"Jack?"
"Yes, Julia?"
"Don't you think you should finish making dinner?" asked Julia.
"What? You don't want half baked Chicken Marsala?" Jack teased.
"Don't tempt me with the opportunity to make a smart ass remark!" Julia said. "I hope you haven't forgotten that part of my personality!"
Jack got up and put on a nearby robe. Julia was right, the dinner had to finish cooking first.
He remembered so much about Julia's body. She still had a very muscular physique for a woman who had birthed four children. It felt so natural to be making love to her, and her to be making love to him. It's as if the sixteen years in between never happened.
Jack turned on the oven and reset the timer for the remaining half hour of baking time. He then went about preparing a salad, choosing a bottle of wine, and chilling wine glasses.
Julia soon appeared in the kitchen, wearing an old robe of his. It was miles too large on her, and she had to wrap the sash around her waist twice before tying it. Jack looked at her and smiled. She looked beautiful, even in that old robe.
"Shall I dress for dinner, Mr. Christofferson?" she asked playfully.
"If you wish, Ms. WhiteFeather," he replied, just as playfully.
Julia fetched her bag from the entryway and brought it to Jack's bedroom. She opened it and chose a black wraparound dress. She put on the dress, sans undergarments, and folded the clothing she wore and placed them back into the bag. She then rejoined Jack in the kitchen.
Jack looked at her, and liked what he saw. "Don't you look fetching this evening, my dear," he said.
"I was hoping you'd approve," said Julia. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
He looked at her slyly, then asked her to take the salad out of the refrigerator and place it on the table. Julia took her place and Jack set her meal before her and poured her a glass of wine. Julia normally didn't drink, save for special occasions. But being reunited with a friend who adored her, and whom she adored in turn? What could be more of a special occasion than that?
David and Jordan sat their sons down in the living room and told them that Niki might have a serious illness.
"When did this happen?" asked Sam, the older of the two.
"Shortly after you guys left for football camp," David said. "Niki came over and told me while your mom was on her way back from dropping you off."
"Is there anything we can do for Niki, Mom?" John asked, looking at his mother.
"Niki's not in any condition to talk to anyone right now," Jordan said. "If she needs anything, she'll ask."
"Does this mean she'll actually talk to Kimber?" Sam asked. "I don't know about you guys, but I think they're both being buttheads about the whole stupid thing."
"Agreed, Sam," David said; "but that will come in time. Niki's really hurting right now."
"Why is that?" Sam asked.
"She and Drake were expecting a baby," Jordan said; "but Niki had a miscarriage and is still trying to deal with that. To put possibly having a serious illness on top of all that, then you can imagine what's going through Niki's head right now."
"I can go make her laugh," offered John. "She always liked my jokes."
"Maybe when she's got all this figured out," Jordan said; "but now isn't a good time for that, though it is much appreciated."
"So what do we do?" Sam asked.
"Wait, just like she's going to have to do after she has more tests done," David said.
"Do Kimber and Julia know yet?" asked John.
"We wanted to wait to see if there was something to tell," Jordan said. "But then, it's up to Niki and not us."
"She's not going to tell Kimber," Sam said. "Niki's that stubborn."
"Just like you, John, Kimber and your father," Jordan said.
"What about Julia? She's pretty stubborn," John said.
"True, she is," David said; "but she gets her stubborness from your mother. I had nothing to do with it."
"I'll be sure to pass that along to Jacob the next time he calls," Jordan said sarcastically.
The boys just rolled their eyes. Sometimes, their parents just acted really weird.
Niki laid in bed, staring at the ceiling as if the answers she sought were written in the stucco.
She was still sore from the miscarriage, her heart ached, and she was scared out of her mind. Drake did a wonderful job taking care of her, but Niki thought it was time to get up and get out of her deep funk and live her life.
Drake was working his off campus job as a landscaper, so he was not home. He was very talented in art, and many of his drawings were framed and hanging in their home. Niki's favorite was the drawing of her parents house. Drake saw things about the house that Niki had forgotten about.
After taking a shower and getting dressed in something other than sweats and one of Drake's soccer team shirts, Niki went into the kitchen to fix something to eat.
With her sandwich and a bottle of water, she sat on the sofa and picked up a magazine and leafed through it.
She then went outside to the backyard, where Drake had installed a small pond and waterfall. Niki sat in one of the chairs and dipped her toes into the tepid water. She smiled. It wasn't the lake behind her parents house, but it was hers, and she loved Drake all the more for putting it in as a birthday gift the previous spring.
