, including you! So Emily will still be able to continue living in her posh retirement community apartment. However, all the financial incentives that you and Amy Bradford have had as Emily's co-powers of attorney will probably be wiped out."

At this point, Sidney was enraged at Joseph. He harshly asked, "So are you going to turn in Emily to the authorities?"

Joseph had to put the phone down because Sidney would talk with an obvious lisp when he got angry. This caused Joseph to laugh so hard that he had another coughing spell. After Joseph caught his breath, he replied, "I have no reason to cause any harm to Emily. Furthermore, I wouldn't be calling you with this warning if I planned to do so. I am just laughing at the irony in this entire matter, Sidney. You and Amy Bradford will get exactly what you deserve from Emily's estate, which is nothing. Emily will scrape off both of you leaches from her purse strings. She will also receive her just rewards for conceiving an illegitimate child with her brother-in-law, Edmond Bennett. Please inform Emily that Greg Bradford will undoubtedly be calling her for an explanation regarding her father's Social Security Number." Once again, Joseph could not contain his laughter as tears of joy ran down his cheeks and made puddles in the wrinkled crevices of his face. Before he hung up the phone, Joseph uttered his final words to Sidney, "I love a story with a happy ending!"

* * * * *

Sidney quickly showered and got dressed. His anger was steadily building as he hopped into his car and sped away to the Sycamore Gardens retirement community to talk with Emily. When Emily did not answer her door, he used his key to access her apartment and took a seat on the couch awaiting her return.

After having to wait for about 30 minutes, Emily returned from her physical therapy session. Sidney adequately suppressed his temper and appeared to be his usual sweet, tranquil self when Emily walked in. "What a pleasant surprise, Sidney," said Emily as she took off her sweater. "I wasn't expecting you until later this afternoon. What brings you by here so early?"

Sidney tried to be diplomatic with his reply. "I received a phone call from Joseph Danbury this morning around 10:30, and he has alerted me to a potential problem that we need to discuss."

Emily could see the look of concern on Sidney's face. She arrogantly stated, "I realize that Joseph was quite displeased when I dropped him as my attorney, and hired your attorney to oversee the financial concerns of my estate. However, this is something that Joseph Danbury will just have to get over and accept."

Sidney then became more direct. "Joseph didn't call to ask you to reinstate him as your attorney, Emily. He called to warn me about a problem that has developed with Greg Bradford."

Emily's face turned pale. She grasped the arm of a corner chair to sit down, and asked, "So what is this problem with Greg?"

Sidney pushed another chair over to sit down in front of Emily, and he took her hand. "Please, Emily," asked Sidney, "tell me the truth regarding the matters of your father's Social Security Number. Did you know that it is still fraudulently paying out benefits?"

Emily looked away to avoid Sidney's question. After a long, silent pause, she asked, "What does anything regarding my father's Social Security Number have to do with Greg?"

Sidney was bothered with Emily's avoidance to his question. He remained patient, and explained what Joseph Danbury had told him. "Joseph said that Greg knows that Samuel Baxter's Social Security Number is still active. Greg also knows that you had the responsibility of retiring your father's benefits after your mother, Amanda, died in 1965. Joseph pointed out that even if you could pay back these 32 years of benefits, the fines and interest costs could double the amount you will owe. This could effectively wipe out all of your assets and savings, Emily."

Emily's voice started to quiver. She nervously asked, "How could Greg find out this information?"

Sidney rose from his seat so quickly that his chair tipped backwards, and loudly bounced on the floor. His face was red with anger as he shouted, "Then, everything Joseph Danbury has told me is true! How could you be that stupid, Emily? Furthermore, what difference does it make how Greg found out that you have been receiving fraudulent Social Security payments for the last 32 years? He knows what you did. He has us all by the balls and there isn't a goddamn thing we can do to stop him if he decides to report this. We need to find out what Greg intends to do. We must stall him until after we have liquidated and hidden all your assets. We have no other choice."

Emily was aware of her unlawful actions, and she was prepared to pay for her transgressions, but she could not understand Sidney's unusual disposition. Emily exclaimed, "My God, Sidney! The way you are ranting, raving, and carrying on, you might think this is your money that's in jeopardy. Now, please do me a favor. Call Greg for me and tell him that I am ready to talk with him. His home phone number is listed in my planner booklet that is sitting over there on top of the desk."

Sidney didn't say another word as he grabbed Emily's planner and abruptly left the apartment.

Emily's cynical statement regarding Sidney acting like it was his money in jeopardy was, indeed, correct. Unknown to her was the fact that Sidney, Amy Bradford, and Emily's new estate attorney, George Trapp, were skimming funds from Emily's savings. Emily thought that she had made some generous charitable contributions over the last two years. However, over half of her three million dollars in savings was lavishly spent by her estate's guardians. They purchased many luxuries of new cars, vacations, and expensive home furnishings. Therefore, Sidney and his accomplices would not accept the remainder of their cash flow to be surrendered by Emily to the Social Security Administration.

* * * * *

Sidney arrived back home, and he eased his body down into his soft leather reclining chair to call Amy Bradford to ask for her advice. Amy and George had previously sold their small ranch house in New Jersey over two years ago. They now owned a lakeside villa in Sarasota, Florida. Sidney had worked for years with his attorney George Trapp in fleecing countless retirees out of their money. They both could afford to lose Emily Baxter as a benefactor to their insatiable appetite for a bountiful lifestyle. However, Emily was Amy's only financial nest egg. So, Sidney knew that he could depend on Amy to find a solution to a problem like Greg Bradford.

Amy walked in from her porch sun room to answer the phone. She was quite pleased to hear that the caller was Sidney. "Hello, Amy, I'm sorry to bother your retirement in Florida," said Sidney. "We have a problem that needs to be discussed."

Amy bristled and asked, "What is the problem with Emily? Is she on her deathbed again?"

Sidney chuckled and replied, "No, Amy, and only if we could be so fortunate. Actually, the problem is not as much with Emily. It's with her bastard son, Greg."

Amy's blood began to boil with the mention of Greg's name. She angrily responded, "What is that frickin' freak up to now?"

Sidney felt relieved with Amy's vicious words about Greg, because he knew that she hated him with a passion. He continued to elaborate, "I will get right to the point in this matter, Amy. It was confirmed that Emily has been receiving fraudulent Social Security payments since her mother died in 1965. Emily intentionally failed to retire her father's Social Security Number after her mother became deceased. Greg is the person who discovered this. Our current fears are that if Greg reports this act of fraud, then Emily may lose the remainder of her savings."

Amy's temper was now elevated. She irately blurted, "That stupid old bitch. So how much money does Emily owe?"

Sidney replied, "I had a short conversation with Joseph Danbury this morning, but I won't reiterate everything that he had said. He stated that after we figure in the compounded fines and interest, the payback costs could double the amount that Emily owes. Like I said previously, Amy, we are talking about 32 years of fraud. So it is presently assumed that this could effectively wipe out all of Emily's assets. Her family trust will still pay for her apartment living costs. However, this would end any need for you and me as her power of attorneys... as well as our fringe benefits."

Amy cooled her temper to focus on the problem. She inquired, "OK, Sidney, what do you want me to do?"

Sidney paused and then replied, "I will need your signature of approval to move Emily into the assisted care ward. After Emily is transferred, I have to sell all of her assets, which will include her car, apartment furniture, and stocks. I will need to find some way of hiding this money through George Trapp's law office. This shouldn't be a problem. The bigger problem is that Emily has asked me to call Greg to come and visit her. She told me to tell Greg that she is ready to talk with him. Now I'm really not sure what Emily intends to tell Greg, and this is primarily why I have called you. Do you know what Emily might want to tell Greg?"

Amy was ready to explode. She angrily stated, "The same thing that she has wanted to tell Greg, since he was born. Emily wants to tell Greg that she is his birth mother!"

Sidney could almost feel the heat of Amy's anger seething from the phone receiver. He responded, "Well, Amy, I guess I don't have to tell you what that could lead to. Do you think you could convince Emily to reconsider not revealing this to Greg? In my opinion, it appears that Greg is only after Emily's money, and he is using this Social Security fraud incident as a means of extortion. Actually, Amy, we just need to stall Greg long enough to sell off all of Emily's assets and hide them. This way no one will get hurt."

Amy felt that she would be a useless tool for this task. She had no intentions of traveling to Pennsylvania to help remedy this situation. Amy then replied, "Listen, Sidney. Emily will never believe anything that I would have to say in this matter. She and I have had many heated discussions regarding both of my sons' adoptions. I will sign the papers with my approval for you to move Emily into the assisted care ward and to sell off all of her assets. I expect to see an itemized accounting of all the cash transactions. Since Emily trusts you, Sidney, I will leave it up to you to talk with Emily, and you can deal with her bastard son, Greg, in any way you see fit."

Sidney then brought their conversation to a close. He politely stated, "Thank you for your support and confidence, Amy. I'll Express Mail the paperwork to you, and keep you posted on anything that develops."

Sidney smiled after he hung up the phone. Amy had given him a green light with no restrictions to remove the problem of Greg. Both Sidney and his lawyer, George Trapp, knew many people in low places, which included local law enforcement officers who were also private off-duty assassins for hire. However, the expense for this type of disposal service would be cost-prohibitive. Sidney feared that Emily would also become a problem if any questionable harm came to her son. Greg had to be handled delicately, and Sidney needed to find out what his intentions were in this fraudulent matter. Sidney had reasoned that if all Greg was interested in is money, then the easiest solution would be paying him off. It appeared unlikely that there would be any dirt in Greg's hidden past, which could be used to counter him. Perhaps Greg had a vice such as recreational drugs that he could be enticed with. Sidney had connections for this as well. However, if none of these offertories of temptation would work to pacify Greg, then Sidney wouldn't hesitate to utilize more drastic options.

* * * * *

Mimi was preparing supper in the kitchen when the phone rang. Upon answering it, the caller introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Sidney Dilts. I have been asked by Emily Baxter to contact Greg Bradford. Is he available to chat for a few minutes?"

Mimi pleasantly replied, "Yes, Mr. Dilts. Greg is in the backyard. I'll get him for you." Mimi went to the backdoor and saw Greg standing on a ladder removing leaves from the rain gutter. She smiled and quickly stated, "There is a man on the phone that needs to talk with you about Emily."

Greg quickly climbed down the ladder, ran to the phone and answered, "Hello. This is Greg."

The caller again introduced himself. "Hello, Greg, my name is Sidney Dilts, and I am Emily Baxter's joint co-power of attorney with your mother, Amy Bradford. We both oversee Emily's estate and financial matters together. However, since your parents now reside in Florida, I am the person who pays Emily's bills and does her laundry. I also provide her transportation needs, such as escorting her to church on Sundays."

Greg replied, "Wow, Mr. Dilts. I can see that Emily must really be grateful for your services."

Sidney downplayed Greg's compliments and responded, "First of all, Greg, please call me Sidney. Secondly, I help Emily because we have been close, dear friends for many years. I take great pleasure in helping Emily as well as many of the other residents in the Sycamore Gardens retirement community. However, since Emily has disconnected her apartment phone, she has asked me to invite you to visit her. She said that she is ready to talk with you."

Greg paused after hearing Sidney's statement. He cautiously asked, "I look forward to visiting Emily, but I'm curious about what she means... she is ready to talk with me?"

Sidney chuckled with his response, "Emily said that she wants to tell you something, but I'm not sure what this could be. It's probably nothing for you to be alarmed about because I think she desires your company. Emily refers to you as her favorite nephew, so let's just leave it at that. May we make plans for your visit next Saturday at 10:00am? I will be out of town on the following weekend. My house is just three blocks from Emily's retirement community, at 1099 Hillshire Road. If you have a computer with Internet access you can map my address."

Greg jotted down the address as he replied, "Yes, Sidney. I have access to a computer, and I won't have any problems in finding your house. I'll be there at 10 o'clock next Saturday morning. Thank you for your call, and please give my love to Aunt Emily."

After Greg got off the phone with Sidney, he walked into the kitchen to see Mimi. He announced, "I believe that Emily is ready to spill the beans. Sidney Dilts is Emily's friend and financial caretaker, and he said that Emily has requested me to visit her. Emily said that she is ready to talk with me and that she has something to tell me."

Mimi made a hesitant smile and inquired, "This sounds like goods news, but why didn't Emily just call you herself to invite you? Why did she have this Sidney Dilts guy call you?"

Greg pondered Mimi's question. He then offered a reasonable explanation, "Sidney said that Emily had her apartment phone disconnected, so he had to call me with Emily's request."

Mimi frowned and asked, "Don't you find it strange that Emily would have her apartment phone disconnected? Couldn't she get access to an alternate phone to call you?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not going to worry about this, Mimi. Emily said she has something to tell me, so I'm going to visit her next Saturday and hope for the best. Perhaps you and Grace can visit Emily with me."

Anger overcame Mimi's face. "Emily has always disliked me, and she has never forgiven you for marrying me because I'm a Catholic. Besides, Greg, Emily has requested you to visit her. She didn't extend this invitation to include Grace and me, so you will be visiting Emily by yourself!"

* * * * *

The following Saturday morning, Greg made the three hour drive from Virginia. He promptly arrived at Sidney Dilts' Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, residence a few minutes before 10am. Sidney was waiting at his side door entrance when Greg pulled his car into the driveway. Greg saw Sidney to be a casually dressed gentleman in his latter 70s. The large garden displayed in Sidney's back yard would seem to be excessive work for an elderly man, especially when he also allegedly ran errands, washed laundry, and provided transportation for several senior citizens.

Greg was greeted with a friendly handshake. Sidney kindly stated, "Come on in, Greg. We can get acquainted over coffee and donuts before we visit with Emily." Sidney seated Greg in the living room while he went into the kitchen for the refreshments.

Sidney's quaint ranch house seemed out of balance with the expensive furnishings of furniture, and silk tapestries. Greg saw a large display of hand-carved and wall mounted crucifixes. There was also an array of religious paintings, and 24 carat gold leaf adorned statues of Jesus. Sidney wheeled in a table cart with an assortment of pastries. He poured the coffee and then looked over at Greg, attempting to read his guest's body language. Greg appeared calm but alert, and Sidney's sharply honed predator instincts did not detect any malicious intent in this young man's exhibited posture.

Sidney then started his probing of Greg's character. He remarked, "It's my understanding that you are an engineer working in the petro-chemical industry. What type of engineer are you?"

Greg smiled with his reply, "Actually, Sidney, I'm only an electrical design engineer because I don't have a college degree."

Sidney responded, "You seem to have done pretty well for yourself, Greg. Since you avoided college, then you were probably spared the temptation of the 1970s drug culture."

Greg attempted to be candid with his reply, and stated, "Well, in my younger years I did experiment. However, I no longer drink alcohol, do drugs, or smoke any kind of substance."

Greg thought the subject matter that Sidney chose to discuss was unusual for an alleged religious man. Greg could sense Sidney's disappointment after professing that he leads a clean lifestyle. Now Greg's curiosity had been activated, and he decided to make his own investigative inquiries. "Sidney, you told me previously that you and Emily have been close friends for many years. Where did you both meet each other?"

Sidney sat back into his chair rubbing his chin. He replied, "Emily, Kathryn Jones, and I belonged to the same Baptist church here in Fort Washington. After Kathryn died of brain cancer, my friendship with Emily grew, and we have been close friends ever since."

Greg continued with his probing of Sidney. "You also said that you share the responsibility with my mother as Emily's co-powers of attorney for her estate. I already knew that my mother had this appointment, but how did you become involved in Emily's finances?"

Sidney became amused with Greg's inquisitiveness, and he had no reservations in being forthcoming with an answer to his guest's prying question. "I became involved in Emily's financial matters with casual conversations regarding our investment portfolios. I saved Emily thousands of dollars by pointing out some of her poor investments. The biggest saving I had made for Emily was showing her how much money she was wasting by using Joseph Danbury as her estate attorney. He was ripping her off royally. So I convinced her to drop Danbury and use my lawyer, George Trapp. When your parents relocated to Florida, Emily had no one else in her relative family or a friend whom she trusted enough to be her local finance administrator. So, she made me her co-power of attorney with Amy Bradford. It has been that way for the last two years." Sidney got a big smile on his face, folded his hands behind his head and concluded his response. "Emily is just one of many people who have entrusted me to be their power of attorney for their estate and finances. I met them all in the same manner that I did Emily Baxter."

Greg did not need to make any evaluated judgment calls in this matter. He easily detected that Sidney was a long-established scam artist of the highest degree. However, what really amazed Greg was how Sidney flaunted his tactics without any concern of being caught in unlawful practices. This elderly man truly lacked a moral conscience.

Sidney continued smiling while he silently laughed at Greg's display of uneasiness. Even though his young guest had been exposed to the entire truth, Sidney knew that Greg was powerless to do anything about it. No one would believe Greg, even if there was anything he could say. Sidney was known as a religious pillar of the community. With the assistance of his attorney, George Trapp, he was also shielded through their connections within the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Therefore, Sidney believed that he was safeguarded and untouchable.

After they finished their refreshments, Sidney rose from his chair with an intimidating grin. He asked, "Well, Greg, shall we go and visit with Emily, now?"

Greg struggled to contain his obvious anger. He was very tempted to kick the crap out of this demon. Sidney was nothing more than a wolf wrapped in sheep's clothing and he conveniently utilized the holy cross as bait to lure his prey.

When they exited the house, Greg attempted to enter his car, but he was gently requested to stop. "We can go in my car," Sidney proudly stated as he reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out the remote control for the garage door opener. The door slowly rose to display a brand new Cadillac Eldorado sedan that brandished a 'Praise the Lord' bumper sticker. Sidney relished seeing Greg's face turn red with anger. He smiled and gave his young guest a verbal jab, "This car is just one of many perks that come with shrewd investments, Greg."

* * * * *

Greg had arrived at the entrance to Emily's apartment building with Sidney, and it was almost 11am. Greg still had high expectations and assumed the previous torment he received at Sidney's house would be alleviated after visiting Emily. After all, he expected her to confess the truth to him today. Greg had patiently waited for 12 years to hear it. However, there were also facts which Greg did not know. Sidney had already convinced Emily that her son was only attempting to extort money from her. Therefore, she was persuaded to refrain from confessing the fact she is his birth mother.

They entered the elevator and rode to the 6th floor. Greg curiously looked over at Sidney. "Emily's apartment is on the 4th floor," stated Greg impatiently. "Why are we going to the 6th floor?"

Sidney replied, "Because Emily no longer lives in her private apartment. She is now living in the assisted care ward. Emily was having problems remembering to take her medications. Your mother, Amy, and I decided that it would be better if Emily had 24/7 nursing care. This is also why all of Emily's phone calls are now received and sent through me."

Greg was caught by surprise with this major change in Emily's living accommodations. He sternly asked, "Does my mother know about Emily being moved out of her apartment, and relocated into the assisted care ward?"

Sidney smiled with his response, "Why of course she does, Greg. Nothing can change without your mother's co-signature of approval. In fact, it was Amy, who proposed having Emily moved into the assisted care ward."

Greg and Sidney walked down a long hallway that resembled a typical hospital ward. Everyone who worked on this floor greeted Sidney like he owned the place. They finally arrived at Emily's semi-private room, and she was sitting upright in bed staring out the window. Sidney walked around the bed to stand in front of Emily. He kissed her on the cheek to get her attention. "You have a visitor, Emily," stated Sidney. "Greg Bradford drove up from Virginia to visit you."

Emily sheepishly turned her head to look at Greg and she slowly made a smile after she recognized him. However, she made no verbal response.

Greg stepped forward and said, "Hi, Aunt Emily. Sidney told me that you were relocated here from your apartment. Did you agree to this move?"

Emily had tears welling up in her eyes with her response. "It really didn't matter what I thought, Greg, because I had given the authority to make these decisions to Amy and Sidney. They were both concerned when I was forgetting to take my medications. They thought that I might hurt myself or someone else if I kept driving my car. So they are selling my car and apartment furniture. Now, everything that I need is in this room."

Emily again turned her head away to look out the window and Greg walked around her bed to block her view. When Emily looked up, Greg asked, "Aunt Emily, you said that you were forgetting to take your medications. What type of medications are you taking and how often do you have to take them?"

Emily had a blank expression as she thought deeply to answer Greg's question. She replied, "I have been an emotional basket case lately, so I am given antidepressants after breakfast, lunch, and supper. I also receive sleep medication at bedtime. I now have a regimented schedule. With all the nurses and doctors who are looking after me, along with Sidney's financial oversight, I don't have to make any more decisions."

It became apparent to Greg that Emily was so heavily medicated that she was unaware of the activity around her. Greg strived to keep Emily's attention and asked, "Do you get the opportunity to walk around, Aunt Emily?"

Emily again strained to make a response and stated, "I get pushed around in a wheel chair. Usually, I only walk the short distance between my bed and the toilet, or during my physical therapy sessions."

Greg responded, "Sidney told me that he escorts you to church on Sunday. Are you still attending services there?"

Emily looked up at Sidney as she responded to Greg's question, "No, not any longer. Sidney made arrangements for the minister to visit me once a week so I don't have to deal with the problem of getting dressed for church. All of my dress clothes were donated to Goodwill."

Greg was getting concerned and he inquired further. "Are you telling me that you have not been outside of this facility since you moved here from your apartment?"

Emily looked up at Greg with tears streaming down her face as she shook her head no. She looked away from Greg to grab a rolled up tissue off the bed, and wiped her tears.

Greg stared over at Sidney, who quickly turned his head to avoid making eye contact. In order to keep away from the depressing circumstances of Emily's drug induced confinement in this assisted care ward, Greg moved on to inquire why Emily had requested him to visit her. Greg reached down and took Emily's hand. He calmly continued, "Aunt Emily, Sidney said that you asked me to come here to visit you. He said you were ready to talk to me, and that there is something you need to tell me. What do you want to tell me?"

Emily's eyes widened and she turned her head to look at Sidney. Greg also looked over at Sidney and could see that his face was beet red with a stern expression.

Greg gently squeezed Emily's hand to get her attention. Then he repeated his question more forcefully, "Aunt Emily, what do you want to tell me?"

Emily looked faint and her head started jerking. She looked up at Greg and shrugged her shoulders. Then she turned her head again to look at Sidney.

It was obvious that Emily wasn't going to say anything with Sidney sitting in the room. From the stern expression on Sidney's face, it appeared that he had no intention of leaving Greg alone with Emily. Greg could see that Emily was somewhat stressed with this visit. However, he did not drive three hours from Virginia to leave without an answer to his pending question. Greg reached down and gently cupped Emily's chin with his hand. He turned her head up, so he could gaze deeply into her eyes. "I need to ask you a question, Emily," said Greg with a determined voice, "Are you my mother?"

Their eyes spiritually connected for several seconds. Greg could sense Emily's affirmation, but she quickly pulled her head from Greg's hand and looked down. Emily's voice trembled with her response, "No, Greg. Amy Bradford is your mother."

Greg's heart was crushed, and he briefly looked over at Sidney, who was smiling. Sidney stated, "Well, Greg, I guess we got that settled. I'm sorry that Emily's answer wasn't what you expected to hear. Now, Greg, is there something else that you wanted to ask Emily about?"

Greg's emotional pain was now quickly turning to anger. He wanted to bring up his evidence of Emily's fraudulent act with her father's Social Security Number. Greg was about to use this information to force Emily to reconsider her denial of being his birth mother, but a stabbing pain deep within his chest had caused him to refrain from doing so. Greg's mind was now mysteriously drifting into the past. He was standing in a grassy field with Monsignor Monahan as this Vatican emissary foretold Greg's future:

"You have already determined that Emily Baxter is your birth mother. However, Emily will lack the courage to confess this fact directly to you. You shall then commit diabolical acts against Emily to force her to tell you the truth. In doing so, you shall become the cause of her death."

Greg snapped out of his trance and stood silent as Sidney and Emily stared at him with anticipation, awaiting his question. However, Greg simply responded, "No, Sidney. I have no other questions that I wish to ask Emily."

Sidney then stooped over to give Emily a kiss. He abruptly stated, "Greg and I will be leaving now, Emily, because you need your rest. Greg has a long drive ahead of him to Virginia." Sidney turned and walked out into the hall while Greg said good bye to Emily.

Greg had tearful eyes as he bent down to give Emily a kiss. She then firmly pressed a folded piece of paper into the palm of his hand. Greg clenched it tightly before slipping it into his pants pocket. Greg stood back up and looked down at Emily as she quickly gave him a wink and a smile.

Nothing was discussed between Greg and Sidney as they drove to his house from the retirement center. Sidney was confident that Greg now understood the hopeless truth that would forever imprison the life of Emily Baxter. Greg also had to bear a continuance of the lie that he had been illegitimately sentenced to since birth.

When Sidney pulled his car into the driveway, Greg quickly exited the passenger side of the car. Without even saying goodbye, Greg hopped into his car. He started the engine, backed out of the driveway, and floored the gas pedal leaving a cloud of tire smoke as he exited out of Sidney's neighborhood. Sidney laughed at Greg's demonstrated spectacle of anger, which had proclaimed an immature bastard's admission of defeat.

Sidney was very concerned over the fact that Greg did not ask Emily about her father's Social Security Number. This lack of inquiry contradicted Stanley's assertion, which claimed that Greg was trying to extort money from Emily. Hiding Emily's assets, as well as the fact that her funds had been stolen by the three financial trustees of her estate, could possibly be exposed. Sidney had to remain one step ahead of Greg at all costs. The entire matter now became a high stakes' gamble, and Greg was holding all the aces.

After Greg was at least three miles away from the city of Fort Washington, he pulled over to the side of the road. He reached into his pocket and removed the folded paper note Emily passed to him in her room. A tearful smile of happiness appeared on Greg's face as he read Emily's note:

'Please visit me next Saturday at 8:00am.'

* * * * *

Chapter 59

Greg returned home from his visit with Emily. After Greg showed Mimi the note that Emily had passed to him, Mimi became more hopeful that Greg would finally receive closure on his adoption. Mimi was the best type of support that Greg could have. She often thought about the irony in their unique circumstances regarding their individual adoptions. Mimi had received all of her Massachusetts court documents to show that she is adopted. She knew the maiden name of her birth mother, but she couldn't locate her. Greg knew the location of his birth mother, but he could not receive the hospital records which would prove his illegal adoption. Mimi decided to place the search for her birth mother on hold to provide support of Greg's needs in reaching a conclusion regarding his familial adoption. These answers were all being held in Emily's custody.

Greg briefed Mimi with his observations of Emily's current situation. He stated, "I suspect that Amy and Sidney forced Emily to be relocated to the assisted care ward against her will. They are also selling off all of her belongings. Sidney lives extremely well and he drives a new luxury Cadillac. I have no doubts that he and Amy are both robbing Emily blind as her co-powers of attorney. Emily is also heavily medicated, so she is nothing more than a doped-up prisoner in this medical ward. She is trapped there with no ability to go anywhere else because Sidney also donated all of Emily's dress clothes to Goodwill."

Mimi then inquired, "Why didn't you first question Emily about her father's Social Security Number? It's obvious that Emily was guilty of committing fraud. You could have easily used her unlawful act as a lever to convince her to tell you the truth about your illegal adoption."

Greg replied, "Emily wouldn't say much of anything while Sidney was in her room. She would have clammed up even more if I had asked about her fraudulent act. I feel quite certain that Emily would not have passed me her note requesting me to visit her next Saturday if she thought that I intend to cause her financial harm. Sidney had already told me that he would be out of town on Saturday. Emily must have known this too. So I'm glad that I didn't mention anything about her father's Social Security Number."

Greg had sufficiently concealed the real reasons why he declined to force Emily to tell him the truth. He avoided the unmentionable fact that he was haunted by the mysterious prophecies he received from Monsignor Monahan in 1994. Greg felt it wasn't necessary to tell Mimi about the prerequisite clauses that had secured the Isis Amulet for Grace. He also did not wish to disclose the supernatural acts which happened that evening three years ago in a grassy pasture at Dr. Patterson's ranch. The recent divine intervention Greg had experienced while standing in Emily's room was surreal to him. It would have been too incredible for Mimi to grasp, let alone believe. Greg continually heard the final words which Monsignor Monahan stated that evening as he placed his hand over Greg's heart:

"If you are ever in doubt, Greg, search here for the truth. I shall continue to watch over your family and pray for their well-being."

Greg was now convinced that his entire life had been divinely watched over, and protected for a purpose. He was spiritually brought back in time from Emily's bedside on that Saturday morning to be reminded of where his haste could lead. The immense pressure that Greg felt in his chest was a sign of warning. Greg clearly understood that exposing Emily's fraudulent use of her father's Social Security funds would cause her harm. He was wise to avoid it. Greg had also been provided with a grim reassurance that he would always be painfully reminded when he avoided searching his heart for moral guidance.

Mimi was examining Emily's note and stated, "I doubt that visitors' hours at Sycamore Gardens start before 9:00 in the morning. Perhaps you should call the receptionist to confirm if you can get in at 8:00am."

Greg was not concerned, and felt that Emily knew what she had written. He casually stated, "We'll go to a restaurant for coffee if we have to wait until 9 o'clock to get in."

Mimi had an angry look on her face and asked, "What do you mean... we?"

Greg had gotten too far ahead of himself and forgot to clarify his reasons for Mimi to accompany him for his next visit with Emily. He explained, "I will require your nursing skills to evaluate Emily for me, Mimi. I really need your help to determine Emily's current state of health. You would also be a witness to anything she might tell me."

Mimi let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Please, listen to me and try to understand, Greg. It was hard enough for me to deal with Emily at your family's holiday gatherings. Do I need to keep reminding you that Emily Baxter and I have never liked each other for over 20 years? I'm sorry to disappoint you, dear, but you'll be visiting Emily alone. I feel that my presence won't be any more constructive than it was with Sidney Dilts being there."

* * * * *

On the following Saturday morning, Greg arrived at the Sycamore Gardens retirement community at 8 o'clock. He noticed that the visitors' parking lot was empty. He got out of his car and started walking toward the lobby entrance. A car quickly drove into the visitors' parking lot and pulled up next to him. The electric hum of the car's passenger side window rolled down. A woman wearing a white nurse's uniform called out to Greg. She leaned toward the open window and stated, "Greg, please get back in your car and follow me around to the other side of the complex. I will let you in through the employees' entrance and then escort you to see Emily Baxter." Greg hopped into his car and followed the lady as she drove to the back entrance.

The nurse appeared to be in her mid-twenties, and after they parked their cars, she walked over to make her introduction. "Hello, Greg" said the nurse. "My name is Shelly Morrison. I saw your Virginia license tag, so I knew that you were here to see Emily Baxter. I work in the assisted care ward where Emily is located. She asked me to meet you this morning upon your arrival to escort you into the building to visit her because Sidney Dilts screens all of Emily's visitors and phone calls. I have scheduled Emily for an 8:30am physical therapy session, and I will bring her down to meet with you."

Greg looked perplexed with his reply. "Sidney told me that he would be out of town this weekend. I thought that Emily must have also known this fact in advance. Emily had passed me a note last Saturday which requested me to visit her again today at 8am. So, if Sidney isn't in town, then he can't screen Emily's visitors."

Shelly made a grave response to Greg's supposition, "That is the way it should be, Greg. However, Sidney knows many people employed here who he pays under the table to watch over his vested interests with the residents living in this retirement community. Emily is just one of many elderly people who are being fleeced by a whole network of opportunists. The list includes doctors, nurses, attorneys, administrators, as well as powers of attorney like Sidney."

They both walked up an entry stairway. Shelly scanned her building access card through the wall box to open the employee entrance door. She escorted Greg to a remote conference room and stated, "I'm running late, Greg. Please wait here and I will bring Emily down to meet with you in about 10 minutes."

Greg sat patiently waiting in the conference room for Emily. He wasn't aware that he had been monitored from the moment he had arrived in the visitors' parking lot. A closed-circuit camera also had captured Greg's license plate number. The Sycamore Gardens security attendant made phone contact with the Fort Washington City Police dispatcher to run a check on the car's owner.

Within seconds the police dispatcher responded with his findings. He stated, "The vehicle is a white 1991 Buick Regal, registered to Greg and Mary Ellen Bradford, Cups Hollow Road, Luray, Virginia. There are no outstanding wants or warrants." The police dispatcher then made his own inquiries to the Sycamore Gardens security officer, "Has this car been abandoned or parked illegally? Are you requesting a tow truck to remove the vehicle?"

The security attendant responded, "No. The car arrived here around 8am this morning and the driver was escorted into the building by one of our nurses. I am just gathering information that needs to be forwarded to the administration office. Mr. Bradford arrived before visiting hours and the daily register doesn't denote that he has an early scheduled appointment. A tow truck isn't required. I can take it from here. Thanks for your help, dispatch."

The security officer then placed a call to the facility administration office. He left a detailed phone message which would not be received until 9am when the management personnel arrived.

* * * * *

The conference room door opened and Greg sprang from his chair to greet Shelly. She backed Emily's wheelchair in from the hallway. Greg and Emily made a tearful embrace. Shelly quickly stated, "I have to get back up on the assisted care ward floor. You both will have about 45 minutes to talk with each other before I have to wheel Emily back to the 6th floor for her breakfast." Shelly closed the conference room door behind her as she left to return to her duties.

Greg pulled a chair away from the table to face Emily. He remarked, "I was quite devastated by your response to my question last Saturday, Emily. The invitation note that you gave me, to visit you again, gave me relief and hope. I am also very concerned about your being continually medicated. Is your emotional balance really that bad that you need to be given antidepressants three times a day?"

Emily replied, "Well, actually my emotional state was caused by the fact that Amy and Sidney have abandoned me in the assisted care ward. I am just pretending to take those pills, and I flush them down the toilet after the nurse leaves." Emily then got a sorrowed look on her face. She stated, "I must admit, Greg, your discovery regarding my father's Social Security Card didn't give me any comfort. I am curious though as to how you discovered this? Why didn't you mention anything about this matter last Saturday?"

