Chapter 74

I

Kimber knew this meant something significant. And, being Kimber, did the only thing she knew to do.

She panicked.

Jamey wasn’t home, and her parents weren’t due in town for another week. She got on the phone and called the only other person she could ask besides her doctor.

As soon as Julia answered the phone, Kimber babbled a bunch of stuff that, to her sister, made little to no sense. The only things that Julia could pick out was “water broke” and “Drew”.

“Kimber!” she yelled into the phone, “For the love of God will you calm the hell down?” When Kimber calmed herself, Julia continued, “Now, tell me, slowly, what’s going on.”

Kimber told Julia that her water had broken, Jamey wasn’t home, and that she had been told to get herself to the hospital if her water broke.

“Lucky for you, Kimberlin,” said Julia, “I’m still at the house on the compound. I’ll be over in twenty minutes. In the meantime, call Jamey and have him meet you at the hospital.”

“Okay, Jules,” Kimber said, feeling a little better. “I can do that.”

“Good,” replied Julia; “I’m leaving right now. Jasmine is here and she can watch the kids.”

Kimber hung up before she heard Julia say goodbye and called Jamey, who had been at the paper all night.

“Jamey,” she said calmly, “my water broke. Meet me and Julia at the hospital. She’s on her way over.”

“I thought your doctor said you wouldn’t deliver until next week,” Jamey said, confused.

“Drew has other ideas,” Kimber said. “I’ll see you at the hospital, okay?”

“Okay,” Jamey said; “Kimber, everything is going to be fine. We’re just going to get to meet our son sooner than we thought.”

“I know,” said Kimber.

She then hung up and called her mother.

“Mom!” she said as soon as Jordan said hello, “Drew is coming!”

“You told us that we could get there next week, no problem,” Jordan said; “What happened?”

“My water broke, Julia’s on her way over, and Jamey’s going to meet us at the hospital,” Kimber said, starting to get worked up again. “I’m scared, Mom!”

“Kimberlin, you’re going to be fine,” Jordan said calmly; “You’re not the first woman to give birth, you know.”

“Mom, I know that, but what if something goes wrong?”

“You have to trust your doctors, okay? Drew is going to be fine, and so will you,” Jordan said; “It’s a little scary the first time. You can do this, Kimber. Drew is counting on it.”

“Okay, Mom,” Kimber said. “I’ll try not to freak out on Julia or Jamey or my doctor.”

“Good,” said Jordan; “Let me go so Dad and I can figure out if we can get a flight out tonight or tomorrow. We’ll be there soon.”

“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best!”

“Your son will be saying that to you one day, guaranteed,” Jordan said.

Kimber closed out the call, then hoisted herself off the bed to find something to put between her legs to keep the seat of Julia’s car dry on the trip to the hospital.

===

“So she’s going to deliver a little earlier than she thought?” asked David.

“Apparently so,” replied Jordan. “Check and see if there are any flights out of ABIA tonight or tomorrow morning, please.”

“On it,” David said, jumping on his iPad and scrolling through his saved list of airlines that flew out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Jordan, meanwhile, went upstairs to pack hers and David’s clothes, call Niki and Drake to let them know that Kimber was having her baby, and her boys to tell them that she and David would be out of town and to watch the house.

Once those chores were out of the way, David came into the bedroom and told her that there was a flight at two-thirty to Chicago-O’Hare.

“So in just a couple of hours?” asked Jordan.

“No, Jord; two-thirty in the damn morning,”

“That’s the earliest one?” asked Jordan.

“No, but we won’t make it. It takes off in twenty minutes,” David said. “It will take us that long to get to the interstate from here.”

“Well, crap,” said Jordan. “I guess we’ll have to take the two in the morning flight. That means we have to be at the airport three hours ahead of time.”

“You think our grandson will have arrived by then?”

Jordan looked at her husband and sighed, “Your guess is as good as mine, David.”

===

Little sisters and their assorted problems, Julia thought as she went into the kitchen to talk to Jasmine.