A couple of hours later, she went back inside the house to await Drake's return from work.
The next day, she had her appointment with the oncologist.
Sandrina got a funny feeling she and Danica weren't alone when they walked out to Danica's car after having lunch near the Georgetown campus. She felt like they were being watched.
As they approached the car, Sandrina saw something; or someone out of the corner of her eye. "That was odd," she said aloud.
"What was odd, Sandrina?" asked Danica.
"I could have sworn that I saw someone dart out of sight as we got close to the car," she said.
"I know my folks told me to be careful down here," Danica said; "but come on, Sandrina. You getting paranoid on me, cousin?"
"Maybe I was mistaken," Sandrina said. "But something just doesn't feel right."
They got in the car and Danica started it up. They drove out of the parking lot, and the funny feeling went away. Sandrina was puzzled. She was usually right about those things. Her father said it's a sixth sense that some people have. This time, I must have been wrong.
But, she wasn't.
Someone was following them, and chided themselves when they almost got caught by the tall blonde and the biracial girl she was with.
They flipped open a phone and dialed a number. When the call was answered on the other end, the stalker was asked for a status report. Once the status report was given, the stalker asked for information about the other girl with their target.
"Her name is Danica Donovan, age 18. She was born on the Chicagoland compound, but was raised in Kittery, Maine. She has a younger sister named Kendria. Her parents are Joseph and Tracy Donovan. Joseph is the younger brother of Jeremiah Donovan. Danica is his niece. Keep watching the San Marco girl, though," the stalker was told. "She has weapons skills on par with a former Disturbed Ones BlackOps assassin named Vixen Vincent. She owns the house that the San Marco girl is staying in. She may be the girl's aunt."
"Should I be watching Ms. Vincent as well?"
"No, just Miss San Marco."
"Right." The stalker ended the call.
All right, Miss San Marco, the stalker thought, just a few more weeks. If Daddy gets in our way, your ass is mine. And I'm going to have a little bit of fun at your expense.
That's what they thought. Like the New Army before them, the stalker and their employer will seriously underestimate Sandrina San Marco.
Julia awoke in Jack's bed the next morning alone. She wondered where he was. She then realized that he had animals to take care of and crops to check on. It was still early, so Julia tried to go back to sleep.
She found that impossible.
So she thought about what had transpired over the last twenty-four hours. This time the day before, Julia had driven to the airport. Had she realized what was awaiting her here, that it really was Jack she was going to see, she might have been more prepared.
Still, it was good to be with him again, that he wasn't dead, and that he still held strong feelings for her. Making love with him was something she never expected to do again, and it came so naturally for her... almost like no time had passed at all.
But, they were both older, wiser, and realized that a relationship between them would be impossible because of the great age difference. However, Jack was interested in meeting Miri and trying to get to know her. It would have to be a slow and deliberate process.
Until then, they could enjoy each other's company and each other's love.
Julia felt sleepy, so she relaxed and was soon asleep. She felt Jack rejoining her in bed.
"You're still sleeping," he said; "My beautiful, precious Julia; my gentle angel. Soon you'll be gone, and I'll have my memories of our brief time together after all these years. If things could be different, I'd never let you go."
He pulled the covers over him and Julia, snuggled up against her back, and fell asleep next to her.
Neither realized what danger they were in.
II
The phone rang next to the mayor's bed. Calloway answered it sleepily.
"Calloway..."
"Wake up, asshole," the gruff voice on the other end said; "We didn't get a status report from you yesterday."
"Sorry, it was late, and was planning to call you this morning anyway," Calloway said.
"So what about the woman you picked up at the airport?" the voice asked; "Was it who we thought it was?"
"It was definitely Julia Summers," Calloway said; "but about fifteen years older than the photo you sent me."
"I realize that she's older now, but that is the only picture available," the voice said. "And she went to Coltrane's home?"
"I took her to the home of John Christofferson," Calloway said; "I didn't see him, so I don't know if he recognized her or not."
"Just keep an eye out," the voice said; "We're certain those two are linked somehow. We want to know what it is other than she was his prisoner at one time."
"And what about my payment?" Calloway asked.
"You'll get your payment when we confirm that he is John Christopher Coltrane," the voice said. "Then he'll be marked for execution for crimes against the American Republic Movement."
"What crimes are those?"
"For starters, conspiring with the enemy," the voice said; "dereliction of duty, treason. He's now our enemy because he turned to the Resistance. We're certain that Summers was behind it."