Greg paused to think. Then he explained, "There is a Social Security Death Index search engine on the Internet, and Samuel Baxter failed to show up as deceased. We did a different search using Samuel's Social Security Number, which is denoted on his death certificate. It showed that his number is still active. This also explained why Samuel Baxter didn't show up in the Death Index even though he would now be 124 years old. I later talked with Joseph Danbury about this matter. He told me that you had the responsibility of retiring your father's Social Security Number after your mother, Amanda, had died. You obviously didn't do it. To answer your second question regarding why I avoided mentioning this last Saturday... let's just say that I had a sudden change of heart. I would never have any desire to harm you. Regardless of what you haven't told me, I know you are my birth mother."

Emily just smiled while avoiding her confirmation of Greg's stated beliefs. She inquired, "Greg, you mentioned that you and another person made the discovery regarding my father's Social Security Number. Who is this other person?"

Greg responded, "It was Mimi, who made this discovery. Both she and Joseph Danbury are the only people whom I have discussed this matter with. I obtained Samuel's Social Security Number from genealogical information that I had received from your second cousin, Beverly Grayson. These documents also included the birth and death records that your brother, Robert, obtained from Oldham, England in the 1950s. Furthermore, I rediscovered what Robert found regarding the alias name of Amanda Mills. I have also determined with great probability that Amanda's previous name was Julia Frida Mendel and that her father's name is Carl."

Greg then curiously added, "Beverly and I concluded that your niece and nephews were all adopted. You failed to show their names on the family tree drawing you gave to Beverly. However, you had no difficulty in denoting your brother, Robert, as having no children."

Greg stopped with his endless recital of hidden secret family discoveries to ask a question. "Tell me something, Emily. Did you actually want me to find out about my adoption and to discover the truth about Julia Frida Mendel? Is this why you gave me all those cryptic clues and used the anonymous name of Mrs. Carl Mendel when you gave birth to me?"

Emily sat in utter amazement with Greg's findings of her family's hidden history. This left her with no ability or desire to disqualify his discoveries. Rather than answer his queries directly, Emily had questions of her own. She stated, "You told me a few years ago that there are some facts you and Mimi learned from a member of the Knights Templar when you lived in Houston. Therefore, you might also know why Julia Frida Mendel was relocated to America when she was 10 years old and why she had to assume the alias name of Amanda Mills."

Greg was pleased that Emily did not deny his genealogical findings. He also sensed that Emily was preparing to tell him the truth regarding his ancestral lineage. Greg felt like an immense weight he had carried for many years was removed from his back. He exhaled a sigh of relief with his response. "The only thing that Mimi and I had gathered from this member of the Knights Templar, in 1979, is that Mimi and I are both descended from an ancient royal bloodline. This Templar knight was later assassinated for divulging this information to us. I was told that this lineal bloodline has been protected for over 7000 years. Its descendants had to be hidden from the Roman Catholic authorities who sought to have them hunted down and killed. I also know that my family is being involuntarily drawn into this timeless conflict. I now have to either support the Knights Templar or eventually pay the ultimate price for my reluctance to serve them."

Emily looked at Greg in disbelief and asked, "Who on Earth told you this utter nonsense, Greg?"

Fear was displayed in Greg's eyes with his response, "I also originally contended that all of this was nonsense as well, Emily. However, I eventually accepted these dire facts as the truth, after my discussions with another Templar Knight had confirmed them. In fact, the person who convinced me to accept these truths is a Roman Catholic monsignor I met. This Vatican emissary told me that he has been watching over my ancestral family for generations. This monsignor knew many personal things about Mimi and me that we have never told to anyone. He said that he knew your mother, Amanda, personally, and he also knew about Martha, Robert, and especially you. In fact, Monsignor Monahan even asked me to give you his fond regards."

With the mention of Monsignor Monahan, Emily's eyes enlarged and her face went pale. She nervously inquired, "Did you say Monsignor Monahan? I wonder if he is the same man I knew years ago."

Greg grasped Emily's hand and replied, "Yes, Emily. He is the same man because I first met him in 1994, and he only appeared to be a man in his early 50s. I questioned the credibility of what this monsignor was telling me, but I now believe what he told me is the truth. I won't go into detail with everything that Monsignor Monahan predicted about my future, but I have also concluded that he is not human. He is some kind of an immortal angel or spirit. Monsignor Monahan explained to me that Mimi and I were each innocently conceived for a divine purpose. He somehow mysteriously flashed my entire life before my eyes in the matter of seconds. The monsignor also showed me that divine intervention had spared me from death several times." Greg became choked-up and tears of distress were building in his eyes as he continued. "I became enraged when Monsignor Monahan told me that my daughter, Grace, was chosen for a mission of prophecy. This mission was predestined long before she was born, and only she may succeed in fulfilling this divine task. The monsignor said I won't have the ability to change Grace's predestined path and that Grace will be unable to resist her calling." Greg bowed his head forward onto Emily's lap as he helplessly wept.

Emily looked down at her grieving son as she stroked her fingers through his hair trying to offer him comfort. She was now only beginning to understand the events that were put into motion with her decision to conceive a child out of wedlock with her brother-in-law, Edmond. After the passage of over 43 years, her mother's prophetic words returned to slap Emily across the face:

"This child you have decided to bring into the world will always be your responsibility, and you alone shall bear the consequences for your actions!"

Emily searched her soul, retracing both the good and bad things that had resulted from the birth of her son, Greg. She had brought a baby boy into the world with sincere intentions. This simple gesture led to many innocent deaths and inadvertently placed the burden of an unseen heavenly war on the shoulders of her son's family. However, something that Greg had told Emily led her to question if all of this random chaos had indeed been predestined to happen long before even she was born. Monsignor Monahan had explained that both Greg and Mimi were each innocently conceived for a divine purpose. Their daughter Grace had been chosen for a mission that was predestined long before she was born. So, perhaps, what her mother Amanda had stated from her observations of Monsignor Monahan's actions in 1965, was correct:

'There can never be a clear-cut division in any matter of life that is seen as being entirely black or white. There will always be compromising shades of gray, which can change the course of human events and provide hope'.

Emily was now struggling with the torment of two promises she had made long ago. Her first promise was made to her niece, Amy. Emily had pledged she would never tell Greg that she is his birth mother. Her second promise was made to her mother, Amanda. Emily carried the sworn obligation of telling Greg everything he needs to know when he eventually approached her for the truth.

Emily was locked in deep thoughts for several minutes. Her thoughts were interrupted by a person knocking on the conference room door. Shelly Morrison poked her head through the doorway. She apologetically stated, "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but I need to bring you back upstairs for breakfast, Emily. Please wrap up what you have to say to each other. I'll wait here in the hallway until you call me in."

Emily lifted Greg's head up from her lap. She sternly looked him in the eyes and stated, "Listen to me, Greg. I have always loved you like a mother and you already know the truth. There is nothing further that I need to tell you. Please trust in and faithfully follow everything that Monsignor Monahan has told you because it is the truth. I firmly believe our family has always had a divine eye watching over us. I fully understand your terrible circumstances, but you will need to be strong. Follow your heart and common sense in these times of uncertainty. Please also make sure that you report the matters concerning my father's Social Security Number to the authorities. I don't wish to have this burdening matter on my conscience any longer. The only other thing that I ask of you, Greg, is that you sincerely attempt to repair your relationship with Amy, and I know this won't be easy for you."

Greg and Emily gave each other a long affectionate embrace. Emily again said, "Remember what I told you Greg. Be strong!" Emily wheeled her chair toward the conference room door and called out, "OK, Shelly, I'm ready to leave now!"

Shelly walked in and stated, "You can follow us to the exit door, Greg."

As they approached the facility entrance door, Greg suddenly stopped. He asked, "Shelly, could you please give me just one more minute to ask Emily a private question?"

Shelly smiled and replied, "Sure, Greg, but please make it quick."

Shelly walked down the hallway and stood around the corner. Greg got down on one knee in front of Emily's wheel chair. "Please, Emily," implored Greg softly, "I need to know who my father is!"

Emily smiled and raised her eyebrows at Greg's persistence in his unrelenting quest for the truth. She exclaimed, "My God, Greg, just look in a damn mirror. You're his spitting image!" Emily then blew Greg a kiss as she wheeled her chair down the hallway to meet Shelly. She said, "Let's go and get my breakfast, Shelly."

* * * * *

Greg left the building in deep thought as he slowly walked to his car. After he got into the driver's seat, he tilted the rearview mirror down. He then adjusted it, so he could see his entire face. He stared at himself for over a minute, while replaying Emily's words in his mind:

"My God, Greg, just look in a damn mirror. You're his spitting image!"

Then the truth finally hit Greg like a bolt of lightning because Edmond Bennett was staring back at him from the mirror. Greg's smile of discovery quickly turned to a frown. He was compelled to visit Edmond but this excursion would require several hours of unexpected highway driving. Nevertheless, this pressing matter could not wait. Greg needed to get answers from Edmond today.

By the winter of 1990, Edmond eventually became too weak to live alone in his Pennsylvania apartment. Even though he had the alternative of living with Greg's family, their relocation to Virginia made him reluctant to consider this option. Amy relocated her father to a rest home in Warren Glen, New Jersey, where she could monitor him in close proximity to her Milford residence. Amy was also Edmond's power of attorney and executrix. When she and her husband, George, moved to Florida, she abandoned her father in the same manner that she did Emily. Regardless of the distance that separated them, Amy was still able to keep Edmond and Emily within her effective grasp of control.

Greg looked down at his watch and mumbled, "It's only 9:15 in the morning. I can get to Edmond's nursing home in about two hours." Greg's adrenaline was pumping with great force. He quickly headed for the Pennsylvania Turnpike en route to New Jersey.

* * * * *

Greg arrived at the Warren Glen Nursing Home shortly after 11:00am. He approached the receptionist desk to ask for Edmond Bennett's room number. The receptionist, Mary Hopkins, looked up Edmond Bennett's name on the computer database. After a few seconds of searching, she curiously gazed up at Greg. "Mr. Bennett and his resident roommate will be having their lunch delivered in about one hour. So, perhaps, you may want to come back later this afternoon after 1:00," stated Mary. She asked, "Are you a friend or a relative of Mr. Bennett?"

Greg quickly stated, "I am a relative, but I only have about a half an hour before I have to be back on the road. So I will be leaving before Mr. Bennett's lunch time."

The receptionist smiled wearily and responded. "Mr. Bennett is located on the second floor in room 212. Please sign the guest register that is located on the table at the lobby entrance."

As Greg walked over to sign the guest register book, he was becoming suspicious with this receptionist's inquiry. He questioned the relevance as to whether a visitor was a friend or relative of Edmond Bennett. Greg entered the date and time of his arrival in the register and signed his name as 'Greg Mendel'.

Greg's suspicions with the receptionist were warranted. After he left the lobby to go to Edmond Bennett's room, Mary Hopkins walked over to verify who this visitor is. She quickly jotted down the visitor's name and returned to her desk to place a phone call to Amy Bradford. Mary listened as Amy Bradford's phone rang five times and the answer machine picked up. She heard, "You have reached the Bradford's residence. At the sound of the beep, please leave your name and phone number, and we will return your call." The beep sounded and Mary Hopkins left a voice message regarding the name of Edmond Bennett's visitor.

Greg briskly walked down the second floor hallway observing the posted ascending room numbers until he arrived at room 212. When he entered the room, he saw Edmond Bennett and his roommate sitting upright in their beds watching a television game show. A young woman in a blue uniform was straightening up their room. She was startled and forced a smile when she looked up and saw Greg standing in the doorway.

"Hello, my name is Patricia," stated the nurse's aide with a nervous undertone. "I'm just tidying up the room before these two gentlemen have their lunch. May I help you?"

Greg courteously replied, "I'm here to visit Edmond Bennett."

Edmond's attention was distracted from the television after hearing his name mentioned and he turned his head to see Greg standing at the entrance to his room. A big smile appeared on Edmond's face as he reached over to a side table to grab his pipe and tobacco pouch. "Patricia, get my goddamn wheelchair so Greg can take me out to the patio," blurted Edmond. "I need to have a smoke!"

Greg was somewhat surprised with Edmond's barking commands. He watched as Patricia quickly left the room and returned with Edmond's wheel chair. Patricia pushed the wheelchair next to Edmond's bedside and carefully helped him into the seat. "It's a beautiful day outside, Mr. Bennett," stated Patricia politely. "Have a nice smoke."

Edmond just grunted at Patricia and said, "Get me the hell out of this room, Greg. Turn right in the hallway, and the patio entrance is at the end of the corridor."

Patricia jumped aside and smiled as Greg wheeled Edmond out of the room to go to the patio.

When they entered the patio, Edmond's hands were shaking as he scooped his pipe into the tobacco pouch. Then he removed the pipe to pack down the bowl. Greg looked into the cup holder on the arm of the wheelchair and pulled out a lighter. His thumb sparked the flint and Greg held the flame over the pipe bowl as Edmond fired up the contents.

Edmond smiled while he slowly exhaled a long steady stream of smoke. Then he curiously looked up at Greg. "So what brings you all the way up here from Virginia?" inquired Edmond. "Are you on a business trip or something?"

Greg responded, "No, Pop-Pop. I visited Emily this morning and figured that I would drive up to see you before I returned home."

Edmond turned his head away without making a response. He was silently immersed in thought as he stared at the surrounding trees while taking another long draw on his pipe.

Greg attempted to make casual conversation and stated, "You were a little harsh with that young lady, Pop-Pop. I was always taught to use the word 'please' if I wanted something."

Edmond grunted while making a sneer. "Patricia is just another butterfly, Greg."

Confusion appeared on Greg's face, and he inquired, "You called her a... butterfly?"

Edmond calmly replied, "Yes, Greg, I said a butterfly. Patricia is pretty to look at, but she has shit for brains."

He could not hold back from laughing at Edmond's humorous description of Patricia. However, Greg knew that he had limited time and needed to state his urgent reason for visiting.

"Look, Pop-Pop, I had a very revealing conversation with Emily this morning," stated Greg boldly. "I have also confirmed that Emily is my birth mother."

Edmond's pipe fell out of his mouth. It bounced off a slate tile, spilling the burning contents of tobacco embers which slowly blew across the patio surface. Greg retrieved Edmond's pipe and asked, "Do you want me to fill it up again for you?"

Edmond grabbed the pipe from Greg, and placed it in the wheelchair cup holder. Edmond replied, "No. I've smoked enough for now." He then stared up at Greg, and asked, "You said that Emily told you she is your birth mother?"

Greg hesitated, "Well, Pop-Pop, to be completely honest with you, no. Emily never told me that she is my birth mother, but she didn't deny it either. I told Emily about the revealing evidence that I had discovered over the past 12 years. All Emily would say is that she has always loved me like a mother, and that I already know the truth. Therefore, she felt that there was nothing further that she needed to tell me."

After hearing what Greg said, Edmond silently smiled at Emily's ingenious method of revealing to Greg that she is his birth mother. She did so without having to tell him. Over the past several years, Edmond was aware that Emily had provided a path of clues that would lead Greg to the truth about his adoption. Then, after Greg made these discoveries, all Emily would have to do is not deny Greg's findings. Emily effectively kept her promise of secrecy to Amy while finding an indirect way to reveal the truth to Greg.

Edmond also remembered the bothersome Sunday visits he had received from his daughter, Amy, when she came to clean his Pennsylvania apartment. She would continually ask him if Greg had made any recent attempts to contact him. For years Amy had to endure her ultimate fear that both of her sons would discover the truth about their illegal adoptions. Edmond's conversations with his daughter usually ended with the same antagonizing questions. Edmond would ask Amy why she felt it was necessary to hide the secret that her sons are adopted. Amy always angrily responded, "What is their need to know?" It now appeared that his daughter's worst fears had finally come to fruition.

* * * * *

Amy and George had just returned from food shopping, and George saw the flashing light on the answering machine. George hit the replay button and he and Amy listened to the message:

"Hello, Mrs. Bradford, this is Mary Hopkins with the Warren Glen Nursing Home in New Jersey. You had requested us to contact you with regard to any people visiting Edmond Bennett. I am calling to inform you that a Mr. Greg Mendel is visiting your father this morning. Since Mr. Mendel is not denoted on your listings of restricted visitors, I have permitted his access. Please call me back if this presents any concerns that we may need to address in the future."

George watched as Amy's face turned red with anger. She screamed, "That frickin' freak! I swear to God that I'm going to kill the little bastard!"

George's elderly brain was slow and disoriented, and he lamely attempted to extinguish the fire of his wife's rage. "Now calm down, Amy," said George. "Mary Hopkins said that the visitor's name is Greg Mendel, and not Greg Bradford."

George's dumbfounded explanation only infuriated Amy more. "You are a total dumb ass, George," blurted Amy as she furiously punched the redial button on the telephone with her finger. "You obviously have failed to remember the fact that Emily gave her son the birth name of Greg Mendel! Now, get out of my sight, and go into the goddamn living room."

The receptionist's desk phone rang at the Warren Glen Nursing Home, and Mary Hopkins was having a hard time in dealing with the angry caller. However, Amy Bradford's final demanding words to Mary were received and understood. "Find Greg Mendel, and have him removed from the premises immediately!" screamed Amy.

Mary Hopkins called the second floor nurses' station. The head nurse answered her desk phone, but she did not even get the opportunity to address the caller. A very nervous Mary Hopkins immediately stated, "Locate the man visiting Edmond Bennett in room 212 and escort him to the lobby. Please do it now!"

The nurse walked down the hallway to room 212, and discovered that Edmond was not in his bed. The nurse located Patricia and inquired, "Where is Mr. Bennett?"

Patricia replied, "He has a visitor. They went out to the patio so Mr. Bennett could smoke his pipe."

The nurse then rapidly walked down the corridor to the patio entrance. She found Edmond Bennett and his visitor sitting under an umbrella shaded table. The nurse approached them and stated, "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation gentlemen, but it is lunchtime, Mr. Bennett. Your visitor will have to leave now."

She took the handles of Edmond Bennett's wheelchair and started to push him back to his room. Greg gently took hold of the nurse's arm. "May I please say good-bye to my grandfather, first?" asked Greg.

The nurse stood aside and smiled with her response, "Sure. I will wait here for a minute while you both say good-bye."

Greg stooped down, using Edmond's body as a partition to block the nurse's view. He quietly spoke into Edmond's ear. "There is something that I need to ask you, Pop-Pop," said Greg. "Are you my birth father?"

Greg could almost hear the gears clicking away in Edmond's head as he carefully worded his response. Edmond had a big smile on his face as he reached over to shake Greg's hand. He boldly answered, "What is your need to know?"

The nurse then took hold of Edmond's wheelchair and turned to look at Greg. She stated, "I'll be taking your grandfather to get his lunch. You will need to leave now, sir."

He followed behind the nurse as she wheeled Edmond back to his room, and then Greg took the stairway down to the lobby to leave. As he passed the receptionist's desk, Mary Hopkins stopped Greg. With the voice of authority, she stated, "Mr. Mendel, I need to inform you that any future visitations you wish to make with Edmond Bennett will require advanced notice. You will also need the consent of his daughter, Amy Bradford. Do you know Mrs. Bradford?"

Mary Hopkins' inquiry had excited Greg's mind with a complex mixture of emotions. He belligerently replied, "Yes. I know Amy Bradford. She used to be my mother. In actuality, she is my half-sister. I seriously doubt she will ever give her consent for me to visit my father again."

Mary Hopkins looked fearfully at this mysterious visitor's piercing eyes and intimidating smile. Greg took great pleasure in watching the look of astonishment on the receptionist's face. Then he slowly turned away to walk out to his car in the parking lot.

Greg laughed when he got in his car. He once again adjusted the rear view mirror to stare at the reflection of Edmond Bennett smiling back at him. Greg rejoiced in the fact that he would always be able to see his birth father by merely staring in a mirror. He also regretted that this was probably the last time he would ever talk with Edmond again. The countless questions Greg had wanted to ask his birth father regarding his ancestral connection to the royal bloodline would forever remain unanswered.

Greg had the five hour drive back to Virginia to run through the vivid memories of his conversations that day with Emily and Edmond. He understood why neither of them could directly tell him that they are, indeed, his birth parents. Even though Amy lived in Florida, over 1000 miles away, Emily and Edmond were both precariously caught in her web of control. They both had signed their lives away when they made Amy the executrix of their estates. They also relied on Amy's dubious financial prowess, and her oversight for their well-being. Edmond and Emily had each separately shared in the closure of truth with their illegitimate birth child. Now, they both lived with the uncertainty of how Greg would pursue the documented proof of his illegal adoption. Edmund and Emily also equally feared what Amy would do to ensure Greg could not succeed in his pursuit of the truth.

* * * * *

When Greg arrived back home, he happily told Mimi and Grace about the closure he received from his visits with Emily and Edmond. He was rather disgruntled with the invisible walls that Amy and Sidney Dilts had constructed around his birth parents to prevent his ability to visit them. "There are so many questions that I wanted to ask Edmond," explained Greg. "Amy has ended any hopes of opening that door again. I'm sure when Sidney Dilts finds out that I visited Emily without his permission, that door will also be permanently closed."

Mimi could not believe how low Amy would sink to protect lies that have existed for over 40 years. "Well, dear, at least you have received closure," stated Mimi with great relief. "Now, you can move on with your life." Greg heard what his wife had said, but his mind was aimlessly wandering. Mimi didn't like the vindictive look on her husband's face. "Alright, Greg, you're starting to worry me again," said Mimi. "What in the hell are you plotting to do next?"

Greg looked up at Mimi with a sly smile. He replied, "I'm planning to follow through on two personal requests that Emily made to me. Emily asked me to report her father's Social Security fraud and to make a sincere attempt to repair my relationship with Amy. That's exactly what I intend to do after supper."

Mimi's temper became elevated and she exclaimed, "Damn it, Greg, every time you call Amy, your conversation ends in an argument. You're angry because Amy has cut off your ability to talk with your birth parents. Please, just let this go and move on with your life. Haven't the last 12 years been enough suffering for you? Do you really want to continue with this grief?"

Greg then consciously sought his heart to determine if what Mimi said to him was relevant to these issues. He surely did not wish to experience another crushing chest pain by hastily following his rage. Instead, he paused and sought the restraint of his impartial common sense.

After Greg finished his supper, he went on the computer and logged onto the Internet to file an online report with the Social Security Administration. When he completed this first task, he walked out onto the front deck to think about his pending phone call to Amy. When Mimi came out on the deck, she sat down and watched Greg as he fidgeted in torment. She inquired, "So, what will you do, Greg? Can you find a way to let this whole matter go, or are you going to jump back into a big pile of bullshit again?"

Greg smiled at Mimi's sarcastic question. He replied, "Well, Mimi, I must admit that you would be correct in your analysis of this situation and, yes, my better judgment also tells me that I should just walk away from it. On the other hand, since Emily requested me to make a sincere attempt to repair my relationship with Amy, then I will need to do so. Even Emily said that this task would be very hard for me to accomplish. I will call Amy and extend an olive branch in peace, but I shall refrain from any comments regarding my illegal adoption. Does this sound fair and reasonable?"

Mimi rolled her eyes in dismay and waved her arms in the air. "Do whatever you feel is necessary," said Mimi. "I still feel that this is just another big mistake, regardless of how noble you portray this gesture of peace to be."

Mimi listened from the doorway when Greg went into the bedroom and called Amy Bradford. Amy answered her phone but she took several seconds to say anything. "Hello," said a slurred voice on the other end.

At first Greg thought that he had dialed the wrong number because this voice was hard to discern as being Amy's. "Hi, Mom, this is Greg. I was hoping that we could talk for a few minutes," said Greg in a courteous voice.

Amy questioned, "And what did you want to talk about—perhaps your visit with Pop-Pop Bennett, this morning?"

Greg avoided Amy's attempt to lure him into an argument, and he responded, "Well no, Mom. I wanted to talk about us. I feel that I have created a giant rift in our family, and my own brother won't even talk to me anymore. This entire matter has been festering for over 12 years, and I felt it was time for me to apologize for my actions."

Amy started to laugh and stated, "You're full of shit, Greg. First of all, Scott won't talk to you anymore because you have claimed that he is not your blood brother. Secondly, you have denied George and me as being your biological parents."

Greg quickly responded, "Look, Mom, you and Dad are my parents. You raised me, fed me, clothed me, cared for me when I was sick, and you provided a roof over my head. I'm really sorry for all the torment that I have caused everyone. Again, I wish to apologize and ask for your forgiveness."

There was a long pause from Amy, and then she remarked, "OK, Greg. I have just one question for you... who are your birth parents?"

Greg avoided Amy's question, and backtracked to his previous statement. "Why do you want to go there, Mom?" asked Greg. "I have already acknowledged that you and Dad are my parents. Can't we both just agree on this, and move on?"

Amy's anger was now bursting at the seams, and she shouted into the phone, "Answer my question, Greg! Who are your birth parents?"

Greg hesitated for several seconds. He replied, "Well, Mom, if you insist on an answer, then I'll give you one. Based on the documents I have been collecting for 12 years, and the conversations I had with Emily and Edmond today—they are my birth parents."

Amy's mixture of anger and alcohol was so intoxicating that she was having great difficulty making a sentence. "You... also saw Emily today?" asked Amy. "How in the hell did you get in to see her?"

Greg smiled because he had unknowingly bypassed Sidney's restrictive blockade. "Well, to be honest with you, Mom," explained Greg, "until today, I wasn't even aware you and Sidney placed an invisible fence around Emily to prevent me from visiting her. To answer your question, I arrived at Sycamore Gardens early this morning and entered through an employees' entrance."

Amy remained silent, while Greg continued. "I must admit, Mom. I'm really worried with how you and Sidney are taking care of Emily. You moved her from her apartment, and sold or gave away all of her belongings. You placed her into the assisted care ward against her will. Emily told me that you and Sidney have abandoned her. I can understand about your inability to visit Emily, but Sidney has no excuse, and he is far from being an ethical person!"

Amy easily ignored Greg's accusations since she felt no need to defend her or Sidney's questionable actions with Emily. "So, what else did you and Emily discuss?" asked Amy.

Greg replied, "Well, Mom. Our conversation was personal, but I will tell you that I have followed through at Emily's request to report the fraud involving her father's Social Security checks. Weren't you aware that this fraudulent account existed? You and Sidney Dilts have been Emily's co-powers of attorney for the last two years and oversee her financial matters. So I thought that you would have known about this."

Amy then calmed down and became more reserved. She responded, "I have no knowledge of this because Sidney pays Emily's bills, and her attorney, George Trapp, is responsible for Emily's estate—not me."

Greg grinned and responded, "Yes, Mom, I know these facts. Sidney told me about George Trapp. That is why I have identified him as the person to be contacted by the Social Security Administration if they decide to investigate this alleged fraud. I trust you will agree that Emily has done the right thing in having me report her unlawful act to the authorities."

There was no further response from Amy. Greg could hear her crying as she turned away from her phone receiver to blow her nose. Greg then reiterated his apology to Amy. "I'm sorry that I have turned out to be such a big disappointment to you, Mom. I now realize that you had other extenuating circumstances that I was never aware of until recently. I just hope that someday you will find the ability to forgive me, and also to forgive yourself. I will always regard you and Dad as my parents, even if you didn't give birth to me." There was a long pause while Greg patiently waited for Amy's response. Then he heard a loud click as Amy slammed the receiver down, abruptly ending what would most likely be their last phone conversation.

* * * * *

Chapter 60

Over a week had passed since Greg's last visits with Emily and Edmond. His phone conversation with Amy had concluded with the likelihood that he would remain disowned by his relative family. There were many times that hind-sightedness had made Greg reconsider his past actions. Could he have handled the situation differently? On the other hand, should he have followed his wife's advice and just walked away from the matters regarding his adoption after he received disclosure of the truth? Greg had estranged himself from his family over 12 years ago, so any regrets of what he should or should not have done were already rendered moot. There was nothing left to lose, and only the vain hopes of a future success in repairing his family relationships remained. Greg was now ready to move on with his life. He also finally accepted the facts of his illegitimate origins. Greg understood the consequences he helped to create by pursuing a painful secret truth. Some facts of life should never be revealed, and it would be better for everyone if they had remained unknown.

The only question remaining was how Emily's fraud case with the Social Security Administration would end. The online SSA form Greg had submitted denoted a fine print notice at the bottom of the page. It stated that government investigators would contact him if they had any further questions. Greg assumed that Emily's estate attorney, George Trapp, as well as her two financial co-powers of attorney would suffice as targets for making any conclusive investigations.

* * * * *

Nearly a week later, as Greg drove home from work on a Friday afternoon, he had almost forgotten the entire matter regarding Emily Baxter. When Greg arrived home, Mimi met him at the back door. She had a strange and worried look on her face. "What's the matter, Mimi?" asked Greg. "You look like the bearer of bad news."

Mimi embraced Greg. She sadly stated, "Sidney Dilts called about one hour ago, and he informed me that Emily died this morning. He wants you to call him back. I wrote down his phone number on a tablet next to the phone in the bedroom." Greg dropped his briefcase, and quickly went into the bedroom to return Sidney's phone call.

The phone only rang twice, and Sidney answered, "Hello. This is Sidney."

Greg tried to hold his emotions in check but a wave of anger was building in his mind. "How did Emily die?" asked Greg. "I visited her less than two weeks ago and she was fine."

Sidney paused and then he responded, "Yes, Greg. Your mother, Amy, and the Sycamore Gardens administrator told me about your unscheduled visit with Emily that Saturday morning. I was sorry to hear that Emily felt that I had abandoned her. However, Emily always wanted me to visit her more than I could... but I feel that none of this really matters now."

Greg replied tersely, "I guess you're right, Sidney, because this problem will be buried along with Emily."

Sidney silently took pleasure in listening to Greg's inappropriate, angered remark. Then Sidney proceeded to continue with his rendition of Emily's cause of death. "The doctor said that Emily died of congestive heart failure," explained Sidney. "I also recall this is what the cause of death states on her death certificate." Sidney then expounded with his philosophical religious conjecture. "We never know when the good Lord will take us away, Greg. We will have to accept that it was Emily's time to go. Her death was quick, without suffering a lot of pain, and I hope that I will go out like Emily when it is my time to go to Heaven." Greg remained silent and just listened as Sidney rambled on, "I'm very sorry for your loss, Greg. I know that Emily was as special to you, as you were to her. She always referred to you as her favorite nephew."

Sidney waited a couple of seconds to let his dispiriting words painfully stab Greg emotionally. Then he got back to running down Emily's scheduled funeral itinerary. "There will be a viewing on Wednesday evening but Amy has requested that you not attend, Greg. I had a very hard time in convincing Amy to allow you to come to Emily's memorial service. So, please don't disappoint me by starting an argument with Amy at the funeral. Emily's funeral will be at 11am on Thursday at the Fort Washington Baptist Church, which is across the street from the Sycamore Gardens retirement community. She will be laid to rest next to her parents' grave site at the Oak Lawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. Will you be bringing your family, Greg, or will you be attending alone?"

Greg was feeling nauseous and desired to end this phone call with Sidney. He replied, "I'm not sure about my wife and daughter, but I will be attending the service."

Greg was angered by Amy's attempts to bar him from Emily's funeral, as well as Sidney downgrading him to be nothing more than Emily's nephew. Furthermore, Sidney's rehearsed demeanor on the phone, describing Emily's last living moments and her itinerant funeral schedule, infuriated Greg. Sidney described these events, as though they were indexed operating procedures for an assembly line of death recipients. Sidney's monotonous tone of voice demonstrated he had undoubtedly performed this consoling act with the family survivors of countless elderly people. He was proficient at luring lonely seniors into his confidence, only to swindle their life's savings.

After Greg hung up the phone he slowly walked passed Mimi and Grace in the living room. "Emily's funeral will be at 11 o'clock on Thursday morning," stated Greg. "Now, please excuse me because I need a few minutes alone to think."

Greg exited through the door to the front deck. He sat quietly watching the sun go down behind the mountainside, while desperately trying to convince his guilty conscience that Emily's death resulted from natural causes. Greg sensed deeply in his heart that Emily had been premeditatedly silenced, and he was directly the cause for her demise. He rose from his chair in deep anguish, closed his eyes, and bent his head down in silent prayer to ask for guidance. Greg's troubled soul sought answers that would help ease his aching reality.

When Greg opened his eyes, he found himself mysteriously standing before Monsignor Monahan in a grassy Texas pasture. He shied away from the stern face of the monsignor. Greg defensively pleaded, "I did as you instructed me to do, Monsignor Monahan. I followed my impartial common sense of reason, rather than my anger. I even fulfilled Emily's request to attempt to make peace with my half-sister Amy, but I still sense that I was the cause of Emily's death."

Monsignor Monahan's face then changed to display a compassionate smile with his response, "Yes, Greg. You did follow the path of reason and circumvented your vindictive anger. However, by fulfilling Emily's last request, you became Emily's tool and the conveyance of her anger. She knew that the request she made would lead to mayhem. Therefore, you did cause her death—but you also released Emily from her emotional pain. Your last visit with Emily gave you closure of the truth, and it finally allowed Emily to release her guilt so she could begin to understand the truth about her own life."

Greg was totally perplexed. He asked, "So, you're telling me that no matter what I did, or did not do, I would still have been predestined to be the cause of Emily's death?"

Monsignor Monahan placed his hands on Greg's shoulders. He stated, "What I am saying Greg, is that when you faithfully follow your heart, rather than your anger, then you shall never compromise what is right. Nothing happens by chance. Life is based on everyone's directed source of conscience, and the consequences of that chosen path provide the compromising balances of life."

The monsignor smiled as he watched Greg's attempt to comprehend this conscious duality of life. He thoughtfully offered Greg another rationalization. "Emily, her sister Martha, and their mother, Amanda, each had difficulty in grasping these compromising spiritual concepts of balance. It was only in the final sacrificing moments of their lives when they truly understood. The same shall eventually be said for you and your wife, Mimi. I had given you the guiding benefit of prophecy for your near future. You have witnessed the first event that was fulfilled today. However, you shall still reluctantly avoid your divine calling, and time is running out for you. You shall only receive two more warnings, Greg. If you fail to act, then you shall bear the consequences for your reluctance to heed."