“Who was on the phone, Julia?” asked Jasmine.

“Kimber,” Julia said; “Her water broke and she’s freaking out. Can you stay and watch the kids while I go calm little sister down?”

“Sure,” Jasmine said without hesitation. “I have the day off and Aaliyah will be thrilled to get to spend the whole day with Rachel. I swear, those two are so close, what’s going to happen when they go to college?”

“They’ve already planned that, I’m sure,” Julia said; “Whether it will still work out that way 6 to 8 years from now is the question.”

“You’re probably right,” Jasmine laughed. “Not even my older girls are that close. I’m pretty sure that Arielle doesn’t want to go to college anywhere near Oklahoma! And Adam and Zach have next to nothing in common except oogling at girls.”

Julia was doing things in the kitchen while Jasmine was talking. The move to the new house in Belvidere was almost complete, and Julia couldn’t wait to get settled in up there. But first, she had to calm down the soon to deliver younger half of her twin half sisters.

Kimber, she thought, you’ve always made a bigger deal of things than they actually are. Giving birth will be a piece of cake compared to, say, spending a couple of nights in an Occupationist prison with me when you and Niki were three years old.

And Julia sighed.

===

II

The housekeeper who came in at 6am every weekday morning was not expecting to not see Mr. Ross already up and working. She knew that something was very wrong when her employer was not at the kitchen table, reading the days news on his tablet.

“Senor Ross?” she called out in broken English; “Are you here?”

No answer.

She went to the bedroom and knocked on the door. Again, no answer.

“Senor Ross? It Rosalia. Are you awake, Senor?”

Rosalia tried the doorhandle, and it was unlocked. That was also strange. If Mr. Ross was still sleeping, the door would be locked.

She opened the door and saw Mr. Ross sleeping, and turned to leave the room. Something about the scene unsettled her, however, and went over to the bed.

He lay there on his back, his eyes wide open. His skin was a bluish color. She stepped away from the bed saying,

“Oh, Dios mio! Esta muerto!”

She left the room quickly and headed to the kitchen. After dry heaving into the sink, she grabbed the secure phone that Mr. Ross left on the kitchen counter and called Emergency Services.

“Arlington County 9-1-1. What is your emergency?”

“I need ambulance at Collins House,” Rosalia said. “Someone has died here.”

“I will send someone over immediately. Please stay on the line until they arrive.”

“Yes. Yes I will.”

It was not a long wait. Along with the ambulance and emergency techs, several Secret Service agents also arrived. A female agent spoke with Rosalia in Spanish about what she found, and two male agents went into Mr. Ross’ bedroom. Laying on the bedside table opposite of where the body lay, was a sealed envelope that said on the front: “People to be contacted about my death.” The back of the envelope had Jacob Ross’ unique signature.

“Poor bastard,” one agent said to another, “after all he’s been through in his life, he dies in bed at home. At least he and his wife will finally be together again.”

“So, who wants to call the people whose names are undoubtedly on this list,” the second agent said. “His children, Draiman, Dixon, and those are the ones I know for sure.”

“Didn’t his sister die not too long ago?” the first agent asked.

“Yes. Miranda Cooper, Christine Collins-Ross’ Chief of Staff,” the second agent said; “She had a very aggressive form of cancer from what I understand. Mr. Ross didn’t react well to her death.”

“I suppose we should tell Jordan Terranova as well.”

“She is married to David Draiman, after all, so she’ll find out.”

“What about that cute, young redhead Mr. Ross had been seeing until recently?” the first agent asked. “She should probably know about this. I think her name was Christine, too.”

“Her name and contact info might be in the envelope,” the second agent said.

Just then, the emergency technicians came to remove Jacob Ross’ earthly remains. The agents ended their conversation and stood in silence as the body of the husband of the Interim President was taken away.

They then left the room, closing the door behind them.

===

She woke up that morning, determined to turn the DeWitt family upside down.