"And what will happen with her?"
"She and her children will be eliminated."
Calloway was aghast. These people would kill children for their mother's crimes? He started to wonder what he had gotten himself into. He knew he had to get out of this mess he'd created for himself.
But how?
The secret meeting between members of the President's inner circle began with some startling news.
"We have received word that the Holdouts have Nik San Marco's daughter under surveillance," the General said. "She's eighteen and an incoming freshman at Georgetown. Also, it was her brother that was seriously injured in what was supposed to appear as a simple hit and run accident back in February. We now know that accident was intentional. It was designed to keep Nik San Marco occupied so that he couldn't participate in any plan we have to overtake them. They forgot a couple of important facts: One, San Marco's wife is a nurse; and two, Jeremiah Donovan's wife is a physician and is currently a third year resident at Loyola."
"So the San Marco boy was intentionally injured?" asked the President. "How old is he? I know that Nik San Marco has more than one son."
"Peter San Marco is fifteen and a junior in high school," the General said.
"Why does that name sound familiar to me?" asked the Commander.
"The boy was named after the man who adopted his father as a child," the General said. "Peter San Marco, Nik's father, and his wife Kiera were murdered by the New Army in 2012. He was the one who taught his adopted son and his wards how to use weapons and how to survive in the wild."
"The elder San Marcos wards were the Donovan brothers and Julia Terranova-Summers, correct?" asked the President.
"Yes, Mr. President," the General said. "Until the elder San Marcos were murdered, then they were sent to a couple who shouldn't have had children, especially girls; after that, they were sent to live with David and Jordan Draiman. Jordan Draiman is Julia Summers' biological mother."
"There is other bad news, I'm afraid, General," the Commander said; "It seems that Julia Summers is being watched as well. She already works for us in another capacity. She's on a field mission presently."
"And someone is tailing her?" the General asked, shocked.
"Not tailing her so much as observing where she goes and who she's with," the Commander said; "She's in a town in Wyoming doing field visits with those who were relocated by the Hit-n-Run Squad that the Disturbed Ones operated during the Occupation."
"She should be alerted to this fact," the President said. "She could be valuable to either side with the skills she no doubt still possesses."
"I'll contact her superior," the Commander said. "We'll get word to her."
"Meanwhile, we should send someone out to watch over Sandrina San Marco," the General said; "and anyone else she's closely associated with."
"While she's attending Georgetown, she's living with her aunt," the Commander said. "Her aunt was once known as a Disturbed Ones assassin named Vixen Vincent. She changed her name after the Occupation to Natasha Vincent and has two chilren of her own. Another cousin is also an incoming Georgetown freshman. Her name is Danica Donovan. She's Jeremiah Donovan's biological niece. She and Sandrina San Marco were born on the same day in the same hospital."
"Make sure that everyone who needs to be notified is notified," the General said. "We cannot lose people who are valuable to our government and way of life. We cannot have another Occupation!"
At about 9:00 that morning, there was a knock on Jack's front door. He was about to step into the shower with Julia and said,
"Well, shit, who could that be?"
"What?" Julia asked over the shower spray.
"Someone knocked on the door," Jack said; "I'll go see who it is and get rid of them."
He padded out to the door, grabbing a robe on the way. By the time he got it wrapped around him and the sash tied, the knocking had stopped.
He was about to open the door when he saw the envelope on the floor of the foyer. It had been pushed under the door. On the front of it was written "John Christofferson". No address or anything indicating where it came from.
"Strange..." he mused.
He brought it to the bedroom and laid it on the dresser, then joined Julia in the shower.
"Who was at the door, baby?" asked Julia as Jack slid his arms around her waist.
"I don't know," he said. "Whoever it was, they slid a note under the door. I haven't read it yet. It's on the dresser."
He caressed Julia's wet and soapy body, paying special attention to her most sensitive areas. Jack heard her sigh with desire as he pleasured her.
"God, Jack..." she said passionately, "that feels so damn good. Ohhh, yes, baby...please..."
"Please what, Julia," Jack said seductively. "What do you want, my angel? You want me to fuck you, my darling?"
"Yes, yes! God, please! Fuck me!" Julia cried as Jack slid inside her from behind.
As he took her, he whispered in her ear, "See what you do to me, Julia my sweet... Ahhh, having you is such a pleasure and a privilege. Come for me, darling!"
And she did. A great scream erupted from her throat as she reached her climax several times in succession before Jack emptied himself deep inside her.