Greg was in a state of panic. He held his hands out begging for guidance. "I don't understand," implored Greg. "Do you want me to take up a sword with a bunch of Knights Templar war lords to fight an alleged enemy who I don't even know? Do I have to sacrifice my only child to a 7000 year old archaic cause? Please tell me what in the hell you expect me to do!"

Monsignor Monahan's eyes were angrily piercing at Greg as he walked toward him. "Your heart sought me for guidance in your prayer tonight, Greg," stated the Monsignor. "Therefore, you must also seek your divine calling in the same manner."

The monsignor reached forward placing his hand on Greg's chest. An immense surge of energy painfully caused Greg's soul to leave his body. Greg was consciously floating above in the air and he could peacefully observe his body standing in front of the monsignor. The monsignor then waved his arm down abruptly and Greg's soul reentered his body making him gasp for air.

"Your heart has righteously guided you before," stated Monsignor Monahan while continuing to press firmly on Greg's chest. "If you are ever in doubt, you must always search here for the truth and to receive divine guidance. You will also need to summon your courage to tell Mimi everything you have learned and experienced. You are both bound as one in marriage and she shares the fate of your predestined path. Remember, your time is running out, and you shall only receive two more warnings before your destiny arrives."

Greg felt two arms wrap around his waist from behind. He turned around and was relieved to see Mimi's compassionate smile. "How are you handling this, Greg?" asked Mimi. "I'll stay if you want to discuss it, or I can leave if you need more time alone."

Greg tenderly kissed Mimi. He calmly stated, "My mind had wandered over a thousand miles from here. I'm back, and I'm done with my soul searching for now. I was blaming myself for Emily's death. However, I wasn't looking at all the other factors from the past that were beyond my ability to control which helped in creating her demise."

Mimi nodded her head in agreement. "You can't redeem the past," stated Mimi. "That is why I tried to convince you to let the past go. You need to be grateful for a few closures of the truth that you have received, and to move on with your life. Now we only need to focus on our future together."

Greg's face went blank with Mimi's words regarding their future focus and he turned away. Mimi didn't understand why her husband had suddenly withdrawn from her arms and she asked, "What's the matter, Greg? Was it something that I said?"

Greg turned to face his wife. He held her hand as he replied, "No, Mimi. It isn't what you said that bothers me. It's what I have reluctantly failed to tell you."

Greg paced a short distance across the deck to organize his thoughts. He stated, "Do you recall the night when we returned from Warren County Hospital after Grace had her hand surgery and I recovered those miniature encrypted documents? You didn't want to hear or discuss the past matters surrounding our nightmares about the Knights Templar in Houston, Texas. You assumed all of that bullshit had ended in 1979 after we left Texas. I then explained to you that our nightmare had only just begun in 1979. Until that evening, I had waited for over eight years to tell you what I had witnessed in Florida during the Challenger Space Shuttle launch. I told you that I met Dr. Branson and helplessly watched as those telekinetic twin boys caused the shuttle to explode shortly after takeoff. I will never forget the look of horror on your face that evening. Afterward, I had regretted telling you anything about what I saw in Florida. From that day onward I swore that I would always endeavor to shelter you and Grace from those fears. Up until now, I have done so."

Mimi felt faint, and reached for a deck chair to sit down. She turned away from Greg to look into the darkness of the forest valley. After calming her nerves, she found the courage to ask Greg to continue. "I will presume that something occurred when you took those miniature encrypted documents to Dr. Patterson in Washington. So, what else happened that evening that you haven't told me?"

Greg could feel his anxiety building in proportion to the distress on Mimi's face. He quickly pulled up a chair to sit down and face his wife, "Yes, Mimi. Something happened that evening, and it hasn't stopped haunting me since. That evening, Dr. Patterson flew us to his Texas ranch and I had been given the dubious honor of being chosen to witness a miraculous divine intervention that has been following my entire life. I was shown that my life was spared from death on several occasions. Ever since that evening, I have been continually guided to our family's unknown future. You happily contended the Isis Amulet which was bestowed upon me that evening had come from Dr. Patterson. Since it corrected Grace's problem, you had no reason to question anything about what this amulet is, how I received it, or where it came from. You were happy and Grace was cured. Therefore, I had no reason to offer you or Grace any further details about that night."

The building anger on Mimi's face told Greg that he had some facts to disclose. Mimi stood up sternly and demanded, "Let's start with the Isis Amulet. What is it, where did it come from, and who gave it to you?"

Greg responded, "The Isis Amulet is an ancient necklace that protects the person wearing it from evil forces. I feel that the amulet has been confirmed to be genuine because Grace's problems ended the day she started wearing it. The amulet was borrowed from a Vatican depository of priceless relic antiquities. It is unlikely that it will be missed because it had probably been just collecting dust for centuries in some vault in Rome. However, I may have difficulty in describing the man who gave this Amulet to me. He appeared to be a man in his early 50s. He introduced himself as Monsignor Monahan, and he is stationed in Vatican City, Rome."

Mimi shrugged her shoulders, "Then, what's so hard to describe about Monsignor Monahan?"

Greg awkwardly smiled. He stated, "To start with, this monsignor claimed that he personally knew Emily and her mother, Amanda, over 30 years ago."

Mimi responded, "OK. It's a small world, and this monsignor was a friend of Emily's family when he was about 20 years old. Why is this so hard to understand?"

Greg then stood up from his chair. He exclaimed, "That was exactly what I thought when the monsignor told me this. However, he told me that he was a monsignor in the 1960s. I don't think a priest can receive that title when they are only in their twenties. Emily also confirmed that the middle-aged monsignor she knew in the 1960s had to be the same man I met that night at Dr. Patterson's ranch."

Mimi let out a sarcastic laugh. She remarked, "Either you or Emily must be mistaken about who this monsignor is. If this man was in his 50s when he knew Emily 30 years ago, then he would be in his 80s now."

Greg smiled at Mimi's deductive conclusion. He responded, "That is why I said that I would have difficulty in describing the man who gave me the Isis Amulet, because he isn't a man. He is some kind of an angel or spirit in a human form. He has been watching over both of our ancestral families for countless generations. Perhaps now you may better understand why I have avoided telling you about any of this. I felt it would be too hard for you to grasp, let alone believe. The only other thing I will tell you at this point is that our nightmare in Houston has always been a constant condition. It hasn't changed in over 20 years. You were just unaware of this until now. I have also been warned that we will soon need to answer our divine calling."

Mimi looked up at Greg in curiosity and inquired, "So, what is our divine calling?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders. He answered, "Damned if I know, but I will definitely let you know when I find out."

Greg exposed the important facts and answered all of Mimi's questions. However, he intentionally left out many of the more traumatic moments and conversations he had on that revealing evening in Texas with Monsignor Monahan and Dr. Patterson. There was also the omission of facts regarding the compromising strings that were conditionally attached to the Isis Amulet. Accepting possession of the amulet required Greg and Mimi's relinquishment of Grace to fulfill her future prophecy through a divine mission. Neither Greg nor Mimi would have the power to alter Grace's predestined path, and Grace would not have the ability to resist her calling. Therefore, Greg felt it was pointless to say anything about it.

* * * * *

Early Thursday morning, Greg was preparing for his departure to attend Emily Baxter's funeral. Mimi walked into the bathroom, and watched Greg in the mirror as he finished adjusting his tie. She asked, "Are you sure you don't want Grace and me to go with you to attend Emily's funeral?"

Greg turned away from the mirror to hold Mimi. He replied, "I really would like you both to go with me. However, this entire matter has already evolved into a travesty. You pointed out in the recent past that Emily never requested for you or Grace to visit her when she was alive. So, it is probably best that you don't attend her funeral either. I have been branded as the black sheep of the family. I don't want you and Grace to be subjected to the bullshit that I may have to endure at this memorial service. I know you thought that Emily didn't like you. Even though she never talked about you during my visits, I firmly believe that Emily eventually respected and accepted my decision to marry you. I also contend that Emily avoided Grace because of Amy and George. I now realize that Amy always thought Emily had exceeded her role as a great-aunt. I even remember when I was 12 years old, and Emily took me to her car after a family dinner engagement to offer me instructional books on the facts of life."

Mimi curiously remarked, "I guess that would have really made you feel awkward, Greg. So, what did you do? Did you ask Emily why she was giving you sexual literature?"

Greg smiled and responded, "No. I was totally embarrassed, and I kindly declined Emily's offer. During the drive back home I told my parents about Emily offering me sex education books. Amy and George became angry, but they were both silent. After that evening, I never saw or visited Emily again for years but we both continued writing short letters to each other. It's kind of strange that I am now just remembering this past event with Emily acting like a concerned mother. It's similar to all the other clues that were staring me in the face for the last 40 years, but I was totally unaware about my adoption. I even searched for my birth father for 12 years, and this answer was also staring me in the face every time I looked in the mirror. The first 30 years of my life were a falsehood. Even though I did share some significant moments with Amy, George, and Scott, those memories have been overshadowed by the continuous lies about my adoption. I will never understand why Amy failed to reveal this truth to me and what her selfish, self-substantiating reasons are for still keeping this secret concealed, even after it has been exposed."

Mimi saw that Greg was getting upset with his emotional quandary, and she offered an explanation. "Think about it, Greg. You discovered that Amy was also adopted. Therefore, she isn't even your half-sister through Edmond, but she had to raise you. Furthermore, Amy obviously couldn't conceive a child, but you could and this intensified her jealousy. Don't you remember when Amy and George unexpectedly appeared on our doorstep in Houston? Amy apparently wanted to confirm that I was really pregnant. If you recall from Emily's hand-drawn family tree, there was a fertility curse on the Baxter Family. You and Emily were the only lineal descendants in her family that could conceive children, and this also makes you the Baxter family's sole surviving legacy and blood heir."

Greg stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and stated, "You made some pretty valid points, Mimi. It provides a lot of food for thought because I had never even considered these facts. At least Edmond is still alive. Perhaps there is more he will tell me if I can sneak into his retirement home to visit him again."

* * * * *

Greg arrived at the Fort Washington Baptist Church at 10:30 for Emily's memorial service. He saw Amy and George standing in the church lobby with Sidney. Greg's arrival went unnoticed as he stealthily walked around the crowd of people who had come to pay their last respects to Emily. Greg's heart sank when he entered the chapel. He saw Emily's closed mahogany casket covered with a large flower arrangement. He was also somewhat disheartened because he now understood why Amy did not want him to attend Emily's viewing the night before. Amy wanted Greg to be deprived of the opportunity to look upon his birth mother for one last time before she would be buried at her Baxter family's grave site. However, Amy's spiteful act against Greg could not erase the memories that he would forever hold in his heart for Emily.

Standing before his mother's casket, Greg made a silent prayer. He intrepidly fought back his tears as he made his final parting words to Emily. "Thank you, mother, for all that you have taught me about life. Thank you for your forgiveness of my failures and the years of pain I have brought upon you. I promise that I shall always observe the final words you made to me. I will remain strong through the uncertain times ahead that I have been divinely chosen to overcome." Greg's hand shook as he traced his fingers along the entire length of his mother's casket. His face appeared blank of expression as he sadly turned away to walk to the last bench row in the back of the chapel to be seated.

The people slowly started entering the chapel. Greg observed his brother, Scott, walk in and sit down beside Amy and George. Sidney was the last person to walk in, and he accompanied the minister who would be performing the funeral memorial service. Sidney walked up and stood next to Emily's casket. His eyes searched through the congregation to locate Greg and found him seated in the back of the chapel. Sidney gave a nod to Greg while exhibiting a sneering expression.

The memorial service was brief and the mourners left the chapel to prepare for Emily's burial service at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. Everyone crowded outside the church while Emily's casket was placed into the hearse. Greg broke down in tears as the rear door of the hearse closed. He turned to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. When Greg looked up, his brother, Scott, was standing in front of him.

"It's been a long time little brother," said Scott as he extended his hand of greetings to shake with Greg. "You're looking a little bit older than I had pictured you in my mind."

Greg smiled, shook Scott's hand, and laughingly replied, "Well it has been over 13 years since we last saw each other, Scott. Father Time hasn't been very easy on your appearance, either."

Scott then took the initiative to make a serious comment, "Look, Greg, I can't say that I believe anything you claimed about both of us being adopted. I really don't give a damn either way. We are each entitled to our beliefs and we should just let it go at that."

Greg paused and responded, "Thanks, Scott, and I agree with your assessment of this matter. I just wish to get on with my life, and I'm sorry if I pissed off the family."

Scott patted Greg on the shoulder and stated, "Like I told you, Greg—I don't care. It's Mom and Dad, who are peeved, but they will get over it. There is another matter that I wanted to ask you about, and it involves Sidney Dilts. It's my understanding that he has robbed Emily's estate during the past two years as her power of attorney. Do you know anything about him spending over two million dollars of Emily's savings when he was in command of her finances?"

Greg appeared surprised. "Well, first of all, Scott, I visited Emily on a couple of occasions. I had no idea how much money she had, nor did it concern me," stated Greg. "By the way, Scott, who told you that Sidney, had robbed this money from Emily?"

Scott quickly responded, "Mom told me about it today."

Greg's anger was building with Scott's ignorant belief in anything that Amy had told him. "You're so quick to accept everything Mom tells you as being the truth, just as you accepted Mom's lie about giving birth to both of us," Greg blurted condescendingly. "The fact Mom omitted is that she was Emily's co-power of attorney with Sidney. Therefore, no funds in Emily's account could have been spent without Mom's signature of approval! Even though I find it hard to defend Mom's self-serving acts, I don't think it was Mom or Sidney Dilts that emptied Emily's savings account. The Social Security Administration seized this money before Emily's estate lawyer and her co-powers of attorney could hide it."

Scott had a confused look on his face and asked, "I'm not sure that I'm following you, Greg. Would you mind explaining what you just said in layman's terms?"

Greg strived to maintain his boiling temper. He replied, "No, Scott, and I don't have to explain anything else to you. I have never lied to you, and I'm telling you the honest facts now. I feel quite confident that both Sidney and Mom were stealing money from Emily. How do you think that Sidney bought his new Cadillac, and how Mom and Dad could afford their lakefront villa in Florida? If you want more facts you'll have to get them from Mom. Since you believe everything she tells you, then you'll swallow her explanation just like you did with all of her other lies."

The people were getting ready to leave for the cemetery. Greg composed himself, and forced a parting smile for Scott. He sensed this may be the last time that they would be talking to each other. "They are taking Emily to the cemetery and I'm leaving to return to Virginia after the burial, so I won't be attending the dinner afterward," said Greg. "It's been great seeing you, Scott, and I may see you again at the next funeral." Greg shook Scott's hand and walked away to return to his car to follow the procession of cars to the cemetery. Scott just stood silent in a state of bewilderment as he watched Greg walk away.

* * * * *

The burial service at Oak Lawn Cemetery was cold and dreary, which matched Greg's feelings. He looked across the circle of people and saw Scott, standing beside Amy and George. After the minister concluded the burial service, a single file line of people formed to walk past Emily's casket. Sidney stood at the front of the line with a large bouquet of flowers, and he extracted an individual flower to give each person. As each mourner walked past the casket, they cast their flower. Then they returned to their cars to drive to the dinner reception.

Greg took pleasure in watching George's struggle to maintain his feeble footing as he almost fell onto Emily's casket when he passed by. There was a balance of retribution that Greg felt while watching George in such a state of helplessness. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had relentlessly released his uncontrollable savage rage on his adopted sons. He kept them in an obedient state of perpetual fear by using his leather belt. Mimi had stated to Greg the previous evening that he could not redeem the past. However, the course of time had taken its toll on George's violent cruelty. This provided Greg with a visual payback of vengeance as he watched his decrepit adoptive father stumble around. Fittingly, George would be depending on the support and fractured mercy of his wife, Amy, for the rest of his living days. "There really is divine justice after all," Greg silently stated to himself as he attempted to squelch his laughter.

Greg was the last person in line. He delivered a cold stare at Sidney when he handed Greg a flower. Greg slowly placed the long-stemmed rose on top of Emily's casket. After Stanley walked away, Greg appeared to be the only person remaining at the grave site as the cemetery attendants lowered Emily's casket into her final resting spot. Greg read the adjoining grave marker of Emily's mother:

Amanda Mills Baxter

Born August 1876

Died January 1965

Greg started to look beyond his own pain. Even though his life had been cloaked in lies, he was not alone. He became humbled as he sadly looked at the grave marker of his late grandmother, who could neither use her real name nor her actual date of birth.

"Some lies never die," said a voice emanating from behind Greg. Greg quickly turned around to see a very old man leaning on his wooden cane as he gazed upon Amanda's tombstone. The aged gentleman extended his hand to shake. "I'm Joseph Danbury," said the man. "I believe that we talked on the phone a while ago about your grandparents' estate."

Greg cautiously reached to shake hands and inquired, "How did you know who I am, Mr. Danbury?"

Joseph smiled and replied, "I saw you at the church when you got into a car with a Virginia license tag. Then I knew it was you. However, I didn't need that fact to know who you are, Greg, because Emily was right. You really are the spitting image of Edmond Bennett!"

Greg stood speechless as Joseph Danbury locked arms with him to gain support. Then Joseph said, "Perhaps, you will help me get to my car. We could sit and chat there for a few minutes."

Greg smiled with his reply, "I'm in no hurry to make the drive back to Virginia. I have also declined to attend the dinner reception. So, yes, I have a few minutes to chat."

By the time that Greg had slowly walked Joseph to his car, all the other people had left the cemetery, and they were both alone. Joseph reached into his pocket and used his remote key pad to unlock the car doors. Joseph slowly entered the driver's seat of his car. He stated, "My secretary generally drives me everywhere I need to go. However, someone has to be working at the office to answer the phones. My worthless son couldn't be bothered to answer phones, let alone attend a funeral... he'll probably even avoid going to mine."

Greg sat silently in the front passenger seat looking over the long hood of Joseph's Lincoln Sedan, while waiting for him to start a conversation. "Your mother, Emily, was a very spoiled child," said Joseph bluntly. "She had everything handed to her on a silver platter. However, she had a good heart, and I loved her dearly. Emily knew that, despite the trying moments that she and I shared over the years. Emily's brother, Robert, was a good attorney, but he let alcohol ruin his life. I really never knew her brother, Isaac, very well. He was a sickly child and spent most of his final years in the hospital with his bone cancer problems. I won't even get into her sister, Martha, because she was a very bossy bitch that made my life hell. Martha could never give up on the notion of getting legal custody of you, Greg, because she always considered you to be her stepson. Emily's father, Samuel, was a very hardworking man, but his childhood upbringings in a religious lower middle class family made him too compassionate. This created conflicting moral issues for Samuel as a bank administrator when he had to deal with delinquent bank patrons. Samuel started drinking heavily during the Great Depression to help kill his bad conscience, and he never stopped drinking until he died in 1952. His wife, Amanda, was a saint, but she was also stubborn and reluctant to cooperate with our law firm because she came from a very wealthy family of snobs in England. She seldom would even offer the courtesy of simply shaking hands. Amanda also had a very hard time adjusting to her new lifestyle in America after she was forced to relocate here in 1881 when she was only 10 years old."

Joseph pulled a cigar from his jacket pocket and offered one to Greg.

Greg waved off Joseph and said, "No thanks, Mr. Danbury. I don't smoke."

Joseph removed a clipper from his breast pocket to trim the end of the cigar, and then slowly torched the other end with the car's cigarette lighter. Joseph pushed a door button to roll down the electric window as he exhaled smoke. Then he continued with his one-way conversation. "I saw you staring at Amanda Baxter's grave marker, Greg. You also appeared to know what I meant when I said that some lies never die."

Greg calmly replied, "Yes, Mr. Danbury. You made a factual statement because Amanda's real name was Julia Frida Mendel, and she was born in 1871, not 1876."

Joseph smiled and said, "You are partially correct, Greg. Julia was born in 1871; however, her birth name was not Julia Frida Mendel, and even I was never told what her true birth name is. The only thing I do know is that her family birth origins were from French nobility. Her name was changed to Julia Frida Mendel shortly after she was born, and she was relocated from France to Middlesex, England."

Greg was somewhat amazed with this unknown fact about his grandmother. He was also beginning to get irritated with Joseph's long windedness, and he sought to interject his own thoughts. "Mr. Danbury, I have sat here and listened to you criticize Emily's family," stated Greg. "Generally, people memorialize the good aspects of deceased people, especially since they are not alive and are unable to defend themselves from criticism. Why are you telling me about all of these negative aspects regarding Emily and her family?"

Joseph looked scornfully at Greg and asked, "Why did you call my law office making inquiries about Samuel and Amanda Baxter's estate? Why did you visit Emily Baxter and Edmond Bennett about three weeks ago? I had contended that you were searching for the truth, Greg. There are unpleasant and ugly sides to the truth which are part and parcel, but they must also be accepted with the good aspects. You discovered the truth about your illegal adoption and who your birth parents are. So tell me, Greg, is the fact that you are the surviving bastard legacy of the Baxter family a good or a bad aspect about who you are?"

Greg looked down and quietly surrendered with his response to Joseph. "You have made your point. I can't answer that question with a response of good or bad. I am who I am, and there is nothing I can do or say to change that."

Joseph let out a hearty laugh with Greg's response as he took another long drag on his cigar.

Greg had heard enough of Joseph's babbling and he decided to start with his own inquest. "I pretty much already knew about everything that you have told me, Mr. Danbury. The only exception is what you just told me about Julia Frida Mendel's unknown French family origins. What can you tell me about the Knights Templar and the royal bloodline that they have concealed and protected for almost 900 years?"

Joseph went into a coughing spell, struggling to catch his breath, and he tossed his cigar out the window. He then used his coat sleeve to wipe the spit from his chin as looked over at Greg. "Well, I will be somewhat limited as to what I can tell you, Greg," stated Joseph. "So, perhaps you should tell me what you know first."

Greg closed his eyes and laid his head back on the soft leather headrest of the seat. He began to relay all the facts he knew regarding his family's connection to an ancient hidden royal bloodline and the ongoing conflicting feuds surrounding it. After summarizing what he knew, Greg turned to Joseph and said, "That is everything that I have been told. So, what else can you tell me, Mr. Danbury?"

Joseph remained quiet for several seconds, deep in thought. Then he looked over at Greg. "I am quite surprised with the extent of your knowledge in this matter, Greg," stated Joseph. "I will presume that your information came from someone of great influence within our Order of the Knights Templar and that he had substantiated reasons for enlightening you. Your facts are accurate but they are not up to date."

Joseph sat contemplating his thoughts. Then he continued, "The Vatican is very powerful, but even they cannot control the world. They have too many common enemies, and the Vatican could not match the financial power of the Templar controlled central banking networks. The Vatican always had the expansion of their empire and dogmatic religious controls kept in check. However, when they infiltrated the ranks of the Knights Templar, our organization was no longer unified."

Joseph showed apprehension in his ability to continue as he looked at Greg. Joseph quickly dismissed his concerns because he had already relented to divulge the facts when he invited Greg to sit in his car to chat. So, he told Greg the rest of this hidden history. "Shortly after World War II, the Knights Templar discovered the German Army's secret experiments in which Hitler had intended to create genetically enhanced soldiers. If Hitler had not been detoured, he may have actually controlled the world through the unstoppable conquests of his military. The Knights Templar later had financed the creation of secret global laboratories, which were staffed with the best microbiologists and genetic scientists we could find. These labs had continued the genetics experiments from where the German Army had left off. Our genetics program was originally started in 1946 to strengthen the royal bloodline. There were too few of the original bloodline descendants who could still conceive children. Like your Baxter relatives, the sterility issues had destined the bloodline descendants to becoming extinct. What had started out to be a minor program to sustain a slowly dying race of human hybrids had become an advanced monster production facility for the creation of a superior race.

"The facts about our genetic experiments became known, and many of our closest allies became our enemies. Even members within our own Order had called for an end to the genetics programs, but the experiments have continued to this day. An angry world is becoming a smaller domain for our secret Order to continue with its operations. The Knights Templar has come full circle. We have returned to where we were almost 700 years ago when the Pope permitted King Phillip the Fair of France to arrest, torture, and execute many of the Templar knights in his kingdom on charges of heresy. The Knights Templar survivors had fled to other countries. Eventually, they located their central banking operations in Switzerland. The current world community's charges against the Knights Templar have now evolved from religious heresy to a modernized charge of genocidal genetic terrorists. Regardless of whether the unlawful acts are defined as heresy or terrorism, the Vatican has once again effectively broken the Order of the Knights Templar. Many Templar knights have either sold out their Order or have been assassinated because they would not commit treason. The remaining factions of our Order have either gone underground to prepare to fight, or have disbanded. They are reconvening at centralized secret locations in Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, and France."

Joseph then explained Greg's current predicament in this ancient timeline of events. "The Danbury Law Firm has been part of the Knights Templar network since 1870, and has helped to relocate many of the royal bloodline descendants. Our entire system of communications has now been closed down. It is only a matter of time before the royal descendant families like yours might be located. In my opinion, Greg, you can either seek protection in the underground communities with the other families that are tied to this bloodline, or you can wait and hope that you will slip in under the Vatican's radar. One hundred years ago it was very easy for someone like Julia Mendel to be hidden and relocated to anywhere in the world. However, with the tracking technologies of today, it would be very difficult. So, please take this as my friendly warning, Greg. Your family is being hunted."

Greg was fearfully jolted with Joseph Danbury's 'friendly warning' because another of Monsignor Monahan's prophecies had now been fulfilled. Greg then inquired, "There is one other question that I need to ask you, Mr. Danbury. Was Emily Baxter murdered?"

Joseph looked sympathetically at Greg and replied, "The medical term is euthanized, Greg, not murdered. Even after the Social Security Administration seized all of Emily's savings, she still had her mother's European family trust funds to sustain her living costs. However, Emily's personal estate was penniless. The financial trustees who were stealing from Emily's savings account no longer had any need for her. Emily was a threat because she knew too much. Yes, Greg, I'm sorry to tell you that your suspicions are correct about your mother's death... but you will never be able to prove anything in a court of law."

Greg got out of the car and reached across the seat to shake hands with Joseph. "Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Mr. Danbury. I need to be getting back to Virginia, now."

Greg knew it would be a long drive home, and his thoughts were cautiously divided between three truths. The first truth provided Greg with the reasons for Emily's deliberate murder. The second truth was received when Joseph informed Greg that the families of the royal bloodline are still being hunted down by the Vatican. Thus, Joseph's urgent words to Greg, that he must remain vigilant, also fulfilled the first of the two final warnings, which were prophesied by Monsignor Monahan. The third, and the most uncomfortable truth, still remained as a virtually assured but unknown prophetic warning. This pending momentous destiny awaited Greg and Mimi in the very near future.

* * * * *

Chapter 61

Two months had passed since Emily Baxter's funeral. Greg strived to ignore the circumstances which had resulted since his birth as well as the current uncertainties of his family's future. He had briefly told Mimi about the aggravating conversation with his brother, Scott, at Emily's funeral. Amy had told Scott that Emily's life savings had been stolen single-handedly by Sidney Dilts. Scott simply ignored the fact that Amy was a co-power of attorney, who had to approve any cash expenditures from Emily's account. Greg would never be able to overcome his brother's blind ignorance. Scott's undoubting acceptance of Amy's lies had hopelessly rendered him to be an oblivious fool.

On the other hand, the unvarnished truth had been exposed by Joseph Danbury regarding the reasons why Emily's life was abruptly ended. Even though her estate was penniless, she could have depended on the financial benefits of her mother's European family trust funds to pay for her living expenses. However, Emily inadvertently placed herself in harm's way when she put her trust in Sidney Dilts. She also rescinded the protections of Joseph Danbury's law firm and hired George Trapp. Emily had literally signed away her life and this action resulted in her death sentence.

Perhaps the most revealing facts Greg received from Joseph that day were the mysteries surrounding Greg's grandmother. Her arrival to America as a young 10 year old girl with an unknown secret identity would forever remain undisclosed. This innocent girl was born into French nobility in 1871. She spent her entire life hiding from Vatican predators that unrelentingly hunted her down. Her bloodline descendants were being hunted, also, almost 130 years later. If Greg or Mimi had doubts regarding the validity of their ancestral lineal origins from a royal bloodline, any uncertainties remaining were dissolved by Joseph Danbury. On that day at Emily's burial, Greg learned the whole truth as well as warnings he must heed.

* * * * *

Mimi looked through the envelopes that she had retrieved from the mailbox as she walked back up their driveway to the house. Greg was finishing the concrete slab foundation of his new garage when he was interrupted by Mimi waving an envelope. "This envelope is postmarked from Sarasota, Florida," stated Mimi. "It was sent by Amy because I recognize her handwriting."

Greg wiped his hands down on a rag, and then took the envelope from Mimi. He quickly opened the envelope and found a short letter containing only one sentence. The fold of the paper contained a small newspaper clipping. Greg read Amy's letter out loud to Mimi:

I thought that you would want to know.

-Amy

Greg then silently read the newspaper clipping. His anger grew to an immense proportion, rendering him choked up and speechless. Mimi gently pulled the newspaper clipping from Greg's fingers and read the source of her husband's rage:

BENNETT

Edmond P. Bennett, Jr., May 2, 1997, of Warren Glen, NJ,

formerly of Lansdale, PA, husband of the late Martha

Elizabeth Bennett, and father of Amy Bradford and David

Bennett; also survived by one grandchild. Funeral

arrangements and burial will be private.

Mimi's anger now matched Greg's. She exclaimed, "My God! Edmond Bennett died over three weeks ago... and Amy is just informing you now? I seriously doubt that Edmond's one surviving grandchild who is denoted in this obituary is referring to you. I find it to be too much of a coincidence that your birth father had died a little more than one month after your birth mother was murdered. So, perhaps we can conclude that Edmond met the same untimely fate as Emily?"

Greg held up his hand to stop Mimi's perpetuating words regarding the probabilities of a double homicide being indirectly committed by Amy Bradford. "Please, stop, Mimi," Greg hastily cried out. "You aren't telling me anything that hasn't already crossed my mind, and I need to think!"

Mimi didn't appreciate being stifled by her husband. This only increased the tempo of her antagonism. "What in the hell is there to think about, Greg? Amy killed both of your birth parents. She did this not only to spite you, but also to prevent you from proving anything about your illegal adoption."

Greg's hopeless rage was now being redirected into a verbal conflict with Mimi's insinuation that he was being too submissive and ignoring the facts. "OK, Mimi, you have said enough!" exclaimed Greg with a tone of authority. "I will agree that there were many things that Edmond could have told me about his ancestral family. Now, we shall never know. I already had all the facts regarding my adoption, and there was nothing else that I needed to know. Amy probably did have both Emily and Edmond euthanized. However, I would never have the right nor be in a legal position to prove this in a court of law."

Mimi calmed her approach with Greg. She gently stated, "You weren't listening to what I said, dear. What I was trying to explain is that Edmond was the only surviving witness. He could have testified in court or through an affidavit to confirm that he and Emily are your birth parents. Your adoption probably never went through a court adoption proceeding. Therefore, it would not have been legal, and the hospital that you were born in would be the only factual source for your birth record. Edmond or Emily could have exposed the facts of your illegal adoption. That is why Amy had them both euthanized."

Greg downplayed Mimi's intriguing remarks with regard to receiving testimony from Edmond or obtaining copies of his 1955 birth records from Bucks County Hospital. "First of all, Mimi, I would not gain anything more in the way of closure by obtaining a medical birth record that denotes what I already know to be true. Secondly, it was quite obvious during my last visits with Emily and Edmond that neither of them was directly going to admit to being my birth parents. They only told me what I needed to know so I could receive closure after searching 13 years for the truth. Therefore, there is nothing else to be gained. The facts were cryptically revealed by my birth parents and Joseph Danbury. So, I have already received the complete truth. I just don't have any documented proof."

Mimi displayed a smiling face of determination. "What about your birth right to receive funds from your grandmother's European family trust? This family trust has been providing funds to Emily and her mother's family for over one hundred years. It is most likely a living trust. If you could prove that Emily is your mother, then you, your daughter, your grandchildren, and their future generations would continue to receive benefits from this family trust fund. So, Greg, we aren't just talking about your inheritance rights as the only surviving bloodline descendant of your grandmother. We shall also need to consider your descendants' entitlements as well."

Greg paused to consider what Mimi had stated. He responded, "I will agree with you, Mimi. You are substantiated in your reasons for proving that Emily is my birth mother and that I may have entitlements to my grandmother's family trust. However, if this is true then don't you think that Joseph Danbury would have informed me about this at Emily's burial? After all, he knew that Emily and Edmond are my birth parents. Therefore, he would have the legal authority to make me a benefactor of my grandmother's family trust without the need of documented proof."

Mimi pointed out Greg's misunderstanding with regard to the legal requirements to prove the entitlements of an heir. "Amy and her brother David were the adopted children of Edmond and Martha," explained Mimi. "Therefore, they would not be able to receive funds from a lineal family trust because they could not show documented proof, or I should say... the required proof of pedigree. However, you could prove that Emily is your birth mother."

Greg closed his eyes to think how this could be done and stated, "Well, it's a little late now, Mimi. Emily is buried under six feet of dirt."

Mimi said nothing and she quickly walked into the house to retrieve a folder from the file cabinet. She anxiously returned outside and sat down next to Greg. Mimi pulled a document from the folder and handed it to Greg. She showed Greg the birth certificate he had received years ago from Emily. Mimi pointed at the thumbprint displayed on the birth certificate. "Emily gave you a copy of the birth certificate she had received from Bucks County Hospital after giving birth to you. I'm betting that this is Emily's thumbprint. All we will need to prove is that this thumbprint is not Amy's, thereby proving that she can't be your birth mother. Then we could file a motion with the court to exhume Emily's body to obtain a sample of her DNA, which will match your DNA. This is how we will prove that Emily is your birth mother. I have read through several court cases that were posted on the Internet where this DNA procedure of identifying family heirs has been upheld as evidence, but we will need to hire an attorney to represent us."