But, Chastity knew that she had to fool them into thinking she was Kathryn.

She got great delight sleeping with Christian DeWitt. Maybe I can blackmail him into resuming his financial backing of A.R.M., she thought. Wouldn’t that be a gas!

He, however was still sleeping, so Chastity made her way down the hall to wake Kathryn’s daughters and get them ready for school. It was the only thing she hated about pretending to be that weak bitch Kathryn; to actually have to be a mother to those little bitches.

Fortunately, she had all the names straight, so when she tapped on Lili’s door, she called out, “Lili, time to get up for school.”

“Okay, Mama,” the six year old said sleepily. Chastity smiled to herself as she did the same thing for Erin and Helene.

Only Helene got the feeling that her mother wasn’t her mother, but her mother’s alter pretending to be her mother. Helene wisely held her tongue. The 13 year old had a plan if Chastity got nasty.  

The girls got their own breakfasts and got themselves ready to meet their buses, all Chastity had to do was wait for them to leave. It was the kisses goodbye that made her want to gag, and Lili saying, “I love you, Mom!”

After they were gone, Chastity went back to bed and snuggled up against Christian, hoping he got the message that she wanted to fuck.

That was the thing she hated most about Kathryn; that she was so square and loyal. She only wanted Christian. Chastity wanted as many men as possible, preferably all at the same time.

She fell back to sleep with a smile on her face. She had no idea that her time would be coming to an end for good.

===

III

Kimber was fussing the whole way to Loyola Hospital. It was driving Julia up the wall.

“Kimber, it’s going to be all right, really,” Julia was saying. “Quit acting like you’re the only one having a baby today.”

“But I’m scared and nervous, Julia,” Kimber whined; “What if something goes wrong? What if I can’t do it?”

“Oh, for the love of GOD, Kimber!” Julia said; “Will you quit with the fussing? You’re going to be fine.”

“I’ve never had a baby before, Julia! I’m scared!”

“And you honestly think I wasn’t when I had Miri?” asked Julia; “With all the drama that preceded her arrival? I was younger than you are now at the time!”

“I know, but you’ve always been so calm about these things.”

Julia parked the car, and Kimber went on and on about her fears, being nervous, and generally just wouldn’t shut up.

Just before they got out of the car, Julia looked at her sister and asked, “Kimber, look at me for sec, would you?”

Turning around in her seat the best she could, Kimber looked at Julia, thinking that her sister was going to impart some wisdom that having four children had given her.

Instead, Julia said, “Kimber, please don’t take this the wrong way, but...”

Then Julia slapped her sister across the face. Hard.

When Kimber recovered, she asked, “What the hell did you do that for, Jules?”

“To knock some sense into you,” Julia said unapologetically; “Do you realize how stupid you sounded? I know you and Jamey have been taking a childbirth course, so use what you learned there to get your baby out into the world. It’s not helping him, or you, to get all worked up over a totally natural process. Do I make myself perfectly clear, little sister?”

As she rubbed the side of her face, Kimber said meekly, “Yes, Jules. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Julia said; “Now, let’s get into the maternity ward so I can meet my nephew, okay?”

===

Jamey waited inside the doors of the emergency room for Kimber and Julia to make their way inside.

“They’re all ready for you upstairs, Kimber,” he said; “Julia, thanks for bringing Kimber. I couldn’t see her taking a cab here.”

“I’d have driven all the way from Belvidere at breakneck speed so that Kimber didn’t have to entrust her safety and the well being of your son to a Chicago cabbie!” Julia said. “Now, lets go have a baby.”

Jamey laughed. Kimber, however, was in the middle of having her first real contraction. “Breathe, Kimber...” Jamey said gently. He looked at his watch, then back at Kimber. “Let me know when the next one starts so I can time it.”

“Okay,” Kimber said as the three of them got into the elevator to go to the third floor.

It was going to be a long day.

===

“We’ll call Draiman first,” the head Secret Service agent said once the envelope that was found besides Jacob Ross’ bed was