"God, you were worth waiting for!" Jack cried as he withdrew from her. "I could never get enough of you my love. You make me feel whole again."
Julia turned around to face him. He wordlessly lifted her up and braced her against the shower wall, her legs around his waist; then he kissed her passionately as he brushed her wet hair away from her face.
Watching the summer camp was ridiculously easy, or so thought the person observing the goings on there.
They had identified their targets, and just sat in the woods and waited. They were to only watch, not take any action. There was plenty time for that.
The targets were not hard to spot; a redheaded boy of ten; his sister, also a redhead, who was eight; and their "cousin", an eight year old girl as well. She was bi-racial and had very curly brown hair.
The Observer made contact with their base: "The two youngest Summers children and the youngest Donovan girl have been sighted. Instructions?"
"Just observe for now. There will be time for action later."
The Observer ended the call and kept their eyes on the three children they were assigned to watch. It wasn't the children that the Observer's superiors wanted.
It was their parents.
Jack was going to take Julia out to the barn to see the animals, and as they dressed from their shower, Jack opened the envelope that had been inserted under his front door.
He couldn't believe what he was reading. He read it twice just to make sure he understood what it said.
"What the note say, Jack?" asked Julia as she tied her sneakers.
"Whoever wrote it said that they know my real identity and have plans to expose me. What concerns me is this..."
"What?"
Jack read: I represent a group of people who have reason to believe you are not who you say you are. They have plans to expose you for the fraud you are and have you arrested for crimes against the American Republic Movement.
Yesterday at approximately 10am, a young woman named Julie WhiteFeather was brought to your home. Observers have noted that she never left your home after her meeting with you. The group I represent knows that Julie WhiteFeather is really a former Disturbed Ones assassin named Julia Terranova, now known as Julia Summers. They are convinced there is more between the two of you than what has been presented on the surface, and are working to find out what that connection is. Ms. Summers is in danger, because after they find out what her connection to you is, they have plans to kill her and her four children.
It is highly recommended that Ms. Summers leaves your home immediately because her movements and associations are being monitored.
Do not try and be a hero, Mr. Christofferson. Just get Ms. Summers out of Wyoming as soon as possible. I send you this note to warn you that the American Republic Movement is real and has plans to attempt a second Occupation.
Yours very truly,
A Friend.
After Julia got over her shock, she asked Jack to let her see the letter. He handed it to her and she took it by a corner and laid it on the bed. She then got out her tablet computer, brought up the keyboard and a program popped up on the screen.
"What are you doing, Julia?" asked Jack.
"I'm going to scan this letter to see if I can get an IP address for the computer that this was typed on," Julia said. She then put the tablet computer face down on top of the letter and waited. She then removed it and read the screen.
"The IP address is 34.112.871.990," Julia said. "Let's see what computer corresponds to this address."
She typed the numbers into another program, and within seconds, she had an answer.
"The location of this IP address is very unique," Julia said. "It has one location, indicating a private network."
"Where is this private network?" asked Jack.
"Riverton City Hall. Office of the Mayor."
"Holy fucking God!" Jack exclaimed. "The mayor is setting you up!"
Julia was on the phone to Blake Peters, her superior at DHS, and reported to him about the threat against her.
"What the fucking hell is the American Republic Movement, and what do they want with me?" asked Julia crossly.
"I've never heard of such a group, but I will definitely find out," Peters said. "For now, you need to get out of Wyoming. Where is your next field visit?"
"Kalispell, Montana," said Julia. "I was planning to leave this afternoon anyway."
"Okay," Peters said; "Act like there is nothing wrong and go about your business as usual. If there is someone watching your movements, they'll probably report your every move and everyone you meet."
"John Christofferson offered me a room instead of going back into town last night," Julia said, not about to tell even her boss that her history with Jack went much deeper than that; "I'm afraid he might get caught up in all this. How should I handle it?"
"Since he's obviously former New Army and has military training," Peters said; "If he has a weapon, he should be prepared to defend himself and his livelihood. If he can get you out of Wyoming without you being seen, all the better."
"Great," Julia said. "More fun and games. Blake, I was done with this years ago. Can't I just retire?"
"At 34? I think not, my dear," Peters said.
"You're a big help, ya know that, Peters?" Julia said sarcastically.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Summers."
"Fuck you, Blake," Julia said, laughing, and closed the connection.
Jack just looked at Julia. "You have some rapport with your boss," he said.