Greg suddenly received a sharp pain in the chest and he closed his eyes while bending forward in his chair. Once again, Greg consciously heard the reverberating words of Monsignor Monahan's prophecy:

"You and Mimi shall expend hundreds of hours doing legal research, filing court papers, and lose a large sum of money in expenses over the course of four years. Furthermore, you shall still never be any closer to disclosure of the truth than you are now."

Greg had snapped back to reality. He looked up at Mimi as she anxiously awaited her husband's words of support for her proposed legal action. Greg just shook his head no. He stated, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mimi, but my quest for the truth ends here today. Even if my adoption was illegal, you will have to trust me when I tell you that litigation through a court of law would be unsuccessful. The judge simply will not allow the truth to be exposed. We would be dealing with the same legal system that ignored the lawful protections of my illegitimate birth status and failed to prevent my illegal adoption."

Greg resisted the temptation of Mimi's proposed legal recourse to prove his financial entitlements to his grandmother's family trust. Suddenly, a strange yet peaceful feeling overcame him. At last, Greg had been released from almost 13 years of bondage. He was now free from the years of insurmountable lies that had emotionally imprisoned him in a continued state of indecisiveness and grave uncertainty. Greg looked at Mimi and elatedly proclaimed, "I have finally received our divine calling, Mimi. I now know what we must do."

Mimi had barely gotten over Greg's reluctance to follow her advice to seek legal action as the means to qualify his rights of inheritance. Now her husband had made another unexpected hard left turn in their conversation. Mimi calmed her mind briefly to entertain Greg's verbal deliverance of their shared divine calling. She impatiently said, "OK, Greg, tell me what our divine calling is."

Greg's face was a tranquil display of righteous inspiration. He profoundly stated, "Our divine calling has never changed in almost 20 years, Mimi. We will need to leave Virginia as soon as possible and relocate to the Branson Compound in Texas."

Mimi's jaw dropped in utter astonishment as her eyes filled with tears of fury. She threw the folder of documents in Greg's face in an act of rage. Greg watched as a light breeze blew the loose documents across the back yard. Then he felt the concussive blast of air after Mimi entered the house, slamming the door behind her.

Greg let out a mild sigh while looking up into the sky. His sincere attempts to convince Mimi had failed and it appeared that Greg's better half in marriage would decline to fulfill their divine calling. Greg and Mimi would now default together as one in the unknown alternative consequences of their shared future destiny.

* * * * *

Chapter 62

Monsignor Michael Monahan arrived in Switzerland at the remote mountaintop residence of the Masonic Supreme Grand Master, Gabriel Abernathy. Michael came to meet with his spiritual adversary to discuss the final acts of humanity's tribulations that would ultimately determine the planet Earth's pending fate. Michael controlled the Roman Catholic authoritarians. Gabriel directed the oppositional secret societies, which included the Knights Templar as his rebellious problem child.

Michael and Gabriel had been appointed by the ruling Provincial Elders of Creation to be the caretakers of Earth and entities of a growing establishment of Watchers. The Watchers were the unseen hands who spiritually guided and controlled both sides of all conflicting planetary indifferences. Michael and Gabriel were both enduring spirits, which possessed many different human life forms. They participated in a timeless game that encompassed the infinite boundaries of universal dimensions seen and unseen. Thus, they were ubiquitous alpha and omega gatekeepers who traveled freely between the past, present, and future domains of creation. Together they had watched over the Earth and maintained the conciliatory balances of humanity for the last 26,000 years. Soon, they would formally dispute the final judgment of Earth before the Council of Elders to determine how this celestial game would end.

The Provincial Elders had decreed destructive cyclical cleansing of the past four civilizations on Earth as well as the fate of many other planets within the realms of countless galaxies. Afterward, they would intervene to cultivate the planet's rebirth in accordance to their Divine Plan. The Creators' plan was impartial, and showed neither mercy nor promise of eternal salvation. However, in time, it would ultimately guide humanity's duplicitous conscience of free will to evolve into universal balance and harmony.

* * * * *

Michael walked across the carved rock slab surface of an unmarked helicopter landing pad which camouflaged the only access to Gabriel's residence. This remote château was located on the narrow pinnacle of an obscure mountain, surrounded on all sides by sheer rock cliffs. The round single room structure's circumference wall was a wraparound seamless window, sandwiched between the solid rock ceiling and the interior polished stone floor. The helipad's stairway to the lower level, and a doorway leading from the main concourse to a balcony, provided the only egresses. This magnificent structure defied the Law of Gravity with twelve transparent crystal gold obelisks, which provided invisible levitating supports for the roof. Gabriel possessed a minimal subsistence with no requirements for utilities. His furnishings included only a round gopher wood table in the center of the room surrounded by twelve matching chairs. Gabriel simply sought the solitude of his remote mountaintop sanctuary to meditate alone, with the total absence of humans.

Even as an immortal spirit, Gabriel had lost his patience, long ago. He had developed self-serving mannerisms and a lack of faith in humanity. This had resulted from almost 26,000 years of tempting their individual free will, and guiding the vilest human pillars of misery. Gabriel would hasten to arrange and crush any human insurrection, which opposed his divine guidance or that attempted to undermine his authority as the Masonic Supreme Grand Master. Furthermore, Gabriel always found it easier to destroy an entire civilization, rather than pursue what he had already predetermined to be a lost divine cause. Michael was the only obstacle standing in Gabriel's path that prevented him from purging every last soul from the face of the Earth.

By contrast, Michael's realm of existence at the Vatican was surrounded with luxuries fit for a king. His centuries of concealed influence and reverent entitlements far exceeded the authority of any pope or monarch. Michael's unchallenged majesty was paralleled by his exceedingly patient benevolence and the meticulous fulfillment of his duties. He utilized divine intervention as a conciliatory means to save humanity from its own self destruction.

Thus, Michael and Gabriel were custodial caretakers of creation who had a common duty to guide humanity's opposing values of individual conscience. Michael utilized the persuasion of compromise, compassion, and guilt, while Gabriel exploited the power of fear, hatred, and greed. Each of these Divine Watcher's spiritual needs, perspectives, and objectives seldom coincided. However, the one remaining task, which they both mutually shared, was the pending judgment day for the Earth. As their divine end game approached, they were continually pushed further apart in opposition regarding how their current mission on Earth would conclude.

* * * * *

Michael walked down the helipad stairway. He found Gabriel standing motionless on the balcony peering into the plunging valley depths of the Swiss Alps. "This is a breathtaking view from up here, Gabriel," said Michael. "Your chosen place of residence reflects your taste in scenic beauty."

Gabriel turned to smile at Michael. Gabriel replied, "My dear brother, Michael. It is quite apparent that you have been exercising your eloquent silver tongue over the past centuries. However, I must disagree with your compliments regarding my tastes in scenic beauty. I chose to dwell on this mountain summit because it is secluded. Even a beach front property on the Sea of Tranquility of Earth's moon would not be remote enough to suit my tastes of serenity."

Michael slowly walked toward Gabriel and stated, "I feel your frustration and anger, Gabriel. Even 400,000 of Earth's years have not erased the fact that I once stood at your side when we, and other brothers, revolted against our Provincial Elders. I shall eternally regret the Elders' collaboration with the Annunaki to disrupt this planet's natural evolution for their mutual self-serving needs. But I have also learned to accept our sentenced banishment as the dutiful caretakers to these evolving nether regions of humanity."

Gabriel's finger tips carved grooves in the balcony's stone railing, causing a screeching vibration as he angrily raked his hand across the surface. "Dear brother, this is where you shall always be mistaken," Gabriel sternly responded. "The Elders were wrong 400,000 years ago when they permitted the Annunaki to create this unworthy hybrid race of flesh and bone, in which to imprison amnesic, immortal souls. The Elders still are mistaken to consider allowing this unnatural creation to enjoin our kind as spiritual equals. You and I are nothing more than prison wardens containing the fallen outcasts of any soul that dared to oppose the dominion edicts of the Provincial Elders."

Michael looked at Gabriel with compassionate understanding. He remarked, "I once said the same thing, Gabriel. However, I did not share your prejudicial perspectives. The Annunaki required slave laborers to mine Earth's gold in order to save the dwindling atmosphere of their planet. This provided the Provincial Elders with human depositories for imprisoning the souls of insurrection. With the development of this convenient solution, there was little consideration given to the paradox of creating of an unpredictable intelligent race of slave hybrids. Nevertheless, we have both been dutifully assigned to rehabilitate the illogicality which created this unconscionable human civilization on Earth."

Again Gabriel lashed back vehemently at Michael. "Our Provincial Elders permitted the creation of a reproductive organic abomination, which now has a population that exceeds its planet's resources to sustain them. Therefore, humanity is already doomed to becoming extinct. Earth is contaminated with an intelligent life form that has become a plague. It can no longer be contained, and it is on the threshold of migrating to other planets. We have a responsibility to protect the sanctity of life within the outer cosmos, and we must stop this human menace from spreading to the stars."

Michael responded, "I see great possibilities with Earth's current civilization. Their passionate needs for survival have always been reached through compromise. Even when the Provincial Elders' previous cyclic cleansing had devastated Earth with a passing comet, which caused the Great Flood, humanity survived this cataclysm and rebounded. Where you see these humans as a potential plague, I see them as a bastion of immense promise and hope. The civilizations of Earth have suffered enough bloodshed over the last 26,000 years. The captive souls in humanity have served their sentence of punishment and have earned their right to take the next step in their evolution and join us on a higher plane of spiritual consciousness."

Gabriel laughed at Michael's faith in humankind. "You expect the Provincial Elders to allow the unpredictable spiritual entities, which inhabit these hybrid animals, to be elevated to our divine status through the Grand Dimensional Nexus? I contended that, together, we would share in the determination of Earth's fate, Michael. However, I never imagined you would be willing to expose the Tree of Knowledge to a deranged child who is holding an axe. The human race lives in a perpetual state of paranoia, and they cling to the superstitions of their religions to ease their fear of mortal death, yet they are willing to kill and die for their imaginary gods. The intelligence of these humans has exceeded the expectations of our Provincial Elders. Be it as it may, these civilizations took their potential for greatness, and used it destructively to fulfill their greed by fomenting endless wars, while utilizing mortal fear to control and subjugate the masses." Gabriel then turned to cast his condemning eyes on Michael. He questioned his brother's insight, "Now, my dear brother, Michael. Do you feel that this Earthly pestilence of humanity has earned their right to take the next step in their evolution to join us on a higher plane of consciousness?"

Gabriel paced back and forth along his balcony as he finalized his decision. He sternly stated, "You were quite successful in persuading the Provincial Elders to grant a lenient judgment on Earth 7000 years ago, Michael. The Great Flood was a minor atonement for this civilization's past cycle of failures. However, the Knights Templar has already broken the dimensional boundaries of time with its enhanced genetics experiments. They can now also elude my ability to maintain vigilance over their activities. Therefore, this order of clandestine knights has sealed the fate for the entire planet. It shall be my recommendation for the Provincial Elders to remove all traces of Earth's life and history from its existence before the Grand Dimensional Nexus removes our capability to render this judgment."

Michael emboldened his approach to Gabriel. "You shall need to substantiate your proposed actions, Gabriel," stated Michael, brazenly. "Are you executing the life of an entire planet because a trivial human faction of Templar knights has utilized its free will to escape your watchful perimeter of containment? Is your proposed sentence for Earth's destruction being used to cover up your incompetence and the evident fact that a small band of humans has exceeded your alleged superior abilities to contain them?"

Gabriel again laughed at Michael's offensively worded attack against him. He responded, "You are very wise in your twisted extrapolation of the facts, Michael. Regardless of whether you offensively push the blame on my lack of competency, or you deliberate a defense stating humanity utilized its free will to break its bondage of suffering—the Earth shall still be doomed. Either the Provincial Elders shall be merciful and choose to end the continuance of this agonized race of humans, or these warring primitive hybrid savages shall destroy each other before Earth's solar system passes through the Grand Dimensional Nexus. The Earth may end quickly without the need for further bloodshed, or all life on this planet can end slowly through the suffering tribulations of massive carnage. I shall leave this end game decision in your hands, Michael. Be assured that the Provincial Elders shall uphold my judgment for the Earth's annihilation, because there are no other alternatives."

Michael pitied Gabriel's lack of faith in humanity and his inability to seek compromise. Even so, Michael would never surrender his compassion. He still sought a way to reason with Gabriel's prophesy of doom for the planet Earth. "Gabriel, you stated that the Knights Templar has utilized their enhanced genetic experiments to break the dimensional boundaries of time. However, you have neither stated what transgressions they have committed, nor the locations they have journeyed beyond the confinement of Earth. Furthermore, if you have condemned an entire planet for the acts of a handful of Templar knights whom you cannot monitor, how will you even know if these knights are residing on Earth at the time it is destroyed?"

Gabriel replied to Michael's questions with exalted confidence. "Firstly, even though I cannot track these covert groups of Templar knights, there have been evident gravitational field distortions. These inexplicable abnormalities were detected in the proximity of failed rocket launches, military aircraft crashes, and even satellite space platforms that were mysteriously pulled down from their orbits. I know that the Knights Templar has caused these disasters, and it shall only be a matter of time before their underground centers of operation are located. Secondly, whether or not these genetically enhanced explorers are residing on Earth at the time it is destroyed is of no consequence. If they have left this dimension, there shall be no Earth for them to return to."

Michael gave a curious grin in response to Gabriel's confident words and his brother's fool proof plan for entrapping the elusive Knights Templar. "Perhaps, Gabriel, there are two other oversights that also need to be addressed to the Provincial Elders. The first oversight is the fact that it was within your dominion of responsibility that a dimensional gate was opened by the Knights Templar to escape through. The second oversight may be your presumption that these inter-dimensional traveling Knights Templar explorers shall be willing to return to the Earth after they have left. Thus, this leaves you with a baseless claim of their transgressions." Michael then quickly raised his hand to respectfully salute his brother and vanished before Gabriel could respond.

* * * * *

Michael sat in his Vatican study. He was happily contemplating the events he had personally set in motion over the last 7000 years, which further demonstrated the truism that nothing in history has happened by chance or accident. It was Michael, who arranged for the secret burial of the Egyptian pharaoh genealogical scrolls under the Temple Mount long before the Roman army laid Jerusalem in ruins. Centuries later, it was Michael, who provided the Knights Templar with a map of where to excavate under the Temple Mount to find the ancient scrolls. He knew this buried evidence would expose the Bible and Christianity to be frauds. He also knew that the Knights Templar would utilize this knowledge to blackmail the Roman Catholic authorities. After World War II, it was again Michael, who provided the Knights Templar with the location of the German Army's hidden secret genetics laboratory. The voluminous records of the German's far-reaching experiments enabled the Knights Templar to provide the descendants of the royal bloodline with needed genetic modifications in order to sustain their hybrid race. Lastly, it was Michael, who shielded the secret operations of the Knights Templar from the watchful eyes of his brother, Gabriel. The historical involvements of the Knights Templar appeared as a segment at the end of a 7000 year timeline. This secret order of knights was only a small part of Michael's many other arranged, clandestine, divine interventions that had circumvented Gabriel's domain of oversight.

At best, Michael had persuaded Gabriel to delay Earth's pending fate. This would provide time for Michael to prepare for his final intervention. However, postponing Gabriel only delayed the inevitable because Earth was a doomed planet. Humanity's fourth epoch of failure to redeem itself during 26,000 years of time assured Gabriel's sanctioned final judgment against the Earth would be upheld by the ruling Provincial Elders. Even though all hope was lost for the planet, Michael had high expectations for the survival of several royal bloodline descendants. The abilities of the Knights Templar to escape the imprisoned dimensional boundaries of Earth had elevated their Order from being medieval warrior monks to supernatural enigmas. The devoted sacrifices that were made by the Knights Templar had provided 700 years of protective custody for the hidden royal bloodline descendants. The prophecy of the descendant's future deliverance to a new kingdom of humanity would soon be fulfilled by a divinely chosen savior. The last 7000 years of Michael's watchful interventions on planet Earth were coming to an end. Two divinations within his oversight, the Knights Templar and an unknown redeemer, were rapidly converging toward each other to become a common path of shared destiny.

* * * * *

Chapter 63

Circa late 1997-1998

Greg arrived home from work shortly after Grace had arrived home from school. He saw Grace and Mimi standing in the back yard as three young stray dogs playfully ran around them in circles. "I see that someone has dumped their unwanted dogs along our road again," said Greg with an annoyed tone in his voice.

Mimi responded, "I heard these dogs chasing our cat in the backyard around lunch time. They have been running around here all afternoon. I'll place another ad in the newspaper to find someone who will adopt them."

The Bradford's sparsely populated roadway along the Shenandoah River valley made their house an ideal location for people to discard unwanted pets. Mimi seemed to have a continuously running ad in the local newspaper. It started with the header: 'FREE TO GOOD HOME' followed by a brief description of the stray dog. Mimi had always been very fortunate in locating new homes for the abandoned pets that had been deserted in their driveway.

Greg made a closer examination of the three dogs. "Well, all three of them are females," stated Greg. "Looking at their faces, it appears that they are sisters from the same litter, and they're probably about six months old."

Grace sat down on ground and all three dogs came over to lick her face as she petted them. "What kind of dogs are they, Daddy?" asked Grace. "Their faces and body sizes appear to be similar, but they have different characteristics. One of the dogs looks like a German shepherd. The second one looks mostly like a collie, and the third one looks like a golden retriever."

Greg sat down on the ground next to Grace, and stated, "All three of them have big feet. They might be younger than I thought, and still have a lot of growing to do. However, looking at the dog that you said looks like a German shepherd, she looks more like a wolf dog to me. In fact, all three of them have long oversized fangs and the same facial characteristics of a wolf. Wolves once ran wild in this part Virginia. As more of them were hunted down and killed, the surviving wolves started mating with domesticated dogs."

Grace frowned, "Why would anyone hunt down wolves? It isn't like there are any farmers with livestock near here."

Greg paused to think about his daughter's warranted question and replied, "Some people probably felt threatened, or they just hunted wolves for sport, like hunting raccoons, rabbits, or squirrels. I suppose that wolves were considered to be a more macho hunting target. Anyway, these three dogs appear to be in good health. I'm confident that we will find homes for each of them."

Grace sighed, "But they are sisters who have been together since birth. Can't we offer all three of them to be adopted by one family?"

Greg shook his head no and replied, "It's hard enough to find a home for just one dog, Grace. It would be highly unlikely that someone will adopt all three of them together."

Grace got up to walk to the lawn mower shed. She stated, "I'm going to ride my bike and get some exercise. If the three dogs follow me, they may decide to keep moving on to the next family down the road and not return home with me."

Grace started to ride her bike down the river road and noticed that only one of the dogs was running on the road beside her bike. When she looked left, she saw a second dog keeping pace running alone the narrow rocky upper cliffs of the roadway. To her lower right, she saw the third dog running parallel to her bike, making long strides along the soft shoreline of the valley river. Grace rode her bike about 2 miles down the road, and then she stopped to rest. She was somewhat surprised to see that all three dogs had immediately reconvened to surround her bike. They showed no signs of being fatigued. Much to Grace's astonishment on her return trip, the dogs had once again split up. They resumed their parallel formation, covering a 50 foot wide radius of protection. They kept Grace within their sights for the entire journey home.

Greg and Mimi were sitting out on the front deck when Grace arrived back home. They had observed the three dogs running in formation around her. One dog was running behind her bike, while the other two dogs were flanked to each side. "I suppose I will need to prepare a large bowl of water and three bowls of dog food," stated Greg.

Mimi grinned at Greg, and stated, "The bag of dog food is in the kitchen closet. It's not puppy food but I'm sure that the dogs will eat it."

As Greg filled food in three bowls in front of the dogs, he became intrigued as the shepherd dog intensely watched his every move. "I sense that all three of you have wolves' blood in you, because you obviously have an inherent distrust for humans," muttered Greg to the dogs. All three of his temporary animal guests were lean, strong, and also seemed famished as they gulped down their individual portions of food. After the dogs were done eating, they roamed around sniffing the yard, getting familiar with their new surroundings. "Don't get too comfortable, girls," stated Greg. "This will only be your temporary residence, but you are also free to leave here at any time if you so desire."

The next morning, Greg was greeted by the shepherd dog at the back door stairway as he was leaving to go to work. He found the other two dogs attending their watching posts in the front and at the side of the house. Again, Greg felt an odd feeling about these three dogs. He noticed that they had arranged their positions like sentries guarding all points of their property. The same guarding patterns of the dogs were also noticed by Mimi. After Greg and Grace had left, she had gone out to buy groceries. Upon her return home, she saw one dog sitting attentively at their back door. The other two suddenly came charging out of the woods to happily greet Mimi as she unloaded the groceries from the trunk of the car.

One week had passed and there were no responses to the newspaper ad Mimi had placed, so she pulled the publication. At this point, Greg, Mimi, and especially Grace, had grown very attached to these stray dogs. With each day that had passed, the three dogs provided their human companions with a renewed sense of protection. Some of the other benefits that the dogs provided were demonstrated with their intolerance for allowing other stray animals to wander near their property. They also blocked any unrecognized car from entering their driveway. Greg and Mimi's previous worries of Grace riding her bike down a remote country road were removed because all three dogs protected her journey. This would be the only occasion that all three dogs would leave the house unguarded. Attending their watch over Grace was always the primary object of the dogs' concern.

Greg was also provided with a great sense of protection when he went down to talk with two fishermen who had trespassed along his river access. The three dogs followed along at Greg's side. Even though the entire vicinity was posted with 'NO TRESPASSING' signs, these two men decided to fish as well as build a campfire.

"Perhaps you gentlemen couldn't read the 'no trespassing' signs that I posted," stated Greg with a sarcastic voice. "As dry as this forest is, it was pretty damn stupid of you two to build a campfire under a tree."

Both men rose to expose their large 300 plus pound bodies, which were tightly contained in dirty bib overalls. One of the men voiced an angry response to Greg's condescending remark. "We'll put out the campfarr," said the largest man with a strong southern twang in his challenging voice, "But weez goanna keep feeshin here! Only Gawwwd owns the rivva!"

After hearing the threatening voice of this intruder, the three dogs walked to stand in front of Greg. Their fur bristled and stood on end, while they bared their fangs. They snarled their ferocious warnings to both intruders. Both men backed away as the dogs slowly formed a circle around them, preparing to attack.

At that point, both men lost their nerve and quickly reeled in their fishing lines. One of them quietly stated, "Well, ah suppose we can feesh futha down the rivva." They were very cautious as they slowly bent down to pick up their gear to leave.

Greg saw the men looking at the campfire they had built. He waved them on and stated, "You guys can just leave, and I'll put out the fire for you."

One dog stayed with Greg while the other two dogs followed the men as they walked down the road to their parked car. Both dogs patiently waited until the car was out of sight before returning to Greg. As Greg used a nearby plastic bucket filled with river water to extinguish the campfire, he looked up in gratitude as the three dogs watched him while wagging their tails. "Well, girls, you have really earned your keep today. I would have needed an elephant gun to stop those two Virginia hicks," said Greg with a grateful smile. "At this point, I really don't care what Mimi will say. As far as I am concerned, all three of you can stay and live with us."

The three dogs walked up to Greg and licked his hand. "Damn," thought Greg to himself. "It's seemed as though all three of these dogs actually understood what I just said to them."

Greg walked back up the driveway. He stared up at Mimi and Grace who had been watching from the front deck of the house. They had witnessed the entire exchange of words that took place between Greg and the two trespassing strangers down by the river. Greg looked over at Mimi with a cautious smile. He stated, "I know that we haven't discussed this, Mimi, but I have already decided to keep all three dogs." Mimi just responded with her smile of approval, which gave Greg immense relief. "Well, I guess that we will need to give each of these dogs a name," said Greg as he looked up to wink at Grace.

Grace quickly left the front deck to greet the dogs at the back door. She tried to determine appropriate names for each of them. She first looked at the German shepherd dog and remarked, "You're skinny, and your fur is ruffled like that cartoon coyote. Your name will be Wiley." Grace then looked at the collie dog, and stated, "You're the sweetest dog, so you will be Taffy." Lastly, Grace grabbed the golden retriever to give the dog a hug. She said, "You're shy, but you're also very congenial, like an old dear friend. Your name will be Tanya." All three dogs seemed to give their approval of their new names, and they gave Grace their tongue bathing licks of appreciation.

The dogs were now officially members of the Bradford family. There was no doubt in Greg's mind that Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya would always strive to meet his expectations as the Bradford's appointed guardians.

* * * * *

During the next four months, the dogs had matured into young adults. Even though these three dogs continually chased off abandoned strays, Greg responsibly had all three of his dogs spayed. This would prevent the potential of having three litters of puppies when his female dogs eventually went into heat. The body frames of Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya never grew into their oversized paws. However, all three dogs filled out with very strong muscle tones. The dogs weighed about 50 pounds each, and they developed a three-tiered canine pecking order of regimented authority. Greg was often amazed with the shepherd dog, named Wiley. She was always the obvious alpha leader of the three dogs, and also the most ferocious. She never desired affection nor liked to be petted. She seldom barked, but made an ear piercing howl whenever she sensed danger. Wiley would also conduct daily commando drills with Taffy and Tanya, practicing their attacking skills on each other. They honed their abilities to pack together as an organized team against intruders or marauding wild animals from the forest.

The three dogs enjoyed the visits of young children or the Girl Scouts making their annual cookie drives. Wiley could always sense if an approaching person was safe or dangerous. Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya quickly learned to recognize the Bradford family's neighbors and friends, the mail delivery jeep, and the propane delivery truck. The dogs would only curiously watch the utility man when he came to read the power meter on the side of their house. Additionally, all three dogs could instinctively read the Bradford family's body language to ascertain when someone was not welcome. It did not matter whether the unwelcome intruder was a pushy salesperson or a local minister looking for potential new church members. If an unidentified visitor's car made it into the driveway, the three dogs effectively persuaded them to leave rather than consider the notion of stepping out of their vehicle.

The dogs had the freedom to roam through over 500 acres of virgin forest and swim at their leisure in the cool mountain river. However, except for when Grace took her daily exercise ride on her bike, there was always one of the three dogs guarding the house. The two wandering dogs would remain within the range of hearing their sister's bark if a problem arose. Eventually, Greg installed a small flapping dog door in the side porch entrance of the house. This entered into a spare bedroom, and it became the dogs' private living quarters. Each night the dogs took turns, and rotated standing guard while the other two dogs slept.

For the first time in over 20 years, Greg and his family truly felt safe and protected by their three dedicated dogs. When Greg had to travel on business, he was confident that Mimi and Grace would be guarded during his absence. The house would also remain secured if no one was home.

Greg had constantly pondered the impeccable timing of when these three dogs had come into his life. Their arrival had also come during his family's greatest need for protection. Not a single day had passed since Emily Baxter's funeral that Greg did not worry about the revealing conversation he had with Joseph Danbury. The subsequent warning he received from this attorney informed Greg that his family is being hunted down. The same Vatican authorities who had hunted his grandmother throughout her entire life were also pursuing him. Joseph Danbury's warning would seem absurd if Greg did not already know this to be true. This profound truth was further compounded with his family's unknown pending future fate. The unfulfilled last warning by Monsignor Monahan had yet to be received. Greg knew that divine intervention had followed his entire life. He had no doubt that the arrival of these three protective dogs had somehow figured into this mix of past events and his expectations of future pending consequences. Greg firmly believed that nothing regarding his life had occurred by chance or accident and that he could not depend on luck as an escape from his uncertain future. Mimi had already declined to answer their shared divine calling, and Greg had rejected any notion of fulfilling this solemn pledge alone. Therefore, his fate was sealed. The only security which remained for his family was the protection of three guardian angel dogs that would bravely sacrifice their lives defending his family.

* * * * *

May 8, 1999

One sunny weekend afternoon, Greg and Grace were nearing their completion of a flower garden when Mimi exited the back door of the house. "I'm going to the Winchester Mall to look at some clothes that are on sale," said Mimi. "I'll be gone most of the afternoon. We can cook hamburgers out on the grill for supper." Mimi waved good-bye as she drove the car down the driveway, and Greg and Grace returned to their gardening.

Taffy and Tanya slept while bathing themselves in the warm afternoon sun. Wiley appeared to be uneasy as she softly whined while maintaining her vigilant guard. Grace attempted to comfort Wiley and she walked over to stand next to her. "What's the matter, girl?" inquired Grace. Wiley only briefly looked up at Grace. Then the dog turned away making a low growl as she peered down at the valley road which intersected the bottom of their driveway.

"Daddy, something is bothering Wiley," stated Grace. "She is growling at something in the valley, but I don't see anything."

Greg walked over to stand beside Grace and offered a possible explanation. "Wiley might have caught the scent of a bear," said Greg. "This dry weather is forcing bears to move out of the higher mountain elevations and into the valley to search for food. If it is a bear, I hope that it's not a little stray cub, because the mother bear won't be far away, and they are very protective of their young. These three dogs could easily provoke a mother bear and make her extremely dangerous."

Greg reached down to gently pet Wiley. However, the dog quickly pulled her head away and shook off the annoyance of Greg's hand. As the tone of Wiley's growling increased, Taffy and Tanya awoke from their slumber to stand beside their riled sister. Each dog sniffed the air attempting to determine the source of Wiley's increasing concerns. Wiley turned to nudge Taffy and Tanya, and they departed to walk down the driveway. Wiley remained at the high point of the side terrace with her eyes transfixed on the valley river road.

In the distance, an approaching car could be heard. It slowed as it came to a stop at the entrance of their driveway. Taffy and Tanya were barking furiously as the car slowly drove up the driveway, ignoring the two dogs that attempted to block its access. Greg's concerns increased when Wiley's fur became bristled with her long canine fangs exposed and her ears lying back flat. Wiley's tail shot down between her legs, immediately followed by the release of her seldom heard blood curdling howl of danger.

"Stand back, Grace," warned Greg. "The dogs apparently sense this visitor to be dangerous, and I want to avoid any risks."

Grace walked back to stand by the garden as a large black sedan pulled up to the top of the driveway. The origin of the car could not be determined. It didn't have a front license tag, and the identity of the driver was obscured behind heavily tinted windows. The suspense was building for several seconds as the dogs circled the car. They barked and growled, attempting to make the car leave before the driver had decided to exit the vehicle.

Finally, the hum of the front passenger window could be heard as it rolled down to a half-opened position. "Hi, Greg," hailed a man's voice from inside the car. "Do you want to call your dogs back so I can get out of my car?"

Greg cautiously approached the open passenger window of the car to look inside. The dogs increased the tempo of their barking and desperately tried to block Greg's path. Greg stopped at a distance of about six feet from the car window, and exclaimed, "Holy shit, is that you, Walter Munson? What brings you to the wilds of Virginia?"

Walter responded, "Business brings me here. I need to talk with you, so will you please call off your dogs now?"

Greg called Grace over to help him restrain the three dogs. Walter cautiously got out of his car and stated, "This new suit is clean, and I would prefer to keep it that way, Greg."

However, as soon as Walter spoke, the three dogs resumed their growling advances. They only backed away from Walter after Greg voiced his anger of discontent, "Damn it, back off, girls!" shouted Greg. The dogs reluctantly retreated to stand around Grace.

"I'm sorry, Walter," explained Greg. "I've never seen these three dogs get so vocal. For some odd reason they sense you to be dangerous."

Walter pulled a handkerchief from his front jacket pocket to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He nervously stated, "Your dogs should be tied up if they are this vicious. You could be looking at a big lawsuit if they attacked someone."

Wiley then let out another growl with Walter's proclaimed statement. Grace reached down to hold Wiley's shoulders as the dog's taut muscles of her front legs flexed in readiness to launch her attack.

Greg made sure that the three dogs were restrained and then returned to his conversation with Walter. "You said that you have business in Virginia. Do you have a job prospect here?"

Walter calmly stated, "Well, actually, Greg, my business is with you." Greg had a puzzled look on his face as Walter digressed from their conversation to look over at Grace. Walter smiled while he lewdly observed the backside of Grace's tight jeans when she bent over to calm the dogs. His eyes continued to scan her body when she stood up and turned around while pulling back her long blonde hair to refasten it in a barrette clip. Walter still remained transfixed on Grace's blue eyes, as the tip of his tongue brushed over his dry lips. With a slight tone of intimidation, Walter exclaimed, "And this must be your daughter, Grace. She has grown up into a beautiful, young lady. The last time I saw you, little girl, you were still in diapers. Look at you now!"

Greg's confusion had now been replaced by curiosity, and he certainly wanted to break off Walter's locked stare on Grace. "Walter, you said that your business in Virginia is with me?" asked Greg. "I already have a good job and I'm not interested in any new assignments."

Walter's face then turned to a more grave expression. He stated, "My business is with your whole family, Greg, not just you. I am here to deliver a message, so I will also need to talk with Mimi as well." All three dogs started to growl again and Grace struggled to keep them at bay.

At this point, Greg sensed that Walter's visit was not a social call of good will. He made a diverting statement to Walter. "Mimi is out of town. She isn't going to be coming back home for another week, but I will be glad to pass your message on to her."

Greg peered deeply into Walter's eyes attempting to read this man's emotional state of mind, but he could only sense the same danger that the three dogs had been warning him about since Walter had arrived. Greg was becoming impatient and he pushed for answers, "OK, Walter. So, let's have it. What's your message?"

Walter's face was expressionless and he hesitated in responding to Greg for several seconds. Walter then looked over at Grace as he proceeded to state his message. "I have been contracted to close out a genetics project that was started over 50 years ago. My assigned tasks involve the dismantling of all evidence and the retirement of people who are still participants in this project." Walter reached into his jacket and removed a large handgun from his shoulder holster. Then he pulled a tubular silencer from his pocket, which he screwed onto the barrel of the gun.

Greg then suddenly realized that he had received his much anticipated, last fateful warning. However, he had been oblivious to this impending notice. When Walter Munson arrived in his driveway, it was Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya that delivered Monsignor Monahan's final prophetic warning. Greg walked over to stand in front of Grace and shielded her as Walter slowly raised his gun.