"He knows not to mess with me," said Julia.
"What did he tell you?"
"That I need to get the hell out of Dodge, um, Wyoming," Julia said. "But not to make it look like I know that there's a price on my ass. Just go about my day til I'm ready to leave."
Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He decided then and there that he was going to protect her until he could get her to safety.
"Let's go out to the barn so you can see the animals," Jack said. "That's what we were planning anyway. Let's just frustrate whoever it is that's watching the house."
"Sounds like a plan."
III
Fucking hell, Peters thought; the American Republic Movement? So that's what the Holdouts are calling themselves? Fucking hell...
He got on the phone to his superior. He did not like what he heard about the American Republic Movement.
"Peters, your agent Julia Summers is a target," he was told; "She has a meeting with CIA on July 17th with Nik San Marco and Jeremiah Donovan. I strongly suggest that you allow her to attend. Her life is at stake."
"Who are they, exactly?" Peters asked.
"They're former New Government sympathizers who want to put the Illegal government back in power, and Summers, San Marco, and Donovan are in the way of their plans," Peters' superior told him; "They're under the delusion that if those three are out of the way, then their plan will succeed. They forget about a little organization known as the United States Armed Forces. They want Summers, especially, because she was the Resistance's top assassin. But she and her brothers are the Triad. That's what they're called in Holdouts documents."
"The Triad? That sounds kind of stupid to me," Peters said; "and they really think that getting rid of 'The Triad' will make their takeover plans easier? Then they haven't learned anything from the last bunch of malcontents who did that? They're delusional!"
"Agreed," said the Superior; "But those are their plans, and we cannot afford to discount them. Summers is a single parent, and she will defend her children to the death if need be. I understand, though, that she's given the three oldest children weapons and survival training just like she had as a child."
"Yes," Peters said. "She'll start giving her youngest daughter that training at ten. She's eight now."
"Summers better start now," the Superior said; "so the girl will have some way to defend herself."
"I'll suggest it to her when I speak with her again," Peters said.
"Call her as soon as she reports in at the next field visit," the Superior said.
"Yes, sir," Peters replied, and closed the connection.
Niki sat in the oncologist's office, waiting to be seen by the doctor after her tests were run. She had been told that they could have the results to her in 24-48 hours, and that made her nervous. By the end of the week, she'd know if she really did have leukemia.
Drake sat next to her, holding her hand. He was nervous as well. He loved Niki with everything he possessed, and the thought of losing her, like he lost his mother and sister, scared him.
Drake Campbell's sister contracted ovarian cancer at a very young age: twenty-five. She'd never married nor had children, yet her body seemed to betray her. It had only been three years since her death when Drake was eighteen. He and his sister, Daphne, were very close, and he took her death extremely hard. Had it not been for Niki, who he'd just met a few months earlier and had started dating just a month before, he would have been tempted to forego school and fly back to his native Australia to take care of her. Daphne didn't want Drake to leave school, because she feared that he might never go back. It was only in the last few weeks of her life did he and Niki fly to Sydney to be with her.
Their mother, Catherine, died from pancreatic cancer when Drake was nine. Their father was no longer in the picture, so they went to live with their maternal aunt in Adelaide before moving to Sydney two years later. Drake had little memory of his mother, and Daphne had filled in the gaps.
As he and Niki waited for their meeting with the oncologist, he calmed Niki's nerves. If the worst happened, and Niki got a positive diagnosis for leukemia, he felt he could get through it. Niki would need his strength, and he would give it. This time, he wouldn't feel so helpless.
And Niki had her family.
"Dad, this is boring, can we please do something else?" asked Peter.
"Something else other than your back strengthening execises, Pete?" Nik asked him. "You sure?"
"No..." the boy said. "It's just that it's the same old boring thing all the time."
"It's going to take a lot of repetition, Pete, you know that," his father said. "If you want your back to support you, you have to strengthen the muscles back there that got damaged in your accident. You don't want to wear that brace forever, do you?"
"Hell to the no, Dad," Pete said. "I hate this thing! Girls at school will so not want to be seen with Frankenstein's monster."
"Are you just looking to impress girls? How about being able to move normally again?" asked Nik. "You're not going to believe this now, but when you're older and done with all this stuff with back braces and exercises and surgery, people will admire your strength of character for just going through it."
"You're right, Dad," Peter said; "I don't believe you."
"Aw, come on, kid," Nik said; "Give me a break! I do know things that you don't."
"I know, Dad, but right now, this is my reality and my life, and I hate it," said Peter.
Nik put his arm around his son's shoulders. "I understand, Pete. Really I do. I'm just trying to guide you."
Peter just sighed. "I know, Dad. I know I'm being a pain in the butt."
"Yeah, you are," Nik said; "but your mine and your mother's pain in the butt, and we love you and want you to get out of that thing as much as you want out of it."
"Thanks, Dad."
"For what?"
"The reality check," Peter said; "Sometimes my stupid ass needs to have a swift kick in it, metaphorically speaking, that is."
"Good, now let's get back to these 'boring' exercises, okay, kid?"
"Yeah, Dad, okay," Peter said; "If it will make you happy."
"God, I wonder where you got your smart mouth from," Nik said.
"Mom says I got it from you," Peter said.
Thanks, Katie, Nik thought to himself, chuckling.
IV
The first one of Jack's menagerie she met was Tripod, the three legged yellow lab. He was friendly and his tail wagged incessantly.
"He likes you, Julia," Jack said. "He doesn't get that excited for just anyone, you know."
"I'm getting that impression," Julia said as the dog jumped up on her. "Hey, boy...how'd ya lose that leg of yours?"
Tripod only barked.
"When I took him to the vet after he wandered here," Jack said; "I was told that he may have been attacked by coyotes at one time. The vet remembered the kids who brought him in with his left front leg a mangled mess. The leg was amputated and the vet kept him for a while as it healed. The kids never came back for him, and the dog had gotten out of his pen at the vet's office and ran off. He showed up here about five years ago."
"He likes people," Julia said.
"Or he just likes certain people," Jack said. "He likes me because I take care of him, and he keeps the little critters at bay. Tripod's usually an outdoor dog, but I'll bring him in in the winter because it gets extremely cold here."
Tripod followed them around as Jack showed Julia the rest of the barn. Then they went over to where Sarge, Jack's bull, was penned.
"Wow!" Julia said as she laid eyes on the huge bovine. "He's a big boy, isn't he?"
Sarge let out a loud moo.
"He certainly is," Jack said; "all twelve hundred pounds of him. He's a pretty active fellow."
"You breed him, don't you?" asked Julia.
"Sure do," Jack replied. "He's in high demand by other ranchers. But I remember when I wasn't sure he was going to make it past his first night of life."
"Why's that?"
"His mother died after giving birth to him, and those first few minutes are critical for a newborn calf," Jack explained; "The vet showed me how to hand feed him, and I did that five times a day, every day, for the first three months of his life. After that, one of my younger cows took over and weaned him. He's always liked people. Go ahead, Julia, pat his snout. He won't hurt you."
Julia patted Sarge's snout, then he dipped his head so she could pet the top of it.
"You a ladies man, Sarge?" Julia asked the bull; "All the lady cows love ole Sarge?"
"Mooooooo...."
Jack smiled. Julia had a way with animals. First the dog, now the bull. He watched as Julia talked to Sarge, and the bull seemingly responding.
"Is it true that bulls are colorblind?" asked Julia.
"That's what I've always heard," Jack said. "If Sarge had been trained for bullfighting, he might not like that red shirt you have on. But he doesn't seem to care about that. I think he just likes you."
Julia gave Sarge's head a final pat, and she and Jack moved on to the corn fields. Sarge mooed as they left.
It was out in the field that Julia saw something out of place, even there. It was an old water tower, probably once used for irrigation, but now stood empty; except for the person standing inside of it with a pair of binocular up to their face. They were camoflauged, but Julia's training took over and she saw the person who was trying to hide.
"Jack..." she said suddenly.
"What, Julia?"
"That old water tower, how long has it been out of service?"
Jack looked up and saw what Julia had seen. The person observing didn't know they had been discovered.
"It's been out of service for as long as I've lived here, Julia," Jack said. "I've chased kids away from it, and finally had to erect a fence around it to keep them out. But there's someone in it now watching us, but they don't know I've seen them."
"I saw them, too," Julia said. "We're definitely being watched."
"Not for long," Jack said, pulling a pistol out of the waistband of his jeans. He unlocked the safety and pointed it in the air and fired.
They both saw a figure jump from the water tower, but didn't see them run off.
"They're injured," Jack said running for the tower. "That's a ten foot drop!"
Julia ran along side of Jack, keeping up with him with no trouble. When they got to the fence surrounding the tower, they saw that the fence had been cut.
They also saw two people laying on the ground. One was clearly deceased; the other was the person who jumped from the tower. It appeared that they had broken one or both legs in the fall.