"Please, Walter," Greg pleaded. "Grace is totally innocent and so are Mimi and I. We were never willing participants in this genetics project, and we have no further connections with the Knights Templar."

Walter listened to Greg's pleas for understanding, but still maintained the dutiful position of his appointed tasks. "Listen, Greg," said Walter with a brief moment of compassion. "I've always liked you. Even when you and Mimi fucked up in Houston, you both followed my advice and did what you were told. I also agree that you and your family are innocent, but this does not change the fact that you are evidence which needs to be removed. I'm truly sorry, but my obligated duties come before my friendships."

Walter cocked his gun preparing to fire, and suddenly a shrill vibrating noise was emanating from behind Greg. Greg quickly turned around and saw that the sound was coming from the Isis Amulet which had a pulsating glow showing from underneath Grace's shirt. Grace released her hold of Wiley and all three dogs lunged at Walter, viciously tearing away at his pants and jacket. Grace saw Walter trying to steady his aim on one of the dogs. She pushed her father out of the way and screamed, "NO!"

Grace's outburst of panic was followed with the gruesome sight of Walter's arm holding the gun being ripped off at the shoulder, and his arm dropped onto the driveway with a thud. Walter was thrown backward against his car. He slowly slid down his car door and he was profusely bleeding. In great pain, Walter reached into his boot to remove a second concealed gun. Grace's riveting eyes followed Walter's only remaining shaking hand as he feebly attempted to take aim. The dogs fearfully backed away from Grace as the Isis Amulet began making a very loud pitched squeal, followed by a blinding flash of light. Greg could feel the heat of the light, and he turned his head to cover his eyes. When he turned his head back to see what had happened, the only object that remained in the driveway was Walter's arm. His hand was still wrapped around the pistol grip of his gun. Walter's remains consisted of his blood stains and the smoking outline of his body where it last sat in the driveway. The only traces of Walter's car were four smoking points where the tires had touched the ground.

The dogs had retreated in fear to watch from the edge of the woods after witnessing Grace's horrific wrath which led to the demise of this intruding assassin. Greg nervously walked up behind Grace to see how she was. He made a vain attempt to downplay the enormity of this traumatic incident. "Are you OK, pumpkin?" Greg cautiously asked. "I guess we'd better clean up this mess before Mommy gets home."

Grace did not reply to her father. She had a disturbed look on her face. She tried to understand Walter's conveyed message, and how the Isis Amulet had enabled her to conclude this tragic event. Finally, Grace had overcome her distress, and stated, "Well, I guess that I haven't lost my disintegrating touch." She then sternly looked at her father, and asked, "What is the genetics program that you and Walter talked about? Why did he want to kill me?"

Greg was at a loss for words to provide a response to Grace. He awkwardly examined Walter Munson's arm in the driveway, which had a bloody bone protruding from the torn-off, upper jacket sleeve. Grace walked over to stand beside her father and she continued to stare at him, waiting for his response. From the corner of his eye, Greg saw Grace looking at him. He struggled to find a starting point to explain the facts which he had hidden from his daughter for her entire life.

"Walter came to kill all of us, Grace," exclaimed Greg. "This entire matter is a long story that started over 7000 years ago." Greg then looked away from his daughter and stared down in shock at the remains of Walter Munson's bleeding arm lying in the driveway. Greg took a deep breath and summoned all his courage to fight off his emotional panic. His voice was hesitant and strained as he spoke to Grace. "We will need to clean up this... mess, now. When Mommy comes home, I will tell both of you everything."

* * * * *

About one hour later, Mimi arrived home. She had to steer around Greg as he stood washing down the surface of the parking area with a hose. Mimi got out of the car, and she observed diluted red fluid, which was streaming through eroding crevices of stone and gravel as it trailed down the driveway.

Mimi asked, "Did you spill red paint? What were you painting?"

Greg had an aggravated look on his face as he responded. "It isn't red paint—its blood," said Greg while trying to contain his emotions.

Mimi looked over and saw Grace silently sitting in a lawn chair with her back turned, petting the three dogs. Mimi then turned back to look at Greg. "Where did all this blood come from?" asked Mimi.

Greg walked away to shut off the hose faucet. He quickly returned to Mimi and said, "Come with me, and I'll show you where this blood came from."

Greg took Mimi's hand and led her to a path which ascended from the driveway to the upper terrace of the backyard. They both carefully walked up the narrow stepped platforms of log sections that were embedded into the terraced hillside to provide a natural staircase. Greg stopped walking and he pointed Mimi's attention to a freshly dug hole measuring approximately three feet long and one foot wide. Mimi gasped when she saw a human arm protruding at both ends from a bloody jacket sleeve. Lying beside the arm was a large handgun.

Greg placed his hands on Mimi's shoulders and turned her around to face him. "Walter Munson arrived here unexpectedly with the intention of assassinating our entire family," stated Greg with a trembling voice. "This is all that remains of him. Walter and his black Ford sedan met the same fate which that deer and the windshield of our car encountered about five years ago."

Fear could now be clearly seen on Mimi's face. "Are you telling me that Grace did this to Walter?" asked Mimi. "I thought the amulet necklace that you gave Grace to wear is supposed to prevent this from happening."

Greg briefly ignored Mimi's inquisitive statement as he used a shovel to push a pile of dirt over to cover the remnant grave of Walter's arm and hand gun. Greg just stood silently leaning on the handle of the shovel while he formulated his response to Mimi. "The Isis Amulet protects the person wearing it from evil, and that is exactly what the necklace did," stated Greg. "The amulet projected its power through Grace as its tool. Thus, it provided protection for Grace when Walter attempted to shoot us. At first, Grace's panicked focus only attempted to stop Walter from shooting one of the dogs when all three of them attacked him. She had caused his arm holding the gun to be torn from his body. Walter pulled a second gun from his boot, and this led to Walter and his car being disintegrated by Grace. I don't know if all of this was caused by Grace, or by both the Isis Amulet necklace and Grace. The amulet was making a vibrating noise and I could see it glowing underneath her shirt right before Walter was ready to shoot both of us. All I can say is, after it was all over, Walter was gone and Grace and I are still alive."

Mimi looked down the hillside at Grace still sitting in a chair. She asked, "How is Grace... is she alright?"

Greg replied, "Grace is fine, but she needs answers regarding what she had heard me and Walter talking about. Walter said that he came to deliver a message to our entire family. I told him that you were out of town, but assured him that I would relay his message to you when you returned. At first, Walter seemed reluctant to say anything, until I persuaded him to tell me. Walter said that he was contracted to close out a genetics project that was started over 50 years ago. He had to the remove all the evidence, which included the removal of everyone who was part of this project. That is why he came to kill all three of us. Grace was standing there, and she heard my conversation with Walter. She also saw how the Isis Amulet had enabled her to focus her mental powers to stop Walter. Our daughter wants answers, Mimi, and the time has come to tell her the entire truth. I told Grace that I would tell both of you everything I know after you returned home. She is sitting down there in the lawn chair waiting for me to explain what we have hidden from her for all these years." Greg had a look of horror in his eyes as he continued. "Mimi, I also need to inform you that this incident was our final warning. I believe that the dogs had tried to convey Monsignor Monahan's prophetic warning to me. I ignored their frantic barking. It was already too late when I finally realized why they were acting so strangely. Perhaps you shall now reconsider our last opportunity to answer our divine calling before our unknown destiny calls on us."

Mimi was silent as she turned away from Greg. She slowly walked down the terrace steps to see Grace.

After Greg returned down the terrace, Mimi was sitting beside Grace with the absence of conversation. He pulled up another lawn chair to sit with them. Greg saw his wife and daughter watching him. They were waiting for his long explanation of the day's events and how they were tied to a bigger story which encompassed over 70 centuries of time. Grace could see her father strain to find a starting point, so she offered a suggestion. "Daddy, you could start by telling us about this genetics project you, Mommy, and I are unwillingly involved in."

Greg laid it all out for Grace and Mimi. He started with the origins of the ancient royal bloodline which they all had been born into. He related the facts all the way up to Monsignor Monahan's forewarning of the divergence of Grace's fate from that of her parents.

After his long summary of the facts, Greg looked over at Mimi, who sat silent with a bewildered face. "What shall we do, dear?" asked Greg. "Every prophecy that was foretold by Monsignor Monahan has been fulfilled, and today we received our final warning. So, do we relocate to the Branson Compound in Texas, or do we stand our ground in Virginia and hope that our destined fate will be merciful?"

Mimi looked at her husband sternly. "You had already answered this question over twenty years ago, Greg, when we lived in Texas," stated Mimi. "I also do not desire to live like a genetic lab rat in an underground Texas compound. Furthermore, I do not want to be involved in a conflict with the Knights Templar against an enemy I don't even know. So we shall stay here and take our chances. Besides, we have three guard dogs, and after seeing what Grace did to Walter Munson, it is highly unlikely that we shall have anything to worry about."

Grace and Mimi got up from their lawn chairs to go into the house. Greg remained seated while he watched all three dogs making uncomfortable whining sounds as they nervously paced around the back yard. "I totally agree, girls," Greg quietly stated to the dogs. "Mimi's overconfidence in our security isn't any more promising than wishing for the intervention of good luck. However, I will continue to hope that her presumptions are correct."

* * * * *

Chapter 64

May 9, 1999

A black, unmarked Sikorsky S-92 air bus helicopter touched down on the rock face, landing pad of an obscured mountaintop château. The passengers included selected Most Puissant members of the Grand Council of Twelve. They were summoned to this remote location for an urgent meeting with their Supreme Grand Master, Gabriel Abernathy.

These twelve men were the hand selected eyes of Gabriel that covertly watched every edifice within the upper and lower tiers of their secret societies and governmental agencies. Their domain of oversight included the international auspices of world banking, business, media, military, and organized crime. Each of the twelve council members was a central network hub in Gabriel's vast web of controlling influences that prevailed over every corner of the planet. Gabriel had chosen each of them because they were void of morals. They had no meaningful aspirations, family, friends, or regard for their mortal life. They had relinquished their souls to Gabriel in return for a temporary existence of unlimited gratification. Gabriel endowed these council members with great power for their devoted oversight of his domain of affairs, and each of these men fully understood the penalty for violating the sacred trust of their Supreme Grand Master.

Gabriel greeted the twelve men as they walked single file, descending the staircase from the landing pad to the main sitting room. Upon entering the hallowed chamber every man knelt, then touched his forehead to the Grand Master's hand. Gabriel remained standing as each person took a chair at the round gopher wood table. There was neither provision of food, wine, water, nor even the accommodation of a lavatory. This private meeting would be brief. These twelve men came to listen, and none of them would be privileged to speak unless Gabriel requested them to do so.

"What is the status of our atmospheric spraying?" inquired Gabriel. "Why have our efforts failed to curtail private farms and communities from supplementing their own sources of food?" Gabriel walked up behind one of the chairs and firmly placed his hands on a man's shoulders. "Perhaps you can enlighten me, Brother Thomas," stated Gabriel. "Why have the immense costs of spraying millions of tons of heavy metals and chemicals into the atmosphere failed to diminish world food supplies?"

Thomas responded, "We have made every attempt to limit the availability of seed stock and grain production. We have poisoned watersheds with herbicide, and caused eroding floods or reduced rainfall precipitation utilizing the HAARP weather modifications. The Earth's magnetosphere is still weakening, which makes even controlled weather patterns less predictable. It is also harder for us to shield the Earth from the increased cosmic radiation of the Grand Dimensional Nexus. Furthermore, the world leaders have become concerned about our atmospheric spraying program. It is dropping the planet's surface temperature to the point of creating a new ice age. It is also causing a pandemic of respiratory illnesses in people who live under the skies we have blanketed."

Gabriel then approached another council member. "Brother Chow, I have noticed that China has refused to join the rest of the world in our unified efforts to reduce human population," stated Gabriel. "What is the cause for their continued reluctance to allow atmospheric spraying over their territories?"

Chow responded, "Our nation's leaders fear they will be unable to contain the revolt of two billion starving people. They have also witnessed the phenomenal increased rate of human mutations in their nation. Over the last five years, we have documented cases of supernatural children in China who can levitate and move objects across the room. They can fill empty glasses with water just by looking at them and create inorganic solid matter out of thin air. These children can also communicate with each other telepathically and many of our spiritual leaders believe these children to be angels. Furthermore, China's military leaders regard these children to be assets and an immense future potential for an army of Elite Special Forces... if we can continue to maintain their subservience. As Brother Thomas has already stated, we cannot shield China from the magnitude of cosmic rays that are bombarding our nation. Therefore, we cannot predict what our people may mutate into during the next few years."

Gabriel's anger grew with these dismal reports of failure. "Brother Matthew, have we conducted genetic tests on children in other countries?" inquired Gabriel. "Have we been able to estimate the current growth rate of these mutations on a measureable international scale?"

Matthew responded, "It is known by the average person that every human has one double helix of DNA coiled into a spiral. What we are finding is there are additional helixes that are being formed in some adults. This anomaly is more prevalent in newborns, and it is hypothesized that many people will eventually be developing twelve helixes. Some of the Chinese children who Brother Chow mentioned earlier already have developed eight or more helixes.

"Most of these mutations seem to have started approximately seven years ago. This was shortly before we started our international atmospheric spraying campaign in 1992. Many doctors are unable or have declined to offer a scientific explanation. The mutation of our species is something which they can neither determine a result nor know where it shall ultimately lead. We have been very successful in keeping this information from public knowledge because the scientific community feels it would frighten the masses. People are quickly changing at the cellular level. Many of the children I have tested who are under two years of age currently have three DNA helixes. However, I must state that we are only talking about the people who are transforming naturally. It is my understanding that the genetic enhancement experiments which have been conducted by the Knights Templar over the last 50 years far exceed any natural phenomena of human mutations that are being caused by the Grand Dimensional Nexus."

Gabriel slowly paced around the table and broadened his inquiries. "Brother Mark, what success have we made in locating the clandestine operating centers of the Knights Templar?"

Mark responded, "We have been able to pinpoint their centers of operation in four different world locations, but this ability came at the expense of losing several atmospheric spraying tanker jets. Most of the insurgent attacks by the Knights Templar were made by remote terrorist cell groups of two or three people. We could detect gravitational dips in the HAARP electromagnetic field and triangulated an individual cell's location using ground based radar and reconnaissance satellites. After determining their ground location, we followed them to their facility with the aid of military spy satellites. We would be able to find these locations faster if we had not lost 18 of our 20 manned space platforms after they mysteriously fell out of space orbit. To date, we have located four of the five suspected Knights Templar facility locations."

Gabriel's face grew impatient and he inquired, "Brother Mark, why have we not yet located this fifth facility?"

Mark responded, "We have narrowed our search for their fifth facility. The probable location is believed to be located in the southwestern region of the United States, in the state of Texas. The current problem we have is, by the time we located a cell's ground location, they seemed to vanish without a trace. This makes our ability to follow them back to their facility impossible."

Gabriel then turned to another council member. "Brother John, tell me what you have learned from your Jesuit associates in Rome regarding the Knights Templar," ordered Gabriel, sternly. "The Vatican has been tracking these warrior monk knights and their custody of the royal blood descendants for many centuries. Perhaps the Vatican authorities have provided you with some insight regarding the location of this fifth Knights Templar facility."

John had an uneasy look on his face as he cautiously worded his response to Gabriel. "The Vatican is aware of the existence of these Knights Templar facilities. Most of these matters are only discussed behind closed doors within the Jesuit Order of the Black Pope. Thus, it is not within my privilege to hear. I know that there is an entrusted monsignor who heads all the committees regarding the activities of the Knights Templar, and he generally works alone on international field assignments."

Gabriel casually peered out his window into the mountain valley while his back was turned to the seated 12 council members. He curiously asked, "What is the name of this monsignor?"

John responded, "He is addressed as Monsignor Michael Monahan."

Upon hearing the name of Michael, Gabriel's rage started to build, causing the entire room to vibrate, and then everything became tranquil again. Gabriel turned to face his brethren with a sinister smile. "Victory is at hand!" exclaimed Gabriel triumphantly. "We shall first immediately crush the four known Knights Templar outposts. The attacks will begin, simultaneously, at 7 o'clock Greenwich Mean Time, tomorrow morning. After these facilities fall, we shall be led to the fifth location by Monsignor Monahan's trusted allies. I shall expect each of you to utilize every resource available to monitor all air traffic landings in the state of Texas. I especially want to monitor private jets, and people booking last minute flights of departure for any destination in that state. We shall then need to track each of these aircraft's passengers after their arrivals."

Gabriel then turned to his military specialist. "Brother Luke, I need you to arrange for the Texas military bases and ATF agents to be placed on standby of high alert," stated Gabriel. "We shall need to net these Knights Templar rats before they have an opportunity to jump ship. I cannot stress the importance of this mission enough. Failure is not an option! This meeting is now adjourned."

Gabriel left the room to stand on the outer balcony. Heavy torrents of air whipped over the edge of the landing pad when the helicopter lifted off. Gabriel smiled as he watched the helicopter disappear behind the mountain range. "So, Michael has been intervening on behalf of the Knights Templar to cloak their activities," said Gabriel with both fists clenched in rage. "Michael will now unknowingly assist me in ensuring that nothing, living or not, will be spared when this planet is erased from the cosmos."

* * * * *

May 10, 1999, 10:00am EDT

Congressman Dr. Russell Patterson sat at his desk and was reviewing a proposed legislation bill when his wall mounted television mysteriously switched on. He thought he had accidentally turned on the TV. The doctor looked all over his desk top for the remote control. However, he discovered it was located on a side table where he always placed it.

Dr. Patterson rose from his chair to switch the TV off, but he paused to watch the screen because the BBC news was broadcasting a special report:

"We are bringing you this special report regarding a sting operation from earlier this morning. It involves European authorities in the countries of France, Spain, Scotland, and Switzerland, which simultaneously attempted to apprehend a suspected terrorist network. The BBC has been informed that the combined multi-national surveillance of this terrorist organization has been ongoing for over three months. It ended with members of all four terrorist groups committing suicide, rather than allowing themselves to be apprehended. The authorities have not stated with whom this alleged terrorist organization was affiliated. The rumors circulating about these groups also have not been verified. The authorities believe that the terrorists were tipped off shortly before this sting operation was carried out. Currently, the four terrorist centers of operation are burning out of control, and all four building locations are said to be owned by a Swiss banking cartel. Please stay tuned, and as more information becomes available, we will be passing this on to our viewers."

Dr. Patterson's heart was pounding as he looked up, and exclaimed, "Message received, Monsignor!"

Congressman Patterson quickly left his office to speak with his secretary. "Please have Jonathan prepare my jet for departure and I want him to be ready for takeoff as soon as I arrive at the airport," he said. With a very controlled voice of discourse, he stated, "Tell Jonathan to arrange his flight plans for the most direct flight path to the Harley Municipal Airport in Texas. In addition, please arrange for me to have a rental car waiting for me when I arrive there. I'm leaving now, so hold all my messages. I will phone you before my return." Dr. Patterson then briskly walked to the underground garage. He drove his car to the airport as fast as he could go without attracting the attention of the D.C. Capitol Police.

* * * * *

When Dr. Patterson arrived at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, at 11:20 am, the stairway ramp of his private jet was extended for his entry. Jonathan had the jet fueled and ready for departure. "Let's go, Jonathan," said Dr. Patterson after he pushed a button to retract the stairs. Then he quickly latched the door and took a seat.

In less than three hours, Dr. Patterson heard Jonathan's voice over the speaker. "We'll be landing in Harley Municipal Airport shortly, Doctor," stated Jonathan. "Your rental car will be waiting for you at the lobby entrance, and I will be waiting for you when you return to the airport."

After the jet landed and taxied to the only gate at the airport, Dr. Patterson had barely waited for the jet to stop before unlatching the door. He was extending the stairway when Jonathan came out of the pilot cabin door. "You're in quite a hurry, Dr. Patterson," stated Jonathan with expressed concern. "Do you have any idea how long you will be gone?"

Dr. Patterson quickly exited the plane. On his way down the stairs, he stated, "I have my cell phone, and I'll call you when I'm returning to the airport, Jonathan."

* * * * *

When Dr. Patterson exited the lobby entrance, an attendant was standing beside a rental car, and he handed the keys to the doctor. Dr. Patterson quickly jumped into the driver seat, but the rental car representative stopped the doctor from closing his car door. "I need you to sign some paperwork, sir," said the attendant.

Dr. Patterson reached into his jacket pocket and handed his U.S. Congress identification badge to the attendant. "I'm sorry, son, but I'm on official Government business. You may keep my identification, and we'll straighten out the paperwork when I get back." Dr. Patterson started the engine, pumped the gas pedal, and quickly left the airport parking lot en route to the Branson Compound.

It was less than twenty five miles via county roads to the Branson Compound, and luck was on Dr. Patterson's side. He saw Dr. Davis Branson jogging along the shoulder of the road about one mile from his compound training facility. Dr. Patterson pulled alongside of Dr. Branson and tooted his horn while rolling down the passenger car window. "Get in the car, Davis, and I'll drive you the rest of the way."

Davis was still attempting to catch his breath as he hopped into the front passenger seat. "What brought you all the way out here from Washington D.C., Russell?" asked Davis.

Russell had a very serious look on his face as he kept his eyes on the road. "Haven't you been watching or listening to the news?" asked Russell.

Davis answered, "We only have a phone. I don't allow radios or televisions because they are distractions to our training classes."

Russell then stated with great urgency, "We will need to get everyone out of your facility as soon as possible, Davis. Our Knights Templar training facilities in Europe were destroyed today. From the look of the massive fires at those locations, the authorities didn't want any survivors."

Davis showed no panic with regard to Russell's stated concerns. "There is no way that any authority could track us to our facility, Russell. We finally accomplished the impossible."

Russell looked curiously at Davis and asked, "Accomplished what?"

Davis smiled with his response, "The Templar twins can now do inter-dimensional travel, without being detected. At first they could only transmit inanimate objects between remote locations. Six months ago the twins started experimenting with mice. They de-atomized a container of mice, and then successfully reconstructed their stream of atoms back into their original forms several times. The twins repeated this over increasingly greater distances. After that, the twins transported a cow the same way. Finally, both Keith and Kent could travel together through inter-dimensional pathway portals all over the planet."

Russell looked over at Davis with a frown, and bluntly stated, "This sounds fine and dandy, Davis. Can Keith and Kent transport everyone in your facility at the same time, and escape with them to another location?"

Davis still maintained a look of confidence. "I guess that we will have to cross that bridge if we need to," stated Davis.

Russell was getting very aggravated. "Your arrogance is not very becoming of you, Davis," stated Russell, condescendingly. "Chances are that this bridge needs to be crossed today, and everyone in your facility has to be relocated now! If you recall, over the last four years the enlightened descendants were operating locally in the Texas area. They caused several military planes to crash. Before those events occurred, they brought down an orbiting space platform while visiting my ranch. If the authorities found our four Knights Templar facilities in Europe, then they will eventually find yours, Davis!"

* * * * *

Grand Council member Brother Luke was otherwise known to his subordinates as National Security Agency Chief Inspector Luke Peterson. Luke had over ninety NSA agents at the Fort Meade, Maryland headquarters monitoring hundreds of domestic and international flights. The agents observed all flights which had landed in all airports within the state of Texas.

At 2:35pm, Luke's desk intercom beeped from the computer lab. "I think we found something, sir," stated one of the agents.

Luke raced down the hall to the computer lab. He was greeted at the lab door entrance by one of the technicians holding a clip board, who ran down a list of their findings. "It appears that a Congressman Dr. Russell Patterson flew his private jet from Washington, D.C., to a remote municipal airport in Harley, Texas. He arrived there at 1:35pm central time this afternoon. Preliminary background checks show Dr. Patterson to also be a member of the Knights Templar. Our satellite cam followed a 1999 Ford LTD that he rented at the airport. We tracked him to a parked location at the Branson Pentecostal Church. Our records show that the minister of this church is the Reverend Davis Branson, a.k.a. Dr. Davis Branson. He holds two doctorate science degrees in microbiology and genetic therapy."

A look of joy appeared on Luke Peterson's face as he happily stated, "That's our man." Luke quickly left the computer lab, returned to his office, and phoned his liaison contact at the Langley, Virginia CIA field office.

"Agent Thomas Hutchins speaking," said the voice answering the phone.

"Thomas, this is Luke. Our NSA computer lab has pinpointed the location of the fifth Knights Templar facility, which is located at the Branson Pentecostal Church in Harley, Texas," stated Luke. "How soon before you can have your CIA field agents, the ATF, and the military support stationed there?"

Thomas looked on his wall map. "We don't have any armories in that region," said Thomas. "I can have ATF field agents there within two hours. We can activate the 6-6 Cavalry Helicopter Squadron from Fort Hood to airlift in CIA agents with about 150 elite troops in less than one hour. Did the Supremacy's orders state that we must maintain the same protocols that were used in Europe?"

Luke responded, "We will need to take them all alive, if possible. If we suffer any casualties, we will level the place, agreed?"

Thomas paused for several seconds and replied, "Understood, Luke. I'll have five Apache combat helicopters on standby, just in case we have a problem."

Luke then went on to state another request. "The only press that will be permitted near this Branson Church will need to have CIA clearance. There shall be no filming or pictures taken until after this entire matter is concluded. We don't want to deal with another embarrassing Waco incident."

Thomas felt it was necessary to point out a big difference in this pending operation. "Luke, I recall that the people living at the Branch Davidian Church complex in Waco had automatic rifles," stated Thomas. "None of the occupants in the four European Knights Templar facilities were armed. However, they managed to vaporize over 50 combat troops before the army had to bomb those four buildings. We have no idea what we are dealing with at this Harley facility. If it is housing the Knights Templar, then we will have to expect the same type of unpredictable resistance."

* * * * *

May 10, 1999, 2:35 CDT

Dr. Branson stomped on a loose board to depress a latch that released a spring-loaded floor door covering a lower staircase. They both walked down the stairs to the underground facilities, closing the hatch door behind them. Twenty six people were convening in the dining hall to eat or play recreational games. They were all quite surprised to see Dr. Patterson. Dr. Branson raised his hands to quiet the exuberant crowd. "Dr. Patterson has come to bring us sad news," said Dr. Branson. "Our European brothers and sisters have all been killed in an ambush. This was perpetrated simultaneously by combat troops that destroyed our Knights Templar facilities in France, Spain, Scotland, and Switzerland. Dr. Patterson has substantiated concerns that we may be their next target." Dr. Branson then looked over at the twins, Keith and Kent DeMaribus. "Tell me your honest opinion, men. Do you two think that you could move 28 people inter-dimensionally?" asked Dr. Branson.

Kent thumped his fist on his chest and stated, "There's nothing that my brother and I can't do."

Dr. Patterson interrupted Kent because his brother, Keith, had a worried look on his face. "Excuse me, Kent, but I have not heard Keith's opinion regarding this stated ability," said Dr. Patterson. "Well, Keith, can you and your brother accomplish the feat of moving 28 people, or do you feel this to be too risky?"

Keith shied away from his brother to avoid Kent's stern facial expression. Keith replied, "I really don't know, Dr. Patterson. My brother and I can both travel inter-dimensionally, but we have never attempted to move another person with us at the same time."

Kent pushed his brother away. "We transported a damn cow over 20 miles!" exclaimed Kent. "So, of course we can move everyone in this room with us to anywhere you want to go."

Keith then politely interrupted, "What other options do we have, Dr. Patterson?"

Dr. Patterson walked over to stand beside Dr. Branson and addressed the entire group. "Keith has brought up a very valid question that shall require all of us to decide," said Dr. Patterson. "All 26 of you are the last of your kind. The authorities would probably prefer to see you all dead, rather than capture you and have to deal with unpredictable prisoners. To answer Keith's question, your choices are as follows: we can make our stand and fight, we can surrender, or we can attempt to make our escape. In my opinion, we should take the risk to escape. We shall still live to fight another day and possibly have time to replenish our numbers."

Everyone debated their options for over 30 minutes, but they were distracted as a massive squadron of helicopters thundered their low altitude approach over the Branson Compound. The sounds of hurried footsteps could be heard upstairs. The communing religious families ran in from their gardens to take shelter in the upper building.

Kent went for the staircase. "Enough of all this bullshit," he said. "I can vaporize all of these helicopters by myself, and the problem shall be solved."

Dr. Patterson gently grabbed Kent's arm to stop him. "I have no doubt that you could accomplish this offensive attack, Kent. However, the military will retaliate with a small tactical nuclear warhead, and you would never see this missile in time to stop it. Again, I feel that our best defense is to leave while we still can. Furthermore, Kent, if you and your brother could teach the other enlightened descendants the art of inter-dimensional, reconnaissance warfare, then we will be a more formidable offensive force."

Dr. Branson faced Kent and placed his hands on the young man's shoulders. "I believe that Dr. Patterson's advice is sound, Kent," said Dr. Branson. "Even with only 26 Knights Templar enlightened, descendant warriors, we could conquer this invading army. However, we aren't capable of taking on the entire world... yet."

Keith looked at his brother with imploring eyes. "I agree, Kent," said Keith. "Let's move everyone into a parallel dimension, and regroup to fight another day."

Kent gave a disgusted sigh. "I'm outnumbered by a group of cowards," said Kent. Then he added, "OK, everyone needs to follow Keith and me. Let's leave this hole in the ground. I swear that we shall return to conquer these lesser mortals, and rightfully claim the Earth as our new kingdom!"

Keith and Kent focused their concentration, and a dark, swirling cloud appeared near a side wall. Dr. Patterson and Dr. Branson followed along as the party of 28 people entered the inter-dimensional portal and disappeared.

* * * * *

Five fully armed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters hovered side by side. The ground commander called on his bullhorn for the people inside the Branson Pentecostal Church to surrender. "Everyone in the building needs to come out where we can see you with your hands on your heads. Then you will lay down facing the ground with your legs and arms spread. This will be your only warning!"

One by one, the communing civilians composed of men, women, and children came out of the building with their hands on their heads. The families all appeared horrified as they observed the squadron of hovering helicopters. Combat soldiers pointed their rifles, ready to fire at any signs of resistance. Each surrendering person laid down facing the ground, and quickly spread their arms and legs.

"You've got to be shitting me," said the commander. "We were placed on high alert, and airlifted almost 200 troops to arrest a bunch of religious farmers?"

The soldiers surrounding the main complex were ordered cautiously to close in, but they met no opposition. The commander walked up to one of the farmers lying on the ground and kicked him swiftly in the ribs. "Where in the hell is Dr. Davis Branson?"

The man on the ground was struggling to catch his breath after having the wind kicked out of him. His wife answered the commander. "Please, don't hurt us," pleaded the woman. "The people you seek are located in an underground facility."

The commander picked the woman up by her hair and then pushed her in the direction of the building. "I want you to show us where the underground entrance is."

The woman quickly walked into the building and stomped on a loose floor board, releasing the spring-loaded hatch door, which popped open. "They are down there!" cried the woman.

The commander motioned to a soldier to throw a tear gas cylinder down the steps into the lower level. After several minutes, no sound or activity could be detected. "This could still be a trap, and they may have gas masks," stated the commander. He then ordered another soldier to throw a concussion grenade into the hole. The explosion caused the entire building to shake. A mixed cloud of dust and tear gas continued to rise from the floor opening. Over a minute had passed since the grenade's explosion, and still no sound or motion was detected from the darkness of this basement area. Finally, three heavily armed soldiers with body armor were ordered down the staircase wearing infrared vision head gear. After thoroughly searching both floors of the lower level facility, they returned up the steps to report their findings to the commander. One soldier reported, "Sorry, sir. There is nobody in the lower levels, and this stairway is the only way in or out of the underground facilities."

The commander was in a blind rage as he walked back over to the frightened woman. He slapped her across the face knocking her to the ground. "You said that there were people down there—so where are they?"

The woman pleaded for mercy. "I swear to God, there were more than twenty people living down there, including Dr. Branson and his guest who arrived this afternoon. The car that this visitor drove is still parked outside."

A soldier carrying high tech surveillance gear, walked up to the commander. "She's telling the truth, sir. Another reconnaissance scout and I arrived here 10 minutes before the helicopter squadrons did. Our preliminary surveillance confirmed the voices of several people coming from a lower level facility located below this building, sir. We will sweep the area again for tunnels or possible hiding spaces, sir. However, if there was anyone down there, then we would have found them on our first sweep. I'm sorry sir, but I can't give you any rational explanation for the disappearance of these people."

The soldiers backed away because the commander was extremely angered. "This is total bullshit!" shouted the commander as he threw his hat on the ground and stomped on it.

Two men wearing suits and ties walked up to the commander and flashed their CIA identifications. "We'll take over from here, commander. Please have your men fall back and take all of these civilians with you. We will be sending a bus to pick up the church residents. They will be brought in for further questioning. After everyone is clear of the building, you will receive your orders to level this complex. Thank you, commander, and that will be all."

The two CIA agents then left and walked back to their car. The commander bent over to pick up his hat. He angrily marched back with his platoons to the safety zone, pushing all the church family members along in front of them as they proceeded.

Twenty minutes later, the commander received the orders from Fort Hood headquarters. He ordered the AH-64 Apache helicopters onward to level the entire building and underground facilities. All five combat helicopters unleashed their wing mounted arsenals of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. When the aerial assaults were over, the only thing that remained of the Branson Compound was a giant blazing hole in the ground. The lingering question regarding how more than 20 people could have escaped undetected from this underground facility remained to be answered.

* * * * *

Chapter 65

May 10, 1999, 5:00pm EDT

Greg, Mimi, and Grace had barely gotten over the horrible events from two days ago. Walter Munson's assassination attempt was still fresh in their minds. Now they watched the television in horror as every main stream media network showed the fiery blaze of what was once the Branson Compound. The news agencies referred to the compound as the Branson Pentecostal Church Commune.