"Jack, give me your pistol," Julia said. "You check out that guy over there," indicating the dead person laying just outside the fencing; "and I'll deal with this other one."
Jack handed over his gun to Julia and she went over to the person moaning in pain. She pointed the gun at the man and asked gruffly, "Who the fuck are you and what do you want?"
"I need a doctor, my leg is broken," the man said, obviously in pain.
"That's a ten foot drop according to the man who owns this property," Julia said; "If you want a doctor, you'll have to tell me a few things first."
"Like what? My name? Forget it," the man said. "I ain't tellin' you shit."
"Then I ain't gonna get you a doctor," said Julia as she still trained Jack's gun on the man.
"Come on, lady," he said; "my fucking leg's broken."
"Who do you work for and why are you watching this property?" Julia asked.
The man hedged and Julia cocked the gun.
"I'm not afraid to use this on you, pal," Julia said; "I know my way around a gun. You want a doctor, then tell me why you're here."
"I'm looking for a man named John Christopher Coltrane the Fourth," the man said; "I have information that he lives here."
"Seriously?" Julia said sarcastically; "You're looking for the former warden of the Great Lakes prison?"
"Yes," the man said, wincing.
"So you must know he died in a car accident sixteen years ago," Julia said; "you're really looking for a man who is dead? I don't believe you."
"How do you know about him, then?"
"It's my job to know those things," Julia said; "How does a twenty year prison sentence for stalking a Federal agent sound to you?"
"The guy who lives here is a Federal agent?" the man asked.
"No, asswipe," Julia said; "I am the Federal agent."
"Prove it."
Julia pulled out her Julie WhiteFeather Government ID and showed it to the man laying on the ground.
"Holy fuck," the man said. "Everything I'd been told was wrong. Now I'm going to go to prison for it."
"You have to watch who you associate with, buddy," Julia said. She then got on the phone, dialed a number, and when the party on the other end answerered, said,
"This is WhiteFeather. I need backup, FBI, BIA, Sheriff, and a bus. Address is six-ten Celine Road, Riverton. I have one dead subject and one live subject with at least one broken leg and other injuries. Yes, that's it."
To the man on the ground, she said, "Your name?"
"Nobody."
"Nice try, pal," Julia said. "I mastered Homer's Odyssey and Greek mythology when I was nine. Shall we try again, or do I have to call the nice people at FBI back and tell them to send two buses?"
"What's a bus?"
"It's how you're going to get from here to the morgue if I kill you," Julia said. "Be happy I'm letting you live. You might crack wise with me, but when the FeeBees get you, you'll behave."
"Why'd you ask for BIA?"
"Because," Julia said, "We're on Indian land, and BIA has jurisdiction."
Jack came over to where Julia stood training her gun on the prostrate man on the ground. "What's his story?"
"Looking for dead men apparently, John," she said. The fact that she called him "John" signaled to Jack that she was now "Julie WhiteFeather", and to address her as such.
"Only dead man here is that poor bastard on the ground over there," Jack said. "Electrocuted as far as I can tell. Don't you people read? There's a sign that said 'High Voltage'. This fence is electrfied for a reason," he said to the man on the ground. "You sacrifice your buddy so you can climb into an old water tower for shits and giggles?"
Soon, Jack's property was swarming with Federal, State, and local law enforcement. Julia spoke to the Feds who came out, and then her phone rang.
"WhiteFeather," she said.
"Julia. Blake. Get out of Wyoming now! Your life is in danger. Do NOT go to your next field visit in Kalispell."
"What about Christofferson?"
"Give him the instructions I gave you earlier," Peters said; "I found out more about this American Republic Movement than I ever wanted to know. They want you dead as well as Nik San Marco and Jeremiah Donovan. They want to stage a second Occupation, and you three are in their way."
"Great," Julia said sarcastically; "I can't live a normal life. I have to watch my back and my family's backs. This is something I don't need."
"Sorry, Julia," Peters said; "but these idiots mean business. And, you might want to start training your eight year old with weapons. She might need that knowledge later."
Julia sighed. This was just a simple field visit. First, the man she comes to see is her oldest daughter's biological father; then threats; now this.
"All right, Blake," Julia said. "Arrange for my return to Chicago."
"Good. Someone will meet you at Christofferson's place at 5pm local time," said Peters. "Be ready."
"Yes, sir," Julia said, and closed the call.