Greg sat in amazement. The news groups were spinning an unbelievable story. This remote Texas church allegedly was a sanctuary for the same international terrorists who were simultaneously decimated earlier that day in Europe. Furthermore, it was alleged that the occupant "terrorists" within the Branson Church also committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the authorities. Greg was quite certain that the enormous destruction of the Branson Compound facility could only have been created by military ballistic weapons. He also silently concluded that this was a surprise attack. Greg contended that if the military had surrounded the Branson Compound and told the Templar twins to surrender, then the outcome would have been the opposite. Most likely, the military troops would have been destroyed by the twins and the other enlightened descendants before this church facility was reduced to a giant burning hole in the ground.

Mimi looked across the living room at Greg. "And this is the place that you wanted us to relocate to?" asked Mimi, angrily. "This Branson Compound was to be our shared divine calling? Well, I guess that I saved all three of our asses by deciding to stay put in Virginia."

Mimi left the room to go back into the kitchen. Grace sympathetically walked over to her distressed father. She said, "You only suggested what you thought would be the best thing to do, Daddy. It now appears that we made the right decision by not moving back to Texas." Grace gave her father a kiss and said, "I have to go to my room, and cram for my exams."

Greg was still rendered speechless as he continued watching the same fiery news film footage being played over and over on the television. Why would Monsignor Monahan want Greg's family to relocate to a site that was destined to be blown off the face of the Earth? The monsignor's prophecies were all fulfilled exactly as they had been foretold to Greg over four years ago. Therefore, Greg still had doubts as to whether staying in Virginia would be any safer. He got up from the couch to turn off the television, and returned outside to complete the electrical wiring of his new garage.

Greg was finishing the installation of outlet receptacles in the wall framework, when Grace stormed out of the house. Greg called out to his flustered daughter, and inquired, "Where are you headed in such a foul mood?"

Grace paused to catch her temper, and then responded, "I have to go all the way back to the college to get two of my books. I was certain that I placed them in my backpack, but they weren't in there. I must have left them in the classroom, and I need them to study for an exam. I'll be back in about two hours."

Greg smiled and said, "OK, Grace, but please watch out for deer because windshields are expensive to replace."

Grace frowned at her father's exhibited smile because she knew he was making a joking jab. She reached into her blouse and pulled out the Isis Amulet to display it to her father. She retorted, "I thought this amulet was supposed to ward off the disintegration of deer and prevent windshield holes."

Greg again smiled and said, "I still worry anyway, pumpkin, so please drive carefully."

Grace waved good bye to her father as she pulled out of the driveway. Greg waved back, and then returned to his garage construction.

Shortly after Grace left to drive back to the college, two Freemason trackers disguised as telephone utility workers pulled their utility van into the entrance of the Bradford's driveway. They were discretely investigating the last known location of their assassin brother, Walter Munson. Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya heard the van, and they ran around to the front of the house barking. They menacingly circled around the two men where they stood at the bottom of the driveway in front of their van. Mimi came out onto the front deck to see what all the commotion was about and saw the dogs surrounding and snarling at the two utility workers.

One of the men called up to Mimi, and stated, "Hello, Mrs. Bradford. We are making phone line inspections to see if any tree trimming will be necessary. Will you please restrain your dogs for a few minutes until after we have completed our work?"

Mimi left the front deck and shouted to Greg. "Please call the dogs into the house, dear. Some phone company people are here doing line inspections." Mimi then returned to the front deck to talk with utility workers. She reassuringly stated, "Give us a minute, and we'll get the dogs out of your way."

It was not uncommon to see telephone and power company workers along their river valley road. These utility crews often performed the preventative maintenance of trimming back the overgrowth of tree branches. They also cleared trees that were downed by heavy ice and wind. However, this was the first occasion that the phone company had made line inspections of the service drops to their house.

Since these two covert men in disguise were only on a searching expedition, the dogs sensed no immediate danger. Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya merely sought to have this van leave the entrance of their driveway. The dogs stopped barking and backed away when the two utility workers returned to sit in their van. Greg whistled for the dogs to come into the house, but only Taffy and Tanya answered his summoning call. Greg called Wiley again. She still refused to budge from her defiant stand in the driveway to block the utility van's entry. Greg took off his belt to make a temporary slip leash. He approached Wiley with caution, because none of his dogs would even wear a collar, let alone allow someone to put them on a leash. Wiley backed away from Greg's belt with a low toned growl, and she offensively exposed her fangs.

"All right, Wiley," said Greg, impatiently. "You're going to come up to the house with me, one way or another."

Greg realized that Wiley felt threatened by his belt, so he dropped it by the edge of the driveway. After she calmed down, he bent over and grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck. Then he quickly dropped on one knee to cradle her in his arms. Greg wrapped one arm around Wiley's chest, and wrapped his other arm behind her back legs. At that point Wiley only whined as she was lifted off the ground, and she surrendered to Greg's overpowering need to remove her from the driveway.

After Greg was in the house with the three dogs, the two utility workers walked into the cover of the woods. One of the men pulled a hand held transmitter from his backpack. The second man fitted on his sound amplification headgear which was wired to a dish-receiver that opened like a small metallic umbrella. After transmitting a search signal, the activation of a miniature transponder in Walter Munson's handgun began making faint, low frequency beeps. The two men slowly walked toward the transponder's location. Halfway up to the back yard terrace, the beeping signal could be audibly heard without the sound amplifier. The men found a spot where the ground had been disturbed. Both men quickly used small shovels to unearth the location. They found Walter's handgun and the remains of his arm, which still displayed a Masonic ring on his finger.

The two trackers packed up their gear. Without hesitation, they proceeded to the house with their guns drawn, and then one of the men kicked in the back door. The trackers were viciously greeted by the three dogs. Both Greg and Mimi were horrified as they watched Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya mercilessly gunned down within a matter of seconds. Only then did Greg realize who these telephone workers were. Monsignor Monahan's forewarned prophecy had finally caught up with them. Greg and Mimi were about to pay the price for the avoidance of their divine calling with the Knights Templar. Their shared destiny had arrived.

The Freemason trackers had no reason to ask Greg or Mimi for an explanation of how Walter's handgun and arm became buried in their back yard terrace. Nor did they ask where the rest of Walter's body and his car were located. These assassins had vengeance in their eyes. They only sought retribution against the people who were responsible for their brother's death. Both men fired their remaining bullets into Greg and Mimi, and dragged their dead, bleeding bodies outside to the framed wall of the unfinished garage. The trackers conveniently utilized a nearby nail gun to peg Greg and Mimi's hands to an overhead wooden frame of the garage. Their dead, suspended bodies appeared to be symbolically crucified, as they were left hanging from the wall framework. The assassins laughed as they walked back to retrieve the dogs' remains from the house. The three dogs were dumped in a heap below Greg and Mimi's dangling feet. After finishing their tasks, the two trackers returned into the house to remove their gloves and bloody jump suits. Then they quickly left the vicinity.

* * * * *

May 10, 1999, 7:45pm EDT

It was near dusk when Grace returned home. She almost fainted at the sight of her parents' remains hanging from the garage framework. Grace's three dead dogs were lying in a pile beneath her parents' feet. She slowly walked up to a crude plywood panel sign. It displayed a message written with her parents' blood: 'THE KILLERS OF OUR BROTHER'. Grace wanted to scream but she could not utter a sound. She sank to the ground, and silently continued staring in horror. Even after the sun had gone down there was no closure of darkness to mask this carnage of death, because the automatic outdoor floodlight illuminated the entire backyard.

Grace turned her head as a car's headlights could be seen pulling in the driveway. A large white Mercedes sedan drove up, and parked to next to her. The car's headlights remained on, spotlighting the blood drenched, bullet-ridden bodies of Greg and Mimi. The back car door opened and a man dressed in black got out to stand next to Grace.

The man looked down at Grace, and stated, "Hello, Grace. My name is Monsignor Monahan." The monsignor turned his head to look upon the sight of the gruesome murders. He softly remarked, "I had warned your father that this day was fast approaching. It's a pity that he never heeded my advice."

Grace snapped out of her staring trance and sternly replied, "My father told me about meeting you in Texas, Monsignor Monahan. He never told me anything about you until two days ago, after an assassin arrived here to kill us, and failed in his attempt. That event was followed with the Branson Church Compound being completely destroyed today after it was invaded by military troops. My father always heeded your advice, monsignor. However, he felt it was easier to avoid your warning rather than taking up a sword against an alleged enemy whom he didn't even know." Grace was overcoming her shock. She cried out in emotional pain, and screamed, "Is this the price my parents had to pay for seeking peace instead of war?"

Monsignor Monahan did not answer Grace's question. Instead, he knelt down to put his comforting arm over her shoulders as she silently wept. "Perhaps you should leave with me, Grace," stated the monsignor with a tone of urgency. "It is the only thing that we can do now to assure your safety. I fear that the same people may return to finish what the first assassin failed to do. I shall make arrangements for your parents to be removed from here and provided a proper burial."

Monsignor Monahan gently took hold of Grace's arm to pull her up from the dew covered grass. Then he escorted her to his waiting car.

* * * * *

Chapter 66

The car's heavily tinted windows obscured Grace's ability to detect street lamps or car lights as Monsignor Monahan's car smoothly traveled to an undisclosed destination. The car ride lasted about 10 minutes, and then it was parked. The monsignor got out of his door and walked around the car to open the door for Grace.

As Grace slowly slid off the seat and out of the car, she gazed mysteriously at the Mercedes, which was now black. Grace became startled, "I'm sure that I didn't fall asleep, and I'm quite positive that this car was white when I got into it about 10 minutes ago. Where are we?"

Monsignor Monahan smiled as he looked around the area, and then replied, "We are in a parking garage, Grace. Quite frankly, I do not require a car to travel. However, it is unlikely that you would have been willing to leave with me if I had arrived at your home on foot."

Grace was starting to get nervous as she looked around the underground parking garage because there were no other cars in sight. She stated, "My house is located in the sticks of Luray, Virginia. There are no underground parking garages anywhere within a ten minute drive of where we live. So, where are we?"

Monsignor Monahan held out his hand to usher Grace forward and replied, "Come with me. I shall show you where we are."

They walked across the parking area, entered an elevator and traveled up two floors. The elevator doors opened to a dark hallway which had small orange track lights lining the edges of the carpeted flooring. When they arrived at the end of the corridor a security keypad was already displaying a green indicator light. The Monsignor opened the door. Grace squinted as she walked under bright lights, illuminating a large area displaying ancient maps.

The Monsignor stopped walking to look at Grace, and stated, "We call this corridor the Gallery of Geographic Maps. This exhibit contains an original collection of 16th century map renderings of the known world."

Grace became suspicious because she had remembered seeing pictures of this location before, but she could not recall where. Monsignor Monahan walked onward, and they arrived at the Sistine Chapel. Grace then realized where they were, and she exclaimed in alarm, "Oh my God! We're in Vatican City?"

Grace tried to regain her composure as they entered the chapel. She was nervously hyperventilating while she pretended to examine the wall mounted frescoed paintings. Grace slowly followed behind Monsignor Monahan as he gazed up at the chapel's ceiling. The monsignor turned to smile at Grace, and remarked, "I am in a state of awe every time I see these paintings. It took Michelangelo and his apprentices five years to paint this masterpiece." The monsignor seemed elated as he pointed around the chapel and described each of the paintings to Grace. "The first six panels depict scenes from Genesis. They are the Separation of Light from Darkness, Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Planets, Separation of the Waters from the Land, Creation of Adam, Creation of Eve, and Temptation and Expulsion from the Garden. The last three panels depict scenes from the life of Noah. They are the Sacrifice of Noah, Flood, and Drunkenness of Noah. However, the Creation of Adam, in the center of the chapel's ceiling, is perhaps the most well known painting. It shows the touching fingers of God and Adam."

As Grace's eyes continued to wander around the room, she again was aware that she and Monsignor Monahan were evidently the only people in the entire building. She nervously declared, "I would at least expect to see someone else in this building at this hour of the day." Grace looked at her watch for several seconds while tapping its glass cover. However, her timepiece had stopped at 9:08pm. This was the approximate time she had left her Virginia home in Monsignor Monahan's car. Grace turned to the monsignor and worriedly asked, "My watch has stopped. What time is it now in Rome?"

Monsignor Monahan smiled, looked at his watch, and replied, "It is 3:08am, Rome time. Rome is six hours ahead of Virginia Daylight Savings Time."

Grace was starting to become frightened again. She tensely stated, "That's what the minutes on my watch read well over ten minutes ago. So, either your watch is also broken, or time has stopped all together."

The monsignor let out a mild laugh, and responded, "Your observations serve you well, Grace. Yes, an eternity can exist within a split second of stationary time."

The supernatural events of the evening were starting to weigh heavily on Grace's sense of reality. Having traveled by car from Virginia to Rome, Italy in only 10 minutes, and now being caught perpetually in a timeless state of existence, had far exceeded her wildest imaginations. Grace looked at Monsignor Monahan and asked, "Who are you, and why did you bring me here to Vatican City?"

The monsignor stared deeply into Grace's eyes and replied, "Your father had also asked me who I was. I told him that it does not matter. My mission in bringing you to Vatican City is only to enlighten you, Grace. I have brought you to the Sistine Chapel to show you the magnificent difference that just one man's works of art can make in a world that is mired with political indifferences, hatred, and greed. Your parents failed to answer their calling in life because their only concern was for your assured safety. Therefore, they willingly sacrificed their lives for this reassurance."

Grace pulled the Isis Amulet out from under her blouse. She furiously inquired, "My parents both died in exchange for this necklace?"

Monsignor Monahan sternly replied, "No, Grace. Your parents died because they avoided their divine calling. This hastened their mortal destiny. Your father could not accept the fact that, even if he was alive, he would be powerless to block your individual predestined path in life." Monsignor Monahan pointed up to the center of the chapel ceiling at the fingers of God. Then he turned to look at Grace. With great intensity in his voice, he stated, "You, dearest Grace, have been chosen to be the savior of the royal bloodline descendants, and you will fulfill a mission that shall separate the light from the darkness. You will deliver the chosen ones from evil to preside over a new kingdom of humanity!"

Grace attempted to fathom Monsignor Monahan's passionate godly predictions. She inquired, "You are talking about a future that hasn't happened yet. If you have the ability to foresee the future and the power to stop time, then why don't you just utilize your power to alter the future?"

Monsignor Monahan placed his hands on Grace's shoulders, and responded, "I am only a guiding advisor, Grace. Every soul has free will to choose their path in life, and also the responsibility to face the consequences for their choices. This was what your father and mother learned the hard way. However, they had always nobly sacrificed their lives to assure your well being. They have been rewarded for their sacrifice."

Grace began to cry in anguish. She pleaded, "Then why can't you bring my parents back, and give them a second chance to redeem themselves? I'm sure that during their final moments of approaching death, they would have seen the error in avoiding their obligations."

The Monsignor turned away and stated, "It is too late for your parents, Grace. However, I am pleased that you have stated your understanding in these urgent humanitarian matters. Will you pledge yourself faithfully to fulfill your mission, and to continue the predestined path that your parents avoided?"

Grace thought long and hard about Monsignor Monahan's request. She responded, "You told me that my parents were rewarded for their sacrifices. So, perhaps you will provide evidence of this claim, and let me see my parents."

Monsignor Monahan made a long pause. He placed his hands together, and closed his eyes in silent prayer. After a few moments, the Monsignor smiled. He responded, "Very well, Grace. Your request will be granted. Come with me, and we shall leave to see your parents and your three dogs as well."

Monsignor Monahan and Grace returned to his car in the parking garage. Grace exclaimed, "Now your car is gray! It was black when we arrived here, and it was white when we left my home in Virginia."

The Monsignor smiled as he opened the rear door for Grace to get in. He stated, "Your life's journey is never entirely in light or darkness. Your destiny lies on a path of conscience that is illuminated by compromising shades of gray."

Grace shrugged off Monsignor Monahan's eloquent metaphor. She sensed that he was using the persuasion of guilt to sway her conscience. However, the nuns at her Catholic school had burned out her guilt complex many years ago. Grace also knew that she could not be forced to do anything against her free will.

Grace paused before getting into the back seat. She quickly stepped around Monsignor Monahan to open the driver's door of the car. After opening the front door, she saw a black void of nothingness in the driver's compartment. Grace could see the car's exterior roof but when she placed her hand inside the driver's area, she could neither touch an inner ceiling headliner nor anything solid within the confines of this infinite dark, empty space.

Monsignor Monahan grinned at Grace's paled complexion. He offered a vague explanation, "Like I had said to you previously, Grace. I do not require my car to travel across long distances, so I also would not require a driver for my car."

Grace surrendered any need she had for a rational explanation to this supernatural oddity. She closed the driver's door and got into the back seat of the car.

Grace couldn't sense any backward or forward motion of the car leaving the parking garage. She could hear a steady humming noise which she presumed to be the car's engine. After a short journey of a few minutes, Grace could feel the tires making contact with a soft ground surface that slightly rocked the car. Grace didn't wait for Monsignor Monahan to offer the courtesy of opening her car door. She quickly exited the car to find that she was standing in sand on a sunny coastline beach. Grace's eyes followed away from the ocean to look down a natural barrier of tall grass covered sand dunes. In the distance, she saw her three dogs, Wiley, Taffy and Tanya playfully running around on the beach. She called to her dogs. They came running to Grace as tears of happiness streamed down her face. After removing herself from a frenzied reunion with her dogs, she stood up to look at Monsignor Monahan, and asked, "So where are my parents?"

The monsignor replied, "Their beach house is located on the other side of these dunes but..."

Grace did not wait for the monsignor to finish his sentence. She quickly ran across the beach and climbed to the top of the dunes to look for their house. Grace looked about 100 feet to her right. She saw both of her parents sitting in lounge chairs on the wooden deck of their house facing the ocean. Grace anxiously screamed, "Mommy, Daddy. I'm over here... Hey, look over here!"

Monsignor Monahan finally caught up with Grace. He sadly stated, "Your parents can neither see nor hear you, Grace. You are observing... or should I say, watching their dimension of immortal consciousness."

Grace's anger started to build, "Is this some kind of a divine cruel joke? My three dogs could see, hear, and touch me, so why can't my Mom and Dad?"

Monsignor Monahan attempted to explain this restriction of contact. He stated, "The dogs can interact with you because they were ordained to be your guardians. They shall be accompanying you to fulfill your mission."

Grace again began to break down in tears of sorrow and retorted, "But you said..."

Monsignor Monahan interrupted Grace, and he looked at her firmly. He stated, "I said you would be granted the ability to see that your parents' sacrifices in life were rewarded. This remote shoreline and their small humble beach house was their shared vision of heaven. This shall be their reward through eternity without hunger, thirst, or need for any other mortal sustenance. However, I know your parents shall eventually become lonely. For now, they are happy and content to share their love."

Grace continued crying and pleaded, "But I just want to say good-bye to them."

The monsignor turned away without making a response. He walked back down the sand dune as Grace reluctantly followed behind him. When she sadly staggered to the bottom of the sand dune the monsignor turned to embrace Grace's sorrow with a consoling hug. He said, "I can understand how you must feel after losing both your parents, under such horrible circumstances, and at such a young age. However, Grace, you have free will to follow your conscience in any decision you choose to make. You must also bear the consequences accordingly. You will have two choices." Grace stood back to listen and focused her full attention on the monsignor.

Monsignor Monahan began to explain the specifics of her divine mission. He stated, "Grace, you had mentioned to me earlier that the royal bloodline descendants were all killed, and their Branson Church Facility was destroyed through a confrontation with the military troops. However, these were false statements released by the news agencies. In actuality, all 28 of the people located in the underground training center had escaped."

Grace questioned the monsignor's assertions and inquired, "But how could they escape? The Compound had allegedly been surrounded by over 200 troops, and I saw on television where the entire training facility was burned deep into the ground."

Monsignor Monahan then provided Grace with an abridged overview of the descendants' escape from the Branson Compound. The monsignor explained how this feat was accomplished through the mentally linked abilities of the Templar twins, Keith and Kent. The twins and 26 others escaped through an inter-dimensional portal, before the military destroyed the Branson Compound.

The monsignor gently used his hand to wipe a tear from Grace's face as he looked down into her eyes. He stated, "You shall also recall the forewarnings your father received from me four years in advance of his prophetic destiny. Your parents would be alive if they had fulfilled their divine calling and relocated to the Branson Compound in Texas. Furthermore, if your school books had not mysteriously disappeared from your backpack, then you would have shared your parents' fate. Only you and the occupants that escaped from that Texas underground facility remain as the last remnants of Earth's royal bloodline descendants. You have survived the wrath of the oligarch world authorities."

Grace then understood that her life had been spared through this monsignor's intervention. However, she was uncertain with the need for her mission, and stated, "You said that Keith and Kent had helped the royal bloodline descendant's escape into the safety of another dimension. So, what do you need me for?"

Monsignor Monahan turned to face the ocean breeze as he resumed his narration. "The twins' telekinetic abilities have steadily grown over the last 15 years. Kent's ego developed a superiority complex, even though he is completely powerless without his brother, Keith. Nevertheless, Kent became a belligerent free spirit. He would always tend to dominate, and bully his brother, Keith.

"After the twins had enabled everyone's escape from the Branson Compound to avoid a military confrontation, Kent became hopelessly consumed with his powers. Kent declared himself and his brother, Keith, to be gods. The other descendants reluctantly became their subordinate subjects. The twins' immense potential had driven Kent to the edge of madness. Keith has resisted bowing to his brother's estranging demands. Therefore, as long as this perpetual stalemate exists between them, both the twins and the other descendants shall ironically remain captive prisoners in their hidden dimension of sanctuary."

Monsignor Monahan then arrived at the need for Grace's mission. He stated, "The Knights Templar had prepared for their final crusade against evil for centuries. They vowed to gloriously run their swords through the hearts of tyrannical ruling monarchs and the Vatican Authoritarians. However, the Knights Templar obsession for world conquest became their principal enemy, and it was created by their own hands. Thus, their actions have assured their defeat due to internal battles of greed and dissent within their organization. We are now at an impasse with destiny, Grace. You have been divinely chosen to be the savior who shall deliver the royal bloodline descendants from evil. You will lead them to preside over a new kingdom of humanity."

Grace did not reply as she looked down and scuffed her foot through the beach sand. While Grace remained silent, the Monsignor summed up her two choices. He stated, "You may either continue onward to fulfill your destined mission, or you may stay here to share eternity with your parents and three dogs."

Grace's elation was soaring as she embraced Monsignor Monahan. She happily stated, "Thank you for allowing me this choice. Of course I will choose to stay here with my parents."

The monsignor responded, "If this is your choice, Grace, then so be it. However, there is someone I would like you to meet before you leave to be with your parents."

Monsignor Monahan looked over Grace's shoulder. She turned to see a little girl who was approximately three years of age running toward her. The little girl came running up and hugged Grace's legs.

The monsignor reached down and gently stroked his hand through the little girl's wavy, auburn hair. He calmly stated, "Grace, this is your unborn daughter. She is just one of the consequent losses in your life resulting through the avoidance of your divine mission. Moreover, you had already previously stated that you completely understand these urgent humanitarian matters which your parents failed to commit to. I just wanted to show you a small part of what you shall miss in your life by ending your destiny on this beach of eternity."

Grace smiled as she bent over to pick up the little girl and kiss her. She looked deeply into her future daughter's beautiful dark brown eyes. Her daughter silently smiled back as she returned a kiss to Grace. After being placed down on the sand, the little girl ran away down the beach, and soon disappeared.

The monsignor looked at Grace and stated, "Like I said, Grace. I can only advise you. You must make the conscious decision of what is right or wrong. I have been watching the destiny of civilizations rise and fall for thousands of Earth's years. I never lose faith in my ability to save humanity, even if it is only a few worthy souls. I shall leave you now so you may make your decision. If you decide to faithfully pledge your life to fulfill your divine mission, then your three guardian angels shall lead you to your destination and protect you."

Grace gratefully smiled at the monsignor and gave him a hug. She said, "Thank you for helping and guiding me, Monsignor Monahan."

The monsignor smiled and replied, "Please, call me Michael." He walked over to stand beside his car. Michael waved good bye to Grace, and he instantly vanished along with his car.

Grace was lost in thought, pondering the difficult decision that she would have to make. She walked with her dogs to the location where Michael last stood before he departed. Grace remained in a motionless daze, and silently stared down at Michael's footprints in the sand until they became erased by the coastal winds.

Grace once again climbed to the top of the sand dunes to take a final glimpse of her parents. They were seen embracing as they watched the pounding surf wash over the shoreline. Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya stood attentively next to Grace while she silently gave her tearful, final goodbyes to her mother and father.

She then quickly walked back down the sand dune. Grace turned to face her three guardian angel dogs and said, "OK, girls... Michael said that you will lead me to our destination. So, let's get going!"

* * * * *

Chapter 67

Grace followed her three dogs, splashing along the rippling tidal edge of the ocean water as it washed back and forth over the beach shoreline. Suddenly, the Isis Amulet made a shrill vibrating noise. A circular portal opening formed vertically in front of the three dogs. Grace ran to catch up to her dogs, but slowed down her pace and hesitated as she approached the entrance of this opaque swirling hole. She curiously examined the portal opening which fluctuated between 8 and 10 feet across in diameter. When the opening was viewed from the side it appeared as a barely visible line. It had no apparent depth, and the portal could not be detected when viewed from behind the opening.

She apprehensively looked down at her dogs. "You girls can go first," stated Grace. "I'll be right behind you." Her dogs excitedly glanced back with their tails wagging. She watched as Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya each disappeared into the darkness of the portal. Grace held her breath and closed her eyes as she nervously followed after her dogs into the unknown outlet of this spatial abyss.

Grace had exited into a dark environment, and she was being pelted with the chilling droplets of rain from a thunderstorm shower. Her dogs greeted her with their barks at the portal outlet. Grace turned around to see the dimensional portal close and disappear behind her. The rain diminished and the fog began to lift to expose the barren rocky surroundings. The only signs of civilization appeared to be a dimly lit medieval castle, in the distance.

As Grace and her three dogs approached the castle, she could see blazing torches. The evenly spaced flickering flames lined the castle's top perimeter wall, and cast a dim light on the jutting turrets of this massive structure. Grace and the dogs carefully approached within 40 feet of the castle entrance. They were partially hidden behind a large boulder as Grace surveyed the castle's construction of finely cut masonry stone blocks and mortar. The entry path ended at a water perimeter moat that surrounded the castle. The drawbridge access was illuminated by torch-bearing soldiers wearing Knights Templar armored attire and face helmets. After waiting patiently for several minutes, Grace picked up a small rock, hurled it through the air, and heard it splash in the water of the moat. However, the knights stood motionless, and were not distracted from their standing attention.

Grace looked down at her four-legged guardians and hesitantly stated, "Well... I doubt that there is a back entrance, so this must be the only way in. You three girls can go first."

The three dogs slowly approached the six knights who were standing guard. Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya cautiously sniffed around the soldier's feet but sensed no danger. Grace followed at a safe distance behind the dogs. She stood within 6 feet of the first guard and inquired, "Hello. I'm looking for Keith and Kent DeMaribus. Are they located in this castle?"

None of the knights replied to Grace. She became bolder in her attempts to get a response from one of the knights. "I need to speak with the owner of this castle," stated Grace. "Will you please allow me to enter?"

After her second attempt had failed, Grace suspected that these knights might only be decoying statues. She reached up to remove the face helmet from one of the guards. Grace was shocked to see that a young man actually occupied this armored suit. He seemed paralyzed as he blindly stared ahead in a rigid comatose state. She then individually approached two other guards. She removed their face helmets, only to discover the same frozen facial expressions.

Grace grew impatient, and shouted in the direction of the drawbridge gate entrance to the castle. "Is anyone in there? May I please gain entrance?"

The loud jolt of a latch and a sliding inner post could be heard. This was followed by the clanging of massive cast iron chain links as they ran over large pulleys. The drawbridge slowly lowered to provide access over the castle moat. An echoing voice bellowed to Grace from the interior castle courtyard. "Our fortress is always a safe haven for a lady in distress. Your access is granted, and you may pass."

The three dogs were the first to walk across the wooden drawbridge, followed by Grace. They cautiously entered the castle court yard. A young man wearing a crimson robe walked forward to greet Grace. The dogs surrounded Grace, and fiercely growled their warnings at the man's approach. He smiled and said, "I can see that you are not alone, young lady. Your three guardians demonstrate that you are also far from being a damsel in distress. Perhaps introductions are necessary. So, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Kent, Knights Templar Grand Master of this kingdom."

Grace forced a smile and replied, "My name is Grace Bradford." Kent peered outside the castle entrance, and then he looked strangely at Grace. He inquired, "Who may I ask was your escort into my hidden kingdom?"

Grace pointed at her three dogs and said, "They led me here to your castle."

Kent looked suspiciously at the dogs, especially after he was unable to utilize his mentally abilities to subdue their expressed aggression. He stated, "This is quite strange, indeed. I am not aware of any inter-dimensional traveling dogs. Perhaps, you will state your mission in traveling to the remoteness of my sacred kingdom."

Grace attempted to hide her nervousness as she clasped the Isis Amulet that was concealed under her blouse. She politely responded, "I am a surviving royal bloodline descendant, like you and your brother, Keith. My mission was to locate the Templar twins, and the bloodline descendants who had escaped to an unknown location from the Branson Compound."

Kent smiled and took Grace's hand to kiss it. He kindly stated, "I am delighted to see that I have met my equal, and such a young and ravishing lady, as well."

The three dogs sat down, began to whine, and broke away from their protective circle boundary around Grace. Kent lowered his hand in front of the dogs to allow them to sniff it. He softly remarked, "It appears that your three guardians have also accepted my honorable intentions. I shall escort you all inside to extend my hospitality, and to introduce you to my royal subjects."

Grace gratefully followed Kent's charming mannerisms as he gently took her arm to walk her into the main chamber of the castle. Her three dogs had shown no further apprehensions. Kent was presenting the characteristics of a level headed gentleman. Grace questioned why Michael had described Kent to be a belligerent free spirit that was on the threshold of madness. However, Grace was not easily swayed to lower her guard. The mysterious stone-faced guards at the castle entrance had dubiously overshadowed any kind acts demonstrated by Kent's debonair behavior.

Grace's complacency evaporated when she had arrived in the main throne room chamber. She saw the arrangement of Kent's royal subjects, which came into view as motionless mannequins dressed in the attire of aristocratic nobles. They were arranged throughout the large hexagonal chamber room. Grace continually gripped the Isis Amulet while she tried to suppress her terror of this bizarre scene. She forced a smile as she gazed at the Templar banners which hung from the vaulted cathedral ceiling of the chamber. She fondly stated, "I'm impressed with your throne room, which is very appropriate for a Knights Templar Grand Master."

Kent smiled as he seated himself in his throne chair. His ego swelled with Grace's gratifications. He proudly replied, "The only thing that is missing from my sacred kingdom is the touch of a woman who would be worthy enough to be my queen."

Grace ignored Kent's attempted affections. She continued walking around the chamber gazing at the lifeless statuesque arrangements of people. "I see several women standing here who may be worthy of being your queen, Sir Kent," stated Grace. "However, these women don't seem to be capable of touching anything other than the chamber room floor with the bottoms of their feet."

Kent rose in a frustrated manner from his throne chair. He commenced to introduce each of his royal subjects to Grace. The last subjects to be introduced by Kent were his court jesters. They were introduced as Dr. Patterson and Dr. Branson, who were wearing ridiculous clownish outfits. "These are my fools," stated Kent pointing at the two doctors, "They really are not even worthy of being my court jesters. However, I am also a merciful ruler who can make allowances for unworthy people."

Grace was told by Michael that 28 people had escaped from the Branson Compound, so she did a quick head count. She remembered that there were six guards at the castle gate entrance. Only 21 people, including Kent, were in the throne room. Grace inquired, "Where is your brother, Keith? I would also like to meet him."

Kent's anger began to surface as he paced the throne room in a fury. He harshly stated, "Keith has been found guilty of treason, and he has been thrown into the dungeon."

Grace seemingly exhibited her astonishment and asked, "What treasonous act did Keith commit?"

Kent angrily picked up a vase and threw it, smashing it against the throne room wall. He irritably replied, "My twin brother refused to accept his title as a demigod. He conspired with the two court jester fools to turn the other royal bloodline descendants against me."

The three dogs began to growl again, and Grace hushed them. She could see that Kent's paranoia had caused him to lose all sense of reality. He was also starting to lose his self control. Grace attempted to patronize Kent's actions as justified. She said, "Then I can certainly understand why you have sentenced Keith to the dungeon. Even though the sentence for treason is usually death, you have again shown yourself to be a merciful ruler by sparing your brother's life."

Kent became calmer and smiled with Grace's magnanimous understanding. He stated, "Yes, it was a hard decision for me to make. Perhaps someday I shall take heart and release Keith if he will fulfill his obligations as a demigod ruler in my kingdom."

Grace continued to display understanding to Kent's plight. She gently suggested, "Perhaps, if I may talk with Keith, I could show him the error of his ways and convince him to accept his divine destiny. However, even as a demigod, your brother would still need to be subservient to your supremacy, Sir Kent."

Grace had again effectively stroked Kent's ego. He smiled as he took Grace's hand to kiss it. Kent expressed a yielding response, "If my lady wishes to speak with Keith, then it shall be granted. However, I feel that it would be easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle than it will be to convince my brother to reconsider his paltry convictions."

Grace bowed before Kent and replied, "I am very grateful to be in your service, Sir Kent. I will certainly make my best effort to reform Keith's attitude in this dire circumstance."

Kent removed a torch from its chamber wall pedestal. He led Grace down a spiraling stone staircase to the lower subterranean vault of the dungeon as the three dogs followed at a close distance. The moldy, damp air of this underground level led Grace to question if death might have been a more merciful sentence. An existence of being incarcerated in this forbidding musky, dimly-illuminated environment was unthinkable. They walked to the last cell located in a dead-end corridor. Kent looked through the opening in the cast iron door as he unlocked the latch with a skeleton key. He shouted, "Keith. You have a visitor. Dear brother, might I add that she shall be the last person you ever see if you will not soon come to your senses!"

Keith struggled to straighten his stiff body up from the wooden bench he was sleeping on. He limped to the cell door entrance as it opened. Kent made a hasty introduction as he turned to face Grace. He said, "Grace, this is my traitorous brother, Keith, who attempted to stab me in the back along with the other conspirators." Kent looked at his twin brother with a sinister smile and stated, "This fair lady is Grace Bradford, who I have granted permission to speak with you. She passed through a dimensional portal to arrive in our sacred kingdom under the escort of her three guardian dogs. I strongly suggest you listen to what she has to say. I shall leave you both alone to converse. I will also recommend, dear brother, that you make no desperate moves to cause harm to Grace, otherwise, you shall answer to the fangs of her three guardian dogs."

Kent walked to the corner of the cell to grasp a pull cord. He looked over at Grace, "You may summon me by pulling on this bell cord when you wish to leave the murkiness of this dreadful dungeon cell, Grace," he stated. Kent then exited the cell, and slammed the door behind him. He locked the door latch before he stomped back to the throne room.

Keith slowly returned to sit on the wooden bench. The three dogs gathered around him to lick his extended hand as he looked up at Grace. He forced a smile and commented, "Dr. Patterson once told me about you, Grace, and your parents, Greg and Mary Ellen."

Grace smiled and walked over to sit beside Keith. She replied, "My mother goes by her nickname of Mimi, because she hates being called Mary Ellen. As far as Dr. Patterson goes, my parents have often talked about him. He delivered me at birth, but I don't know anything else about him."

Keith had tears forming in his eyes while he attempted to formulate his response. "Dr. Russell Patterson is the person who created the genetic freaks that we have become. Regrettably, this has led to my twin brother's insanity, and my incarceration in this damp dungeon cell. At least you had parents, Grace. My parents banished us years ago because they became frightened of Kent and his unpredictable temper swings. The Branson Compound is the only home and family we have had for the last nine years."

Keith reached over, took Grace's hand while looking deeply into her eyes and said, "I have seen you in my dreams, Grace. My guardian angel has foretold that you would come to rescue me, and the other royal bloodline descendants. The angel also stated that I must not lose faith or hope. Above all, I should not give in to my twin brother's evil intentions."

Grace placed her other hand on top of Keith's. She responded, "I believe it was your guardian angel that directed me to deliver you and the other bloodline descendants to our promised kingdom. His name is Michael."

Keith listened intently as Grace disclosed the details of that night's tragic events. Her ultimate choice was to either remain with her parents through eternity, or to face her destined mission.

Keith smiled and inquired, "What gave you the courage to fulfill your mission, rather than staying with your parents?"

Grace's face became tormented as she explained, "Michael introduced me to my future unborn daughter. She physically appeared to me as a child of approximately three years of age. Michael showed me a part of my life that shall never be if I decided to remain with my parents on their remote beach through eternity."

Keith placed his arm around Grace, kissing her cheek as she wept, and then he delivered an astonishing revelation. "I saw this same future vision in my dream, Grace, and that little girl will be our daughter."

Grace leaped from the wooden bench as the realization of her mission had become crystal clear. She now also understood her father's expressed fears. Regardless of what Grace's parents had attempted to shelter her life from, she would eventually be divinely persuaded, and steadfastly bound, to fulfill her prophetic destiny. Grace stood shaking as her mind was racing through the exposed aspects of her entire being. She understood the suffering that her ancestral family had endured for generations. They were all beckoning Grace to fulfill her mission.

Keith walked up behind Grace and placed his hands on her shoulders. He assured Grace that she was not alone in her ordeal or the daunting tasks that she was confronted with to resolve. Grace turned and embraced Keith as they affectionately kissed each other for the first time. They became forever united with a common purpose.

Keith released Grace from his embrace and led her to the bench to sit beside him. He asked, "So then, Grace. Where should we proceed from here? I'm open for any suggestions that will get me out of this dungeon."

Grace was in deep thought as she attempted to plan their path forward. She responded, "It is my understanding that your brother, Kent, is virtually powerless without your assistance. What can he do to prevent us and the others from leaving this dimension?"

Keith explained the repercussions of being mentally linked with his twin brother. He sadly stated, "Our ability to travel inter-dimensionally requires both of us to accomplish this feat. Kent and I literally share the same conscious mind, but he can use me against my will to control others. Kent neutralized the central nervous systems of the others, which froze their body's motor reflexes. However, he needs to keep me active and alive to maintain his control over them. Kent also needs me to hold together the composition of atomic matter that created this imaginary castle. Furthermore, Kent required my assistance when we all escaped to this hidden dimension. He shall also require my support to leave this realm.

"We tried to appease Kent by wearing medieval apparel and masquerading as Templar knights. I denounced my brother's delusional God status as the Knights Templar Grand Master. I also refuted Kent's insane decision to alter the Knights Templar plan to fit his agendas for Earth's conquest. My brother may have very well succeeded with his plan if I and the other descendants had agreed to follow his forced directives. Dr. Patterson and Dr. Branson repeatedly tried to psychoanalyze and reason with Kent. The two doctors were unable to circumvent Kent's outrageous demands. They resisted Kent by forming a union of civil disobedience with me, and the other 24 royal bloodline descendants. This was the alleged treasonous betrayal that led my brother to throw me in this dungeon cell, and to turn the others into human statues."

Keith looked down, petted each of Grace's dogs, and then inquired, "I am curious though, Grace. How did you and your three dogs travel into this dimension? How did you resist Kent's mental abilities to force you against your will?"

Grace grabbed onto her necklace and removed the Isis Amulet from under her blouse. She stated, "Michael gave this necklace to my father about four years ago, and it is called the Isis Amulet. The amulet has helped me to control my strong, but unpredictable powers. It has also provided me protection, and it opened a portal into your dimension."

Keith reached over to touch the Isis Amulet as Grace displayed it in the palm of her hand. The turquoise stone started to glow and vibrate. Keith pulled back his hand and asked, "Why is the amulet glowing and making that high frequency sound?"

Grace was also perplexed and responded, "I'm not sure. It made that same sound just before the dimensional portal had appeared on the beach and brought me here."

Suddenly, Grace was distracted by thoughts that were entering her mind. "I think the amulet is directing us," said Grace as she stared at the wall in a trance. She calmly stated to Keith, "You must convince your brother, Kent, that you have changed your mind. Tell him you are willing to accept your destiny as a demigod to fulfill your brother's planned conquest of the Earth." Grace snapped out of her daze. She explained, "It's the only way that you will be released from this dungeon, Keith. We will have to hope that somehow we can escape this dimension with the others."

Kent stood to face the wall and said, "I don't know about this plan, Grace. Kent and I are linked to the point of being able to read each other's thoughts. Kent will easily see through my deceit. This may also excite Kent's paranoid tendencies, and force him to destroy you along with the others."

Grace became vehement and retorted, "Michael said I was destined to fulfill this mission. The fate of our unborn daughter depends on this succeeding." Grace then walked over to the bell cord. Before pulling it, she looked deeply into Keith's eyes, and said, "Keith, please have faith, because this is our only option."

Keith responded with a smile. He nodded in agreement as Grace pulled the bell cord to summon Kent.

Within seconds rapid footsteps could be heard approaching the dungeon, and the latch slid open to unlock the cell door. Kent proudly marched into the cell. He inquired, "Well, Grace, did you succeed in having my dear brother reconsider his choices?"

Grace was about to respond but Keith stepped forward to address his brother's inquiry. Keith bowed his head and dropped down on his knee. He stated, "Yes, Sir Kent. Grace has convinced me to fulfill our shared destiny for Earth's conquest. I shall convince the other royal bloodline descendants that they have no other alternative but to enjoin us. They will either accept us as their Gods, or they shall perish with the rest of Earth's insignificant human infidels." Keith was careful to keep his head bowed facing the floor so Kent would be unable to make eye contact with him.

Kent was pleased with his brother's remarkable change of perspectives. Kent looked over at Grace and stated, "Young lady, you have earned your rightful place at my side. You shall be a revered Goddess in the eyes of humanity. Let us return to the throne chamber to celebrate our future destiny as the divine supremacy of Earth."

As Kent took long strides to return to the throne room, Grace turned her head to wink at Keith. She held up her hand to display her crossed fingers of hope. When Grace and Keith arrived in the main chamber, Kent was pouring wine into crystal glasses. He was preparing a toast to their future destiny together. Grace and Keith each grasped a glass of wine as Kent raised his glass to proclaim their destiny. "A toast to our righteous conquest of Earth, and to witness the pursuit of invincible Gods, whose combined power shall create a new recourse for humanity."

Their three glasses clanged together. After Kent finished his wine, he threw the glass, shattering it in the large fired hearth that was located to his side. Kent had been observing Keith. His brother continued to hang his head downward and avoid making eye contact.

Kent walked over to his brother and said, "Come on, Keith. Hold your head up proudly. This is a time for great rejoicing, and we are about to see our true destinies become realized."

Grace could sense that Keith was very uncomfortable. She attempted to distract Kent and asked, "Sir Kent, when will we awaken the other royal bloodline descendants to have them join in our celebration?"

Keith turned away to hide his ill feelings while Kent was puzzling at the notion of restoring mobility to the others. After mulling Grace's question around in his head, Kent returned to sit in his throne chair. He replied, "I shall agree with you, Grace. Perhaps between the persuasive abilities of you and Keith we may all precede our final Knights Templar crusade of conquest as a unified force."

Kent closed his eyes while placing his hands on the temples of his head. Miraculously, all the people could move about freely, but they were all too frightened to speak. Kent rose from his throne and said, "Keith, summon the Templar knights from their entrance guard posts and have them report to the throne chamber immediately."

After everyone was assembled in the throne room, Kent addressed his court subjects. He firmly stated, "You have all been released from your frozen bondage. As your merciful ruler, I shall grant you a compromise. You shall all faithfully accept me as your God and Savior and enjoy the spoils of our conquests, or you shall all perish. I also wish to state that my brother, Keith, has repented for his sins against my kingdom. He has accepted his destiny to stand beside me when we return to conquer Earth and reclaim what has always been rightfully ours."

Keith waited until his brother was done. He then stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Sir Kent. I ask for your granted permission to address our royal subjects."

Kent turned around slowly and stated, "Why of course, dear brother. Perhaps, you may find a way to sugar coat their best option so it shall be more palatable."

Kent pranced back to sit in his throne and awaited his brother's words of address. Grace watched Keith in subdued panic. She wondered what he could possibly say that would convince these royal bloodline descendants to follow his deranged, tyrannical brother, Kent.

As Keith stepped forward, he first silently stared at each of the 25 royal subjects. He intentionally had his back turned to Kent. Keith also made sure that everyone, except Kent, could see that his fingers were crossed on each hand exhibited in front of him, and he winked. After Keith's pause to make eye contact with each person, he commenced with his addressing speech:

"I believe that my brother has earned the right to be our God and Savior. He has delivered us from certain death. I also feel that it is our divine duty to avenge the deaths of the European royal bloodline families. They were permanently silenced by our enemy authoritarians, as were the generations of our ancestors who were ruthlessly hunted down to suppress our sovereign right to rule over the kingdom of Earth. Of course, each of you may utilize your free will to oppose Sir Kent's visions of conquest. However, sacrificing your life based on convictions of moral principles shall serve no one, other than our enemies. My brother has selected the only honorable path that remains for our continued bloodline's existence. We may suffer in reaching our goals. Even so, our success shall usher in a new world order of humanity's peaceful coexistence. We have all grown tired of dealing with the internal petty politics and greed of the Knights Templar Grand Council. You and I are nothing more than dispensable pawns on a manipulated playing board that has no rules or justice. Therefore, I pray that you all will faithfully follow Sir Kent as your God and Savior. Only through my brother shall you be saved and delivered to our glorious kingdom on Earth."

Kent rose from his throne chair to applaud his brother's persuasive address. He exclaimed, "I could not have stated it better, Keith, bravo!"

Kent walked down from his throne to address his royal subjects. He inquired, "What will be your decision? Will you follow me to lead you into the light, or shall I remove your sorry souls to live out eternity in an empty dimension of infinite darkness?" Kent's eyes had widened with anticipation. With a voice of supreme authority, he sternly asked, "Will you faithfully pledge your lives and allegiance to me as your God and Savior?"

Kent thought he had effectively utilized the coercion of fear to force the royal bloodline descendants into submission. They all dropped to their knees and pledged their faithful homage to their new divine God. Kent stood in front of each person as they individually replied, "I faithfully pledge my life and allegiance to you, Sir Kent."

Kent then unexpectedly turned to face Grace and Keith. The three dogs started to jerk their jowls up to bare their fangs as they lightly growled. Kent called upon Grace and said, "Will you, Lady Grace, faithfully pledge your life to me as my betrothed wife and queen and as the dedicated mother of our future daughter?"

Keith quickly interrupted and stepped in front of Grace to address Kent. He attempted to bypass Kent's uncompromising demands, and asked, "Why are we wasting time with this formality, Sir Kent? We have all pledged our life allegiances to you, and I respectfully suggest that we prepare our plans for Earth's conquest."

Kent's face started turning red with his building rage. He angrily replied to his brother, "All in good time, Keith. First I must assure that we are a unity of pledged support. As your God, I have chosen Grace to be my queen Goddess... unless you have a good reason to deny me this divine right!" Kent then turned to face Keith, and vehemently stated, "Yes, dear brother. I know all about your affections for Grace, and your pathetic dreams regarding the conception of your future daughter. Grace has been chosen as our Creators' savior to deliver the royal bloodline descendants to their new kingdom. Therefore, it shall be even more imperative that she becomes seeded by a God rather than my twin brother who is a cowardly fool and not worthy of my shared bloodline. Now stand aside, Keith, and allow Grace to come forward!"

Grace was white as a ghost as she walked toward Kent. He peered at her as she strongly clutched the Isis Amulet under her blouse. Kent slowly started to walk around Grace in circles in an attempt to examine and sense her emotions. After studying Grace for over a minute, Kent asked, "What will be your decision, Grace? Will you take my hand in marriage to be my Queen?"

Grace's fright had now turned to anger, and she promptly responded, "No!"

Kent let out a sinister laugh. He stated, "Lady Grace actually has a spine! What a waste your life with Keith would be. From the first moments that you walked across the draw bridge to enter my castle courtyard with your three guardian dogs, I have been mystified by you, Grace. I have never met anyone who could hide their emotional thoughts from my keen perception." Kent continued to elaborate on his observations of Grace. He stated, "I have taken time to ponder my questioning thoughts. How could a young lady, guided by three dogs, travel through inter-dimensional portals and locate the hidden dimension of this castle among the infinity of parallel universes which exist? Then I theorized that surely there must be something else, unseen, which has aided your journey and shielded your thoughts."

Kent was now standing directly in front of Grace's face. He stared deeply into her eyes, as the three dogs rose to their feet and loudly growled their defensive warnings. Kent looked at Grace's shaking hand clutching her blouse. He inquired, "What is the object that you continually clutch under your garment, Grace?"

Grace did not reply, but Kent could feel her emitted body heat as it became elevated in proportion to her nervousness. Grace was quickly approaching the threshold of her adrenalin induced state of panic.

Kent pointed to Grace's fingers that steadfastly clutched her blouse. He requested, "Move your hand away, Grace."

Grace steadily released her grasp. Kent reached over and slowly took hold of the necklace to pull the Isis Amulet out from beneath Grace's blouse. He remarked, "So this is the source of your power!" Kent carefully studied the turquoise stone. When he touched the amulet it became brilliantly illuminated and emitted an ear-piercing harmonic sound.

Kent grabbed the necklace, pulling hard enough to break the weakest link of the gold chain. Grace let out a scream in pain, which caused her three dogs to attack Kent. Without the necklace, Grace had been severed from the amulet's protections which had also shielded her three dogs. Kent laughed as he levitated the attacking dogs into the air, and propelled them to hit hard against the chamber wall, killing them instantly. Grace ran to see the mangled remains of Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya. Once again, she had to suffer through the brutal deaths of her guardian pets.

Keith ran to kneel at Grace's side in a concerted effort to offer her comfort. He quickly got back on his feet to stand back because he could feel a highly charged energy field building around Grace. Keith had also recalled when Grace stated she needed the Isis Amulet to control her immense powers. Now his brother Kent was about to feel the unleashed wrath of Grace's fury.

The chamber floor began to quake as Grace turned to face Kent. His evil smile quickly disappeared as he backed away from her. Grace clenched her teeth as she continued walking toward Kent and screamed, "I've had enough of your bullshit... God damn you to hell!"

Everyone standing in the throne room looked away and had to cover their eyes as a blinding flash of light filled the entire chamber. An expanding field of energy sent furniture crashing into the perimeter walls, and created a concussive blast, which blew out the stained glass windows of the castle. Kent was hurled across the room and knocked unconscious when he landed against the stone wall next to his throne.

* * * * *

When Kent regained consciousness he discovered he was alone in the castle. Grace, Keith, the other captives, and the dead remains of the three dogs, had disappeared. Kent also realized that he was now completely powerless without his twin brother's combined mentally-linked telekinetic abilities. He watched in horror as the atomic structure of the castle fortress cracked and crumbled around him. Kent relented to the fact he was hopelessly trapped in this disintegrating dimension of hell, as he witnessed Monsignor Michael Monahan's final prophecy being fulfilled. Kent was slowly being separated from the light, and destined to an eternity of empty darkness.

* * * * *

Chapter 68

Grace awoke to the sound of crashing waves and opened her eyes to see that she was lying on the shoreline of a beach. Her spirits were heightened with elated hopes of once again seeing her parents. As she looked around at her new surroundings, Grace quickly lowered her expectations. She observed strange exotic birds, unfamiliar flora, and trees rooted in light-pinkish sand. Grace pushed herself up off the warm sand to stroll along the cool breaking ocean waves. Then she turned facing inland away from the water. She could now see over the treetops and gazed at a distant mountain with a cascading waterfall. This coastal beach, dense forest, and inland mountain waterfall resembled a picturesque tropical paradise. However, she was still oblivious as to where she is and how she had arrived here.

Whenever Grace felt nervous or threatened, she would habitually grab her shirt to take hold of the Isis Amulet, which she now discovered to be missing. Her initial response was a shock after realizing she had lost the amulet. Her second response brought back memories, about how she had lost the amulet. Grace's mind was in a subconscious defensive mode which blocked out her most recent memories in order to protect her sanity. Even though Grace could temporarily conceal her past traumatic events, she could not escape her current paradox. She had been chosen to deliver the royal bloodline descendants to their new kingdom. Currently, it appeared that Grace's mission had ended with her growing fear of now being stranded alone in paradise.

Grace sought divine guidance. Dropping to her knees, and folding her hands in prayer, she looked up into the sky. She said, "So much for a fulfilled mission, Michael! You said that my prophesied mission was to rescue the royal bloodline descendants and deliver them to preside over their new kingdom of humanity. So, where are the others? It appears that you have taken advantage of my good faith and then abandoned me to a hell of living alone in paradise!"

Grace patiently waited for a response from Michael as she strolled along the coast. Exhausted, she soon fell asleep under the shade of a grove of trees. Even though Grace's faith was being challenged with each passing hour, she still had not lost hope of receiving a sign she was being watched by Michael's divine eyes.

The shade from the trees' branches had shifted. Grace slowly awoke as beams of sunlight poked through the overhead leaves and randomly flashed across her closed eyelids. Grace turned onto her side to retreat back under the cool shade of the trees. She stared down to the horizon of the shoreline. Her attention was quickly jolted when the unexpected sight of a portal opening had appeared approximately 200 feet away from her. The familiar swirling pattern of a dimensional gateway could be seen. Then her three die-hard guardian dogs jumped out from the interior darkness of the opening.

Grace sprang to her feet and slapped her face to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Possibly she was seeing a mirage being supplemented from her tired mind bordering on the verge of insanity. After hearing the familiar barks of Wiley, Taffy, and Tanya, she started to walk slowly toward the open churning portal. Grace's hopes quickly plummeted as each of the dogs turned to reenter the swirling inter-dimensional hole, and the portal closed. Grace's pace went from a cautious walk to a rapid sprinting run to arrive at the spot where the portal had opened. All that Grace found were the paw prints of her three dogs and an object in the sand, glimmering in the sunlight. Bending over, Grace discovered a gold chain. When she lifted the segmented links, the Isis Amulet was plucked out of the sand. Grace smiled and kissed the amulet. She was also pleased to see that the gold chain had been repaired, as she placed the necklace around her neck.

She had finally received a sign from Michael, which was physically delivered by her three guardian angel dogs. Grace's faith was completely restored knowing that Michael heard her prayer. He would always be watching over her. Although, there were mixed emotions remaining in Grace's mind regarding the mysterious deaths and resurrected life cycles of her three dogs.

Grace proceeded to walk back to the location of her shaded resting spot. She heard the amulet vibrating a soft frequency tone, and it could be seen glowing under her blouse. Grace abruptly turned around anticipating the return of her dogs through the dimensional portal. Instead, her attention was focused farther down the shoreline to an approaching group of people. As this group of people came closer she could do an approximate head count. She joyfully determined these people to be the others who had also miraculously escaped with Grace from the sanctuary dimension of the Templar twins' castle.

Tears ran down her face. She saw Keith running ahead of the group, after he spotted Grace. Keith and Grace could not find the words to express their relief and happiness as they ran into each other's arms to deliver a long embracing kiss. Grace turned to observe the approaching group of people, and carefully looked everyone over.

She returned her attention back to Keith and said, "I guess that Kent didn't make it."

Keith shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Everyone you see standing before you had arrived here together, Grace. Until we found you, we had assumed that you were left behind as well."

Dr. Patterson spoke for the entire group when he offered thanks to Grace. He happily stated, "We are all very grateful to you, Grace. Prophesy has been fulfilled, and you have delivered us all to our new kingdom of humanity."

Grace smiled and humbly responded, "I can't take credit for what happened to us. I really don't know how we got here, or where we are. This area looks like a tropical paradise, but it appears that this new kingdom of humanity will be starting with only 28 people."

It was then that Dr. Branson walked forward. He stated, "This is where you are wrong, Grace, because we are not alone. After we all had regained consciousness, we discovered strange footprints in the sand where our group entered through a dimensional portal. The tracks appeared to be made by upright bipedal creatures but their large footprints weren't human. We found multiple tracks that traveled from the beach where our group arrived. The tracks continued on a path deep into a forested area. We decided first to search the beach coastline in hopes of locating you before we proceeded to explore the inland areas. Our group had entered a few miles away from our present location. We chose to walk in this direction because it parallels the downstream flow of a freshwater brook in the forest. We should find a source of food and make our camp shelters here for the evening. Then we can backtrack to that forest entrance location in the morning."

* * * * *

After settling in for the evening, everyone watched the sun setting behind the island mountain. Several people wore watches, which had been functional. However, they presumed their battery operated timepieces were damaged when they escaped from the parallel dimension of the Templar twins' castle. Perhaps everyone was exhausted, and boredom made the day drag on, but it seemed to take a long time for the sun to go down. Two hours after the sun set, everyone looked up into the night sky. They couldn't find any familiar constellations or locate the neighboring planets within their solar system. When total darkness of the night prevailed, they did not see the expected dense star clusters at the outer rim of the Milky Way Galaxy. Later that evening, the appearances of three individual moons rising over the horizon of the ocean confirmed that they were no longer on Earth.

* * * * *

Chapter 69

Michael stood in a glowing white environment with an infinite floor, but it was a realm void of perimeter walls, a ceiling, or an obvious skyline. He greeted the three guardian angel dogs as they returned through an inter-dimensional portal. Each of the dogs transformed into human manifestations. Wiley transformed into Amanda Baxter. Taffy took the form of Amanda's daughter, Emily, while Tanya transformed into Amanda's other daughter, Martha.

Michael smiled at the three women. He stated, "You are each blessed for your devotion and the courageous fulfillment of your ordained missions."

The three women gazed at each other while examining their unexpected embodiments as human reincarnations. Emily was the first to break their silence. She asked, "What will become of my granddaughter, Grace, and the other royal bloodline descendants?"

Michael simply stated, "They are all safe and their future legacies shall effectively continue the Creators' plan."

The ladies looked at each other with perplexed faces while Amanda grabbed a hand of each of her daughters. She then inquired, "What shall our destinies be within the Creators' plan? Will we be returning to Earth?"

Michael responded, "The Earth, as you knew it, is currently a molten globe of fire after being destroyed. The planet is undergoing its rebirth. Grace and the other bloodline descendants now preside over their new kingdom on a planet in a distant galaxy. They are living in a past period of time, which existed long before the Earth even became inhabited with life."

Martha was curious and inquired, "How can people be relocated to a time which has already past?"

Michael appreciated Martha's confusion. He stated, "Immortal souls can be moved between the past and the future because the barrier of time is only a constant and physical restriction of mortal life. Grace was a divinely chosen human that fulfilled prophecy by delivering the royal bloodline descendants to their new kingdom. Even though she does not know how they arrived there, she shall soon understand why. There are many civilizations in all points of time within the cosmos which shall need to be guided. Grace as well as each of you has been divinely chosen to watch over one of many emerging enclaves of humanity."

Amanda looked sheepishly at Michael and stated, "Admit it, Michael. Humanity never stood a chance in succeeding against the powers of evil."

Michael smiled with Amanda's presumptive statement. He responded, "You are partially correct, Amanda. Until the conscious souls of good and evil can unite in compromise and see through their indifferences to unite in a common cause, they shall forever be destined to the mortal fate of their mutually assured destruction. This is the ultimate price of free will, and the evolving lessons within the Creators' embryonic circles of life. Each of you will become assigned Watchers. You shall witness newly developing civilizations of humanity and divinely guide the conscious values of good and evil, which shall invoke a deeper spiritual meaning in the lives of everyone you touch. It shall not be your place to judge the moral doctrines of right versus wrong. Rather, you will endeavor to provide guidance that maintains the balance between each of these dynamic principles."

Michael then stopped talking and looked sternly at Martha. He said, "I can hear your thoughts, Martha, and the answer to your question is no. You may not be granted the assignment of watching over Grace's family, nor shall you be working in concert with your mother, Amanda, or your sister, Emily. Each of you may feel that your missions shall be impossible to fulfill. However, eternity is a timeless cycle of reformations and each of you shall gain infinite wisdom through your experiences." Michael raised his hands and said, "Now go, and above all, have faith in your abilities to guide others. I shall always be with you."

Three brilliant strobes of light accompanied Michael's release of Amanda, Emily, and Martha. They were each beginning a new journey to fulfill their assigned eternal destinies as Watchers within the evolving chasms of the universe.

* * * * *

The following morning, Grace had awakened with the others before sunrise. Their group backtracked down the shoreline to find the worn foot path that led into the forest. The enlightened descendants no longer had their advanced mental powers to assist their living needs. However, this habitable tropical paradise was found to have a bountiful supply of fresh water, abundant edible vegetation, and everything they would need to build modest living shelters.

They arrived at the forest entrance, and examined the broken off branches of crudely manicured trees. The trees were cleared to create a foot path approximately 15 feet wide. It became apparent to Dr. Patterson that they were dealing with an intelligent life form, but also most likely, primitive. This presumption was even more realized when the path led to an exposed bare rock. It displayed rudimentary hand paintings in which each of the images denoted a circle with protruding outward lines showing something exiting into the observing scribe's realm.

An older, weathered image showed the form of a deer with antlers. Grace shuddered at another figure, which displayed a one-armed human lying on the ground next to a rough depiction of an automobile. A third painting was freshly made, showing human images of 27 people standing outside of a radiating circle. Grace and the others now knew for certain they were not alone in this tropical paradise. Their arrival was historically recorded as painted effigies on the face of this immense rock after they exited through the inter-dimensional portal. Uncertainty remained regarding the other inhabitants of this tropical paradise, who left large claw-toed footprints embedded in the path's pink sand.

The group proceeded several hundred feet down the path, and the sunlight exposed a clearing, in the distance. Suddenly, everyone was startled when two creatures blocked their path. These tall life forms were humanoid. They stood upright at approximately 10 feet in height. Their black scaled skin, long prehensile tails, and clawed toes gave these creatures the appearance of being more reptilian than human. Dr. Patterson raised his hand to the two native aliens in an awkward attempt to offer a sign of friendship. Both reptilian creatures immediately dropped to their knees, noticeably shaking in fear. They avoided eye contact with any of the mysterious visitors. Dr. Branson silently waved the others to walk around the two kneeling natives. Then the group continued onward toward the clearing.

Grace looked in horror when they entered a primitive village. She thought she recognized this rusted car that was being exhibited as a monument. Leaning on the car's flat, rotted front tire was an oddly shaped, curved piece of glass. Closer examination of the glass underside revealed a barely legible, decomposing car inspection sticker, which displayed the State Seal of Virginia.

Crudely built huts were seen in the perimeter surroundings of a small village. Several dozens of the reptilian tribe inhabitants scattered into the forest to hide as Dr. Patterson led his group into the area. Exploration of the vicinity revealed that this was most likely a peaceful tribe. They did not display or carry any type of weapons. Adjoining the village was a pond that was fed from a fresh water stream. There was a large palm leaf canopy which sheltered a pile of red fruit. Dr. Branson and the others had dined on this vegetation the night they had arrived. This fruit grew in abundance everywhere throughout the coastal forest region. It had the shape of an eggplant but the skin enclosed an inner laden cluster of sweet edible berries. It was similar to a pomegranate, and this red fruit appeared to be the main vegetarian food staple of this reptilian tribe.

Dr. Patterson cautioned his group. "Let's all stay put for a while. These natives will sooner or later have to come back to their village," stated Dr. Patterson. "If we sit quietly they may get over their fear and attempt to communicate with us."

Grace nudged Keith and pointed in the direction of three curious reptilian children. They were staring at her through the branches of the trees. Grace and Keith smiled at the native youngsters and waved for them to come out of their hiding spaces. Grace took off her wrist watch and dangled it in the air from her fingers. She threw it in the direction of the native children hoping to lure them out into the open clearing of the village. One of the reptilian children had overcome its fear and jumped out to retrieve the wrist watch. It smiled at Grace in appreciation for the metallic gift. However, the child's protective elder leaped from a tree to snatch up the child and forced it to drop the wrist watch. Everyone in the group watched as the reptilian child made pouting screams after being forced to drop the wrist watch. The elder struggled to discipline the youth as it attempted to retrieve the silver gift.

"Everyone needs to remain seated," stated Dr. Patterson. "I think that these natives are returning to meet with us."

A very tall reptile walked out into the open carrying a metallic scepter. The large creature was wearing only a feathered head dress which adorned two protruding antlers. Everyone within the group of human visitors remained seated as Dr. Patterson rose to stand. Then the doctor dropped to his knees bowing subserviently to this presumed male tribal leader. The reptilian leader's headdress fell off as he quickly leaped forward to pull Dr. Patterson back up to his feet. Then the chief waved to his tribe members to come out of the forest.

All the reptilian natives and three small, young children cautiously came into sight. Their leader picked up his feathered headdress by the antlers, and placed it back on his head. The chief walked up to Dr. Patterson and thrust the end of his metal scepter into the sand at the doctor's feet. To everyone's astonishment, the tribal chief spoke the English language fluently. "I am Rah, chief of the Annunaki. I welcome our Creators to your Island of Eden. I honorably ask that your entire group of followers rise to stand before us."

Dr. Patterson's mouth opened in astonishment. He motioned with his hands for everyone in his group to stand.

Chief Rah then turned to address his Annunaki tribe. He commanded, "Bow before our Gods." All the reptilian tribe, as well as their chief, quickly dropped to their knees. Many had the same shaking apprehensive nervousness that the two startled natives displayed after encountering the humans in the path entrance, earlier that morning.

Dr. Patterson looked over at Dr. Davis Branson for a response. Davis could only shrug his shoulders. He also did not know how to address this tribe of giant reptilians, nor their demonstrated belief that the 28 human visitors were all Gods.

"Chief Rah, the Annunaki may all rise," stated Dr. Patterson.

Rah was the first native to rise to his feet, and then he commanded his tribe to stand. All the Annunaki rose to stand but kept their heads bowing downward to avoid making eye contact.

Dr. Patterson removed the metallic scepter from the sand, and handed it to Chief Rah. "I am grateful for your generous welcome, Chief Rah," stated Dr. Patterson. "I am quite pleased, and surprised, that you speak our language."

Chief Rah responded, "We were taught your language by Walter, the God traveler. He came to Eden with gifts from the dark sun." Chief Rah then took off his feathered headdress. He removed the attached antlers and presented them to Dr. Patterson as a gift. Rah then pointed to a long mountainside path, and stated, "God Walter lives in the mountain temple."

Grace remained silent but her anxieties were building. The Annunaki rock paintings graphically recorded that a deer, a car, and a one-armed man, had all arrived from what was described as a dark sun, to this remote island location. Lastly, the discovery of a partial glass windshield with a weathered car inspection sticker on it, led Grace to conclude that these evident facts were indeed related, and they were not just random coincidences.

Dr. Davis Branson tapped Dr. Russell Patterson's shoulder. "Russell, we need to talk privately for a minute," said Davis. Russell and Davis walked away out of hearing range to examine the antlers. "These antlers came from a deer," stated Davis. "There is also a painting of a four legged animal with antlers appearing on that rock in the path, along with the images of a man with one arm lying on the ground next to an automobile. So, is it also a mere coincidence that a rusted car is being displayed as a village monument? Who do you suppose this Walter person is that Chief Rah had mentioned?"

Grace was standing behind Dr. Branson and overheard his conversation. "I think that I can answer your question, Doctor," said Grace. "The man's name is Walter Munson. I had unknowingly caused him to arrive here, along with his car, and also the deer that used to be attached to those antlers."

Dr. Patterson stood scratching his chin while he searched through his memories. The doctor's eyes widened and he stated, "Now that you have mentioned the deer, Grace, I remember what your father told me years ago about a car accident you both had with a deer. He said that you had caused the deer to be disintegrated. Did the same thing also happen with this Walter fellow and his car?"