Jack, who had been watching all of the activity going on around the old water tower, turned to Julia, saying,
"You're going to have to leave, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am," Julia said, feeling herself getting emotional. "I'm so sorry that you got dragged into all this shit."
"It's okay, baby," Jack said as they walked back toward the house. "It's nothing I can't handle, especially if these clowns are hell bent on finding out my real identity. I can defend myself and my property. It's more important that you go and defend your family."
"How does all my careful planning get so out of whack?" asked Julia.
"That's just how life is, Julia," said Jack as they entered the house. "You'll probably never escape your past completely, just as I won't escape mine. It just concerns me that they've dragged your children into it now. Especially since I know that your daughter Mirielle is my flesh and blood. I'll help you in anyway I can, Julia. You have my word."
"Thank you, Jack," Julia said. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
"I want to meet my daughter someday," Jack said; "When all this crap is over."
"I'm sure she'll want to meet you as well," replied Julia. "She has a lot of questions that I can't answer. Lately, it's about her health history from your side. She was filling out college apps and they attach health information forms on them."
"She's fifteen and going to college?"
"She's applying for early admission," Julia said. "She can graduate from high school as soon as next spring, when she's sixteen."
"I'll get my health history together and get it to you somehow," Jack said;
"That card I gave you has a secure email address on it," Julia said; "When you hit send, it will ask for a code. The code is Miri's date of birth, or 123018."
"Got it," Jack said, jotting down the code and placing it in a hidden compartment in his desk. "I wish I could take you home myself, but it's probably best I stay here."
"For now, yes," Julia said. "Keep up appearances and all that. I have a shitload of questions to ask the CIA when I have my meeting with them."
"Let me know how that goes, Julia," Jack said. "And if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."
"We're finally on the same side," Julia said softly. "What a change from when we first met."
Jack took Julia into his arms, saying, "Yes, it is, my darling. Yes it is."
"We need to get them here sooner than the seventeenth!" the General bellowed. "These bastards are definitely not playing around!"
"What's going on?" the President asked.
"There's someone stalking Julia Summers, and she found two men on the property of a man she went to visit in the course of doing her job for DHS," the General said. "And, there may be one staking out the summer camp two of her children and a niece are attending until after the July 4th holiday."
"Anyone shadowing other members of The Triad?" the Commander asked.
"Besides Nik San Marco's daughter," the General said; "we've received word that his oldest son might have been, because someone was picked up outside the apartment complex in Charlottesville where he lives while at school. And, it looks like a female A.R.M. operative is shadowing Jeremiah's wife, who is doing her residency at Loyola's hospital."
"Any stats on her?" the President asked, "so we can possibly provide her with protection."
The Commander read from a file:
NAME: DONOVAN, JASMINE RENAY CANTRELL
DOB: 24 JUNE, 1994
AGE: 40
MARTIAL STATUS: MARRIED
SPOUSE: DONOVAN, JEREMIAH MATTHEW
CHILDREN:
DONOVAN, ADRIANA ANTONIA, DOB 14 FEBRUARY, 2017
DONOVAN, ADAM JOSEPH, DOB 29 MAY, 2020
DONOVAN, ARIELLE ANTONIA, DOB 5 AUGUST, 2022
DONOVAN, AALIYAH ANTONIA, DOB 1 JUNE, 2026
SIBLINGS:
CANTRELL, JOHANNA CLARE
HARRIS, JA'NETTE RISHELLE CANTRELL
PEAKE, JULINAH QUINCY CANTRELL
CANTRELL, JERROD PERCY II
PARENTS:
CANTRELL, JERROD PERCY
CANTRELL, LISA GALE SMITH
CURRENT OCCUPATION: PHYSICIAN
"There are pictures in the file as well," the Commander said; "A family portrait; of her parents; her brother and his family; one sister." The Commander passed them around.
"Nice looking family," the President said; "I don't have to tell you gentlemen that Jeremiah Donovan is probably going to be stalked through his wife. A.R.M. is trying to distract what they are calling 'The Triad' from getting in their way."
"Then we need to get Summers, Donovan and San Marco here sooner than the seventeenth of July," the General said; "Letters will be sent to them today with everyone's approval."
The assembly nodded, and the General informed the secretary to draft the letters immediately and get them out in that evening's mail.
The meeting adjourned with the President shaking his head. A new Occupation? Heroes of the Resistance being stalked and targetted along with their families? Julia Summers is a Federal agent; whoever is doing this will see some serious Federal prison time, he thought.
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