Grace explained, "Walter Munson was a hired assassin who arrived at our house in Virginia to kill my family. He attempted to shoot one of my three dogs that were attacking him. I caused Walter's right arm that was holding a gun to be ripped off, and Walter fell to the ground. Then I panicked when he tried to pull a second gun from his boot, and I thought that both Walter and his car were disintegrated by me. However, I now realize that neither the deer nor Walter Munson had been killed. I had unknowingly transported them to this island. They all had disappeared with the same blinding flash of light, which was similar to the one that brought the 28 of us through a one-way inter-dimensional portal to this location. I can't control the power that brought us here, and I don't know how to get us back to Earth, either."

Dr. Patterson looked at Grace to give her words of reassurance. "We were all predestined to arrive on this Island of Eden, Grace," stated Dr. Patterson. "You will need to accept the same truths that your father had learned from Monsignor Monahan on that evening at my ranch in Texas. Nothing in life happens by chance or accident. Divine intervention had also played a major role in your father's life. You alone, Grace, have fulfilled a prophecy that was predestined long ago. However, there were also countless past generations of people and intricate historical factors, which built the foundation of your path to bring us to this new kingdom of humanity."

Dr. Patterson then paused to make a profound statement to Grace and Dr. Branson. "I was most shocked to discover that this tribe is called the Annunaki," stated Dr. Patterson. "After hearing this revelation from Chief Rah, I realized that we have been relocated to a specific place in time. This planet may have preceded the Earth by over one billion years. We are witnessing the Annunaki during their primitive beginnings—long before this alien race will become the creators of Earth's first human hybrid civilization." Dr. Patterson then turned his focus back to Grace. He emphatically stated to her, "It is now also quite apparent to me why your family was so important to Monsignor Monahan. Furthermore, I can understand why Walter Munson, as well as 28 other people had been inadvertently placed into this dawning island genesis of humanity. Together, both good and evil will have profound cultural influences on the Annunaki. Walter Munson has provided the foundation for our mission by teaching this tribe to speak the English language."

Grace had a confused look on her face. She inquired, "I sent Walter here only about five days ago. How could he teach a primitive tribe of humanoid reptilians the English language in such a short period of time?"

Dr. Patterson smiled in his response to Grace's question. "Time has no bearing in this matter, Grace," said Dr. Patterson. "If you will recall, I have already pointed out that we have arrived here from the future. We are now residing at an approximate point in time, which may have existed over one billion years before the planet Earth supported life."

Dr. Branson also had some insightful inquiries. "After observing this reptilian race and their environment for over an hour, they appear to have barely surpassed what we called the Stone Age on Earth," stated Davis. "How were they able to make that hand crafted metallic scepter that Chief Ra is holding?"

Dr. Patterson slapped Davis on the back and chuckled with his reply. "Perhaps, Davis, the time has come to provide a doctors' house call. We shall visit God Walter."

Dr. Patterson then looked at Grace. "I doubt that Walter will have any reason to harm you, Grace," assured Dr. Patterson. "Besides, I doubt that a one-armed man would be a worthy fighting match against Dr. Davis and me."

Grace negatively shook her head. "I will stay behind with the others. I was the one who involuntarily tore off Walter's arm and imprisoned him on this planet. So, I doubt that he will be very forgiving. There is also the fact that Walter had a second hand gun, and he only needs one hand to fire it. Therefore, both of you will need to be very cautious with Walter when you meet him."

* * * * *

Dr. Russell Patterson and Dr. Davis Branson made the long ascent on the pink sand path, which spiraled up the edge of the mountainside to the Annunaki temple. After climbing several hundred feet in elevation, the sand diminished to expose a solid rock path. The doctors noticed that the rock surface walkway had been unnaturally etched in symmetrical grid patterns to provide foot traction. When they had reached the halfway point, there was a large level area with finely detailed hieroglyphic squares, which were carved into the surface of a solid rock ledge. This surface area measured over 10,000 square feet. Both men looked to where the back of the landing intersected the mountainside. What appeared to be a former mountain entranceway had been sealed off with a colossal 50 foot square polished stone. The monolithic stone insert had perfectly cut angled corners and was recessed seamlessly into the mountain rock.

"This rock plug must weigh hundreds of tons," stated Dr. Patterson as he wiped his hand over the smooth stone surface. "The Annunaki natives are large and very strong reptilians. Although I find it highly unlikely that they could carry this rock slab, let alone press it into this mountainside."

Dr. Branson looked down at the surface of the landing and remarked, "I don't know of any ancient engravings on Earth which compare with these hieroglyphic symbols. The symbols appear to be similar to Oriental script writing, but they contain strange pictographs. I also find it highly unlikely that this perfectly sculptured level area was constructed by the Annunaki."

Davis looked around for a continuation of an ascending path, as he walked toward the far corner of the landing. He waved for Russell to come over and shouted, "This stone platform has a carved rock path that continues around to another side of the mountain. I guess that we will continue up to the temple from there."

Russell and Davis were rendered speechless when the carved stone path ended at a tunnel with a 30 foot high arched entrance. The interior wall of the tunnel had no visible structural supports. Its polished domed surface provided an eerie luminescent glow that dimly lit the corridor. The curved tunnel had been bored through more than 400 feet of solid rock to surmount a natural obstruction that blocked the mountain footpath. The perfectly excavated rock passageway exited to an unbelievable sight of a long, 30 foot wide golden ramp, which spiraled up the mountain to the temple summit.

"Mother of Pearl, would you look at that golden path!" exclaimed Russell. "Even in my wildest dreams, I could never begin to imagine a sight like this."

Davis used his hand to dig ferns, moss, and sandy dirt away from the side of the ramp. "This walkway is embedded in solid rock," observed Davis while tapping and scratching a stone on the structure. "This entire metallic incline, including the curbing on each side of the pathway, appears to be pure solid gold with no sections or seams."

Russell walked back to examine the tunnel's construction. "I totally agree with your previous observations, Davis," said Russell as he ran his hand over the interior wall. "None of this could have been built by the Annunaki."

Davis curiously asked, "How can such an advanced race be survived by a group of Stone Age primitives?"

Russell pointed up the golden trail. He replied, "We may find the answer to your question up there."

When the two doctors had reached the end of the golden pathway at the mountain summit, they put their hands up to shade their eyes. The glare of the sun was reflecting off an immense silver metallic pyramid. The pyramid's base was covering approximately one square acre. It was built on a foundation that had a perfectly smooth metal surface, which extended out over 100 feet from each side of the pyramid's base.

There were 44 metal obelisks surrounding the mountain temple. They were arranged in a symmetrical row of 12 structures on each of the four sides of the pyramid temple's perimeter. Russell squinted as he looked up at one of the pillars, and said, "These obelisks are huge, Davis. How tall do you think they are?"

Davis extended his arms to measure the length of the shadow being cast by Russell's body. He walked over to the base of an obelisk to pace off the length of its shadow. Davis then stated his calculations, "I figured that you are about 6 feet in height, Russell, and your body is casting an 8 foot shadow. The shadow on that obelisk is approximately 200 feet long, which would make it about 150 feet tall."

Davis then reached down and ran his hand over the surface of the base floor. "Well, I'm not a metallurgist, but this material isn't gold, and it has a slippery, polished surface that feels like it's coated with mercury," explained Davis. "I guess the builders ran out of gold after they constructed that 30 feet wide, curbed pathway."

Russell stooped to lie down on his stomach, and he placed a side of his face on the surface. He said, "Even in the sun this metal feels cool on my face. My eyes can't detect an uneven surface or the slightest ripple of radiated heat. This mountain top platform is also perfectly level." He then pulled his pocket knife from his jacket and tried to scratch the surface. "I can't even feel the blade making contact with this metal. It seems to be some kind of exotic composite material with which I'm unfamiliar. This entire temple plateau appears to be one continuous metal slab, and the pyramid is probably made of the same type of material."

Davis and Russell walked over to inspect the pyramid. There were no seams where the pyramid base met the polished metal floor surface. There also were no joints along the edges that intersected the four sides of the pyramid's faultless structure.

Davis remarked, "No one on Earth could explain how the pyramids at Giza were constructed using giant stone blocks. Archeologists would surely be at a complete loss to explain the seamless, solid metal structure of this mountain temple."

Russell continued with his observations. "I really have no idea how old this Temple Mount is. I find it very strange that there are no signs of erosion, moss, vegetation overgrowth, or even bird dropping stains. It's unlikely this temple has a cleaning crew, but how do the surface areas remain polished and spotless?" Russell spat down on the surface and his saliva turned to rounded beads of liquid. They both watched with fascination as the steady mountain breeze blew the wet globules across the metal slab surface, and leaving no trailing streaks.

"This explains why I couldn't feel my knife blade scraping this metallic slab," said Russell. "There appears to be some type of levitating field, which prevents anything from contacting the surface. We are literally walking on a thin film of air. However, I don't understand what keeps you and me from slipping or getting blown off the top of this mountain."

The two men slowly walked around to the north side of the pyramid and found an entrance opening which led into a hallway approximately 60 feet in length. Davis looked around trying to determine the source of light that was illuminating the interior. "The walls have some kind of glowing luminescent coating on the surface, just like the interior of that mountain tunnel we walked through," stated Davis. "I guess that this would remove their need for electric lighting."

They continued walking to the end of the hallway, which ended at a large central lobby with a vaulted pyramid shaped ceiling. In the eerie glow of the lobby, Russell walked over to peer through each of the four intersecting ground floor hall entrances that entered the lobby from each of the adjoining perimeter walls. The reception area was barren of any furnishings, with the exception to a floor-mounted, 12 foot square metal pad in the center of the room. Davis walked onto the floor pad and became startled when an illuminated holographic display popped up in front of him. He anxiously stared for several seconds attempting to interpret the projected console controls, and then lost his nerve. Davis nervously stepped backward off the metal floor pad, which caused the holographic control panel to disappear.

Russell and Davis looked at each other while trying to decide if they should explore the interior of the pyramid together, or to split up and hope that they did not get lost.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring a large ball of string with me. Better yet, a bag of breadcrumbs to mark our path," stated Davis in a moment of light humor.

Russell responded, "I have a better idea... Hello! Walter Munson, you have guests in the lobby!"

Russell and Davis remained silent about a minute. Then the echo of scuffing footsteps could be heard slowly approaching the lobby. Finally, an elderly, one armed man wearing worn shabby clothes hobbled toward them on a wooden crutch through the adjacent ground floor lobby entrance. A toothless smile appeared on Walter's face as he quickened his paced toward his two visitors.

"I've never been so glad to see another human," Walter stated exuberantly. "I'm so fuckin' sick of the sight of giant walking-talking lizards!" Walter dropped his crutch and awkwardly embraced Russell, and then Davis, with his one arm, as tears of happiness streamed down his face. "I felt like I was the last man alive," said Walter as he wept. "I will have to assume that Grace Bradford also sentenced both of you to this reptile zoo planet. At least each of you still has two arms and two legs, which is more than I can say."

Davis took the initiative to affirm Walter's assumption. "Yes, Walter, it was Grace Bradford who brought 28 people to this island, including herself. She also rescued all of us from a certain death," stated Davis. "However, it is my understanding that you, Walter, ended up here with one arm missing after you attempted to assassinate Grace and her parents."

Walter shrugged off Davis' condemning remark. "So, then fuckin' arrest me and throw me in jail," Walter angrily replied to Davis. "You're a little late, though, asshole...because I'm already on a prison planet and serving a life sentence!"

Russell wanted to calm down Walter and to avoid arguments, so he pleasantly made introductions. "Hello, Walter, my name is Russell, and this gentleman's name is Davis. I can only state when our group arrived here. It was two suns ago. We have not yet determined how many hours there are in one day. Nor do we know how many days are in one year, or where this planet is celestially located."

Walter replied, "I don't have a watch, and I count the days just like you did. Furthermore, I can only conclude this planet is not Earth, but I have no idea where it is located, either. There is also only one season... summer."

Both doctors watched Walter closely. They could see that he was holding his side in pain. "You appear to be in a bit of discomfort, Walter," stated Russell utilizing his tenured years of professional medical observations. "Are you eating the right foods?"

Walter tried to hold back his temper with his response, "I'm a damned vegetarian. I haven't had any meat for decades. In fact, the last animal meat I ate was venison from a lone 8-point buck I shot shortly after I arrived on this Island of Eden. I even had to use the three remaining bullets in my gun to kill it! I only got about two meals off the deer. There was no way to refrigerate its carcass, and the meat went bad before I could eat it all. I didn't even have the ability to tan the hide to make myself more clothes. I would have tried to hunt some of the native birds you see flying around the island, but I'm not balanced enough to throw a spear, and you can't shoot a bow and arrow with only one arm. Furthermore, after seeing some of the weird ocean creatures that washed up on the beach, I didn't want to take the risk of eating any of the seafood."

Russell silently questioned the amount of time that Walter had claimed to be stranded on this remote island. "Walter, you said that you haven't eaten meat for decades," stated Russell. "How many years have you lived on this island?"

Walter made a grunting sound as he turned to walk toward a lobby hallway entrance. "Follow me to my chamber. I'll show you the calendar that I had to make using sticks and twine because the fuckin' lizards haven't invented paper or pencils yet!"

When Russell and Davis entered Walter's chamber, they detected a bad smell. They saw a discarded pile of rotted peelings from the fruit that he had eaten. They noticed that Walter used a large pile of dried leaves and moss for his bedding. He also had no amenities of plumbing or electricity. "Sorry for the mess," said Walter, and he sarcastically added, "If I had known that you two were coming for a visit, then I would have baked a cake and asked my maid to straighten the place up, to make it presentable."

Walter walked to the end of the room. He pulled out a large coil of braided rope that he had made from strands of twine. "I am now limited with how far I can walk. The Annunaki village provides me with strands of twine and sticks for my calendar, as well as my food and water needs," said Walter. "I have to ration my water though, so I can wash the only set of clothes that I have. I have to rotate between my articles of underwear, and my 3-piece suit. However, since I now live in a tropical climate, I generally walk around in the nude like the lizard natives do. I made some clothing from the plastic vinyl upholstery of my car, but it didn't last very long because it dried out. I now wish that I had spent the extra money for the option of leather interiors in my car."

Walter unraveled his calendar rope. There were several woven net bags suspended from equally spaced knots on the outstretched rope, while each bag contained individually wrapped bundles of small sticks. "Each of these bags contains a bundle of sticks for each month, and one full bag of stick bundles represents one year," stated Walter. "According to my rope calendar counter, I have been here for over 30 years, and I am 83 years old. I had a hell of a time making these rope knots and the netted bags, with the use of only one hand and my teeth. After my teeth started falling out I had to teach the Annunaki how to make my braided rope and weave the nets for the bags."

Russell noticed that Walter suffered immense psychological torment during his years of isolation from humans. Even though he was banished to the Island of Eden only five days ago—thirty years had physically transpired for Walter. Either time was warped in this sector of the universe, or a divine intervention had created an unseen paradox. This inconsistency allowed Walter to continue aging within this planet's solar system, while time in the rest of the universe practically stood still.

The only torment, which exceeded Walter's anger of being segregated, was a stabbing pain he exhibited every time he clutched his side. Russell stood up and said, "I'm a medical doctor, Walter. Why don't you lie down and let me examine you?" Walter's hand was shaking as he carefully removed his shirt. He slowly walked over to lie down on his bed.

Russell noticed Walter's bulging abdomen. "Well, I know that you haven't been smoking or drinking," said Russell. "How have your bowel movements been lately?"

Walter responded, "My diet is pretty much the same thing that the lizard natives eat, and it's that pile of fruit over in the corner of my chamber. You also asked me about my bowel movements. I've been using that large clay pot by the door as a pit toilet. You can take a peek under the container lid if you desire, but I'll spare you from that grief. Other than the fact that I'm continually in pain, and I crap red fluid two or three times a day... I'm peachy keen!"

Russell then displayed a concerned face as he examined Walter. "I'm sorry, Walter, but I suspect that you have advanced stomach cancer, and I suspect that it has spread to other parts of your body. Even if we were near a hospital, there would be little that I could do other than relieve your pain with narcotics. How long have you had this pain in your side?"

Walter then verbally traced his memories, "Before I became trapped on this lizard planet, I was an electrical engineer. I was also an elite assassin and had been shot more than once. Over the years, I have learned to ignore pain, so I can't really recall when this cancer might have started. I have to admit that my solitary confinement in this lizard temple has been an emotional pain, which is impossible for me to ignore.

"When I arrived on this island and was found on the beach by the Annunaki, I was unconscious. I had almost bled to death from where my arm had been torn off. The natives cauterized my bleeding arteries closed with hot coals. They then packed the open shoulder wound with clay to prevent infection. The Annunaki carried me to this temple because they believed that this pyramid provides healing powers. It must have worked because I fully recovered and returned down to the shoreline to live in their village. The Annunaki thought I was a God because I had arrived through something that they called a 'dark star'. The natives later had revealed this land mass is an island, and I was the one who jokingly named it the Island of Eden.

"The chief of the tribe, Rah, became angered when I started befriending and teaching his tribe members to speak English. Rah commanded that only he is permitted to speak with their God. However, the chief backed off and became very submissive when he saw me kill the Annunaki's sacred God-deer with my hand gun. They don't know that I'm out of bullets. I always carry my gun with me when I am around those giant lizards, just to maintain the fear of God in them."

Davis then interrupted Walter, "We have seen the Annunaki village, and these reptilians are primitive. So, where did this pyramid come from?"

Walter stood up and put his shirt back on, "Come with me, and I will give you a tour of the temple," said Walter. "We'll start with the lab."

The three men walked to the lobby, and they followed Walter as he stepped onto the metal pad in the center of the room. Russell and Davis watched as Walter accessed the holographic control panel. "What is this pad for Walter?" asked Davis.

"It's the pyramid's elevator," responded Walter, with a sly smile.

Russell noticed the obvious lack of an elevator shaft, and the overhead ceiling with no outlet. "I trust that we shall either be traveling down or sideways, because there is no upper outlet from this room".

Walter replied, "We will be going down one floor to Basement Level 1. There are also three levels above us. Level 1A is the former administration quarters of the aliens that built this pyramid. There are escalators located on the east and west side exits of this lobby, which are the only access points to Level 1A, but these entrance points have been sealed off since the aliens left this planet, centuries ago. Each floor that can be accessed from this elevator pad is identified on this holographic console with a colored tab. The red light is flashing, which means that we are on Red Level 1. We will be transmitted to Basement Brown Level 1 after I push this button."

Davis quickly asked, "Walter, don't you mean transfer...?"

Walter grinned at the look of astonishment on the faces of both doctors after the elevator pad had instantly moved to the basement. He replied, "No, Davis, I said the elevator would transmit us to the Basement Brown Level 1, but don't ask me how this contraption works. It would be a good idea to make sure that your entire body is on the elevator pad before pushing any buttons. It's hard enough to live with only one arm, let alone after losing half your body."

"This is the medical lab," stated Walter as two floating spotlights entered the room from a side hall entrance. "Don't concern yourself with the robotic headlights. These devices are sound activated and only dwell on this basement level. The ceilings and walls emit adequate light, so I fail to understand why these robotic flashlights weren't deactivated. I named them Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle Dumb. These two light balls don't even qualify as pets because they have minimal artificial intelligence and serve no purpose. They are also a pain in the ass because they follow you everywhere in the basement and will sometimes bump against your head if you turn around too quickly."

Walter digressed from his complaining and slowly walked over to a corner of the room. "On Earth the humans were assumed to have evolved from apes," stated Walter. "Archeologists have never provided evidence of the missing link that shows how apes made the evolutionary jump to become Homo sapiens."

The robotic lights pointed beams in the direction of Walter's hand as he pointed to a location behind Russell and Davis. "The images on the wall behind you represent the evolution of the Annunaki. It denotes that the Annunaki had evolved from four-legged reptiles. They also have never found their missing link, which shows how they evolved to where they are today. However, Chief Rah had told me that the Gods who built this pyramid had created the Annunaki by mating with four legged dinosaurs."

Walter burst into laughter and said, "I couldn't picture an advanced alien race landing on a primitive planet just to fuck dinosaurs. Then, I found those other pictures over there."

Walter walked to the far side of the lab and pointed to another embedded image displayed on a wall. Both doctors intensely inspected an architectural layout of an underground structure. It displayed hieroglyphic writing symbols that were similar to the stone landing they had seen on the mountain stairway earlier that day.

"This is an elevation cross-section view of a gold mine that is located directly under this pyramid," explained Walter. "The picture image next to the layout of the mine shows the Annunaki reptilians mining the gold. Chief Rah said that the Gods created the Annunaki to be workers, or better defined as slaves, for mining gold. Basement Gray Level 2 was the former slave quarters, and has the entrances to the mine shafts. Basement Level 2 can only be accessed by the elevator or the mountain's lower landing entrance. The elevator will not go below Basement Level 1, and the lower landing entrance was permanently sealed off.

"After their Gods were done mining gold, they left this planet. This pyramid temple had been placed here to mark their territory. Furthermore, no one in this Annunaki tribe is old enough to have ever seen the Gods that created them and built this pyramid. I guess this is why the village lizards have presumed that I am also one of their Gods."

Walter then got a very serious look on his face. "There are big similarities between this lizard planet and the Earth," stated Walter. "The pyramids that exist on Earth also have unknown origins, and humans have a missing link in their evolution—just like the Annunaki."

Walter pointed at the wall to the gold mine illustration as he continued, "Gold has always had an intrinsic value on Earth. However, the worth of gold is not important to these natives. The Annunaki reptilians have no need for gold because they can't eat it or burn it. By contrast, the value of gold on Earth is based on the manipulated value of worthless paper currency, which humans need to purchase food and energy. Furthermore, our human purposes of selfish greed would also be beyond the ability of the Annunaki to comprehend.

"However, there is a common similarity with gold, which connects the civilizations of Earth and this Island of Eden. It involves a traveling race of so-called alien Gods. They roam around the galaxies in search of gold for technological purposes, which are beyond my ability to comprehend. These celestial Gods had evidently advanced the evolutions of life forms on many planets, and then enslaved their hybrid creations for the purpose mining gold," concluded Walter.

Walter displayed an intimidating smile on his face as he looked at Russell. He asked, "So you tell me, doctor—which race is more ignorant? Is it the primitive reptilian Annunaki, who sees the true value of gold to be nothing more than a worthless shiny mineral? Or, is it the human Earthlings, which have allowed their livelihoods to be dominated and controlled by a useless piece of rock?"

Russell agreed with Walter's observations, but the doctor felt that there was no need to discuss these moot philosophical perspectives. Walter had 30 years' of experience with the Annunaki. Russell wanted to get more information from this terminally ill man while he still could. Russell inquired, "Tell me, Walter, have you explored any other regions of this island? Do you know if there are any other neighboring islands?"

Walter sat down in a chair with a heaving sigh while painfully clutching his side. "None of the Annunaki has a reason to leave the region of their habitat because they are not explorers," stated Walter. "In fact, I have no idea how they determined this region to be an island, because there are no maps anywhere. Most of the ancient knowledge that Chief Rah possesses was handed down in stories from his ancestors. I taught the Annunaki how to build and navigate a log raft that had a woven twine sail. This floating platform was large enough to carry supplies and three passengers. We launched this raft with a crew of three Annunaki tribesmen. Then we watched them sail out over the horizon, but they never returned. Since then, the Annunaki had feared the ocean, and these lizards don't like to swim either. I tried to hike across the island but the forest is too thick for a one-armed man to cut through by himself. I then attempted to walk for two days following the beach coastline using the sun and the cast shadows of coastal trees as my compass. I never ventured any farther, and I have concluded that this island is immense. I did not wish to be traveling alone if I was attacked by a savage tribe of natives or any remnants of their dinosaur ancestors."

Davis was pondering more questions about the pyramid. "Walter, you said that this pyramid was placed here to mark the territory of the traveling Gods, and that this structure provides healing powers," stated Davis. "This basement facility was also a functional genetics lab at one time, and they probably used this facility to create the Annunaki. Does this pyramid currently serve any other purpose?"

Walter stood up and struggled to walk back to the elevator pad. He replied, "To answer your first question, Davis, if I am dying of cancer then we can conclude that the healing powers of this pyramid have limitations. To answer your second question, yes, this pyramid does serve a special purpose... it is the Annunaki nursery. We will go to Level 2, and I'll show it to you."

After stepping onto the elevator floor pad, Walter pushed a purple button on the holographic display, and the three men immediately arrived at Level 2. Russell and Davis were intrigued when they entered the nursery facility. They saw several rows of cryogenic incubator racks containing large eggs. The frosted glass racks were levitating above the floor and had no visible means of support. The eggs were about twice the size of an ostrich egg and each rack contained over 100 individual storage units. Each of the egg chamber cubicles had narrow streams of venting gas being emitted from life support systems located at both ends of each rack. The nursery contained over 2000 eggs, perpetually suspended in artificially frozen environments. Davis observed a control panel with the same foreign type of hieroglyphic writing projected on an overhead holographic display.

Davis moved his hand between the incubator rack and a display screen. This action disrupted the images, causing them to flicker. He intuitively explained, "This hologram image is being projected from laser beams emitted from the top side of this incubator rack. This screen and the field that is levitating these incubator racks require an electric power source." Davis looked around the floor and walls for a cord. He asked, "What is providing power to these incubators and how is it being supplied?"

Walter waved his arm and asked the doctors follow him as he walked back to the elevator pad. "We will go up to the Orange Level 3 penthouse, which is the solar lab and power distribution facility."

Both doctors squinted their eyes when the elevator instantly arrived in a large room with a pyramid shaped vaulted ceiling. The sun was seen shining through the tinted perimeter wall panels.

Davis stated, "When Russell and I looked at this pyramid from the outside it looked like it was made entirely of metal. These top panels look like polarized tinted glass."

Walter replied, "I believe this entire temple summit is constructed of some kind of polarized, transparent crystal metal."

Davis responded, "I agree that the ceiling is transparent. Therefore, it could be a crystalline substance. However, what makes you think that it is a metal composition, Walter?"

Walter walked over to a table and picked up a 1 inch diameter metal rod that was approximately 18 inches long. He brought the tip of the rod near the surface of the polished metallic floor. This caused an electric spark to arc between the floor and the metal rod. "The spark tells me that this rod is a conductive metal and that electrical energy is being transmitted through the air," stated Walter. "The polished slab surface of this mountain top, the pyramid, and the 44 obelisks that surround the perimeter of this temple are all made of the same material as this metal rod. I've seen many thunderstorms make lightning strikes that hit those obelisks outside. I think that they can capture and store the electrical energy they receive from the lightning. Since there are no wires anywhere in this pyramid, then we will have to conclude that the electrical power is transmitted through the air."

Walter then picked up a small 1 inch square tile from a table, cupped it in his hands, and asked the doctors to look through the opening in his fingers. Both Russell and Davis observed the glowing tile. Walter asked both doctors to follow him into a dark room at the far end of the floor. After the three men had entered the room, Walter waved his hand over a small wall-mounted plate, and the doorway disappeared as the wall expanded to close the opening. The tile's luminescent glow was now even more accentuated, and Walter placed the square on the floor while asking both doctors to move in closer. When Walter held the metal rod over the tile, Russell and Davis observed that the rod was transparent. The rod now appeared to be glass rather than metal, and they could see the distorted image of the glowing tile on the floor. When they backed their heads away from the rod, they saw an unnatural spectrum of light being projected through the rod onto the walls and ceiling of the room.

"You can see through this rod in a dark room," explained Walter, "and the rod also acts like an amplifying prism. It works like a transducer to split the spectrum of all light. In complete darkness, this rod absorbs the tile's emitted radiation and transforms it to visible light, which would normally be unseen by the naked eye." Davis was completely thrilled. He acted like a young boy who had just discovered magnets for the first time in his life.

Walter again grabbed his side in pain, and they decided to leave to return to Walter's living quarters. "I've had a lot of time to experiment with the things that the traveling Gods left behind in this pyramid," said Walter. "I'm not a scientist and most of the time I feel like an inferior earthworm that is attempting to contemplate the unknown universe. Perhaps, both of you will be able to learn more about this temple than I could discover in 30 years' time." Walter was once again grabbing his side in pain. "You guys can hang around if you want to," said Walter. "I need to take a nap because I'm not used to this much excitement in one day."

Russell and Davis assisted Walter back to the elevator and walked him to his chamber to lie down. Russell could see that Walter's remaining days were short. However, there were still countless other questions that he needed to ask him. "Walter, you have been on this island for over 30 years. I counted about 70 Annunaki reptilians in the village, but I only saw three children," stated Russell. "How many of these eggs have hatched in the last thirty years?"

Walter paused before he responded. "Only three eggs have hatched. Those hatchlings replaced the three Annunaki sailors who were lost at sea on the raft that we built."

Russell was confused with Walter's response. He asked, "The three Annunaki hatchlings replaced the three sailors who were lost at sea?"

Walter was nodding his head and explained in further detail. "Even though there is no one here to operate this pyramid, it was left on an auto-pilot. Every hatchling is tagged and monitored throughout its lifetime. Each Annunaki death is known by this temple, and a new Annunaki reptilian will only be hatched to take the place of one that is removed."

Russell then asked, "How many Annunaki have died in the last thirty years?"

Walter replied, "The only deaths were the three sailors who died at sea about 10 years ago. Furthermore, I have not seen a cemetery on this island. Therefore, I don't know how many years an Annunaki reptilian actually lives, and I never had the need to ask. I also don't know what the gestation period is for laying one of their eggs. I do know that no eggs have been produced since the time that I arrived. Their life registry is maintained by this pyramid, which artificially controls their population growth."

Russell patted Walter's chest. "Thank you for your knowledgeable insight, Walter," said Russell. "Get plenty of rest and I shall check in on you as often as possible."

Russell and Davis proceeded back down the mountain path to the Annunaki village. Neither of them could have known that they would be the last ones to speak to Walter Munson. He succumbed to stomach cancer on that same evening. Two days later, the Annunaki provided two ceremonies for Walter Munson which had never been witnessed before by any of the tribe members—the funeral and the cremation of a fallen God.

* * * * *

Dr. Patterson and the rest of the group built their temporary village homes. They slowly advanced the primitive civilization of the Annunaki into the Metal Age. They built a rock furnace with a manually driven air bellow for smelting various metal ores. Then they cast the molten mixture in wet sand molds to make rigid tools for cutting down trees, sawing logs, and forming intricate wooden joints. They later advanced the process to make nails for solid building construction. Dr. Branson determined gold minerals to be very abundant on the Island of Eden, and that the deposits of iron or copper were less plentiful. Therefore, they mixed some of the stronger ores with gold to increase its tensile strength.

To improve food production, the local stream was dammed with a sliding lock gate. This provided a gravity-fed irrigation system for growing food near their village.

They also built a small paper making press by utilizing two flat pieces of crystal metal they found in the temple. The metal plates acted like a vice to compress mixtures of wood pulp, along with the fibrous inner pith of swamp reeds, which were then coated with a glue-like sap, extracted from tree bark. After the pressed sheets were dried in the sun, they were lightly sanded with a coarse flat stone, and wiped down with a damp cloth. The final product looked like a crude form of papyrus paper. For writing utensils, they made a concentrated solution of berry juice that was used as the ink. The ink worked quite well with a feather quill pen.

Another fibrous type of cotton plant provided them with the ability to make spun yarn. The yarn was then interwoven on a wooden framed twine loom for making soft cloth.

The hardest task that Dr. Patterson and the others had was convincing the reluctant tribal chief, Rah, to allow the rest of his tribe to be taught how to read and write. They discovered that a common universal truth presided on the Annunaki Island of Eden, which paralleled their previous home of Earth. The hardest thing for subordinate serfs to gain would always be their freedom from the dominating established authority. The last thing Chief Rah wanted to do is anger 28 Gods. However, his jealousy continued growing with each passing day as his inferior tribe members became more independent and outgrew their need for his supreme ruling influences. Conversely, Dr. Patterson and Dr. Branson did not wish to accelerate the Annunaki's knowledge base too quickly. The doctors learned well from Earth's history that the advancement of technology was always a double-edged sword. Despite the potential risks and the future consequences that could result from this intercession, every person, regardless of race, would have the right to better their standard of living and to learn. At the same time, the betterment of this civilization would not be gained through segregated conflicts of war. Knowledge would always be an equally shared experience. On their previous planet of Earth, these doctrines of fairness were seen as utopian ideologies. The royal bloodline descendants were setting the cornerstone for the foundation of a new kingdom of Eden, and they were divinely bequeathed the authority to enforce these values. Only time would tell if these principles could be maintained.

Grace, Keith, and the other members within their group of 28 people now ruled over a primitive alien civilization. The humans from planet Earth became embarked on a new mission of great opportunity. Their teachings would ultimately become the Annunaki's guiding scripture for eons to come. This Circle of Creation was indeed a timeless divine intervention of successions, which would transform the future of Earth's humanity through the rebirth of their ancient extraterrestrial past.

* * * * *

Epilogue

Grace and Keith soon married, and shortly afterward they were expecting their first child. Grace was occasionally anguished over the memories of her three guardian dogs before they disappeared forever into an inter-dimensional portal. However, she became even more distressed by the loss of her parents, and she regretted that they would never have the opportunity to see their first grandchild.

One morning, Grace was awakened by the sounds of puppies yipping and whining, which were emanating from outside of their home. She opened the door to their front porch and found a wicker basket containing two puppies. Grace pulled off the note that was attached to the basket handle and read it:

Dearest Grace,

I found these two lonely souls wandering on a remote beach, and they need a loving home. I have named the male dog Geb, and the female dog Meb. I know that they will serve you, Keith, and your future daughter well. Rest assured that I shall always be watching over your family.

-Michael

Grace brought the puppies into the house for Keith to see and showed him the note that Michael had written. She remarked, "Don't you think that the names of Geb and Meb are rather unusual?"

Keith remained in silent thought while he pondered Grace's question. He then smiled and stated, "I think that their names are acronyms. Aren't the letters' G-E-B and M-E-B your parents' initials?"

After rereading Michael's note, tears of joy filled Grace's eyes as she embraced both puppies. Grace then happily walked out onto the beach, carrying a squirming puppy in each arm as they both continued licking her face. She looked up into morning sky and gratefully stated, "Thank you for reuniting my family, Michael."

* * * * *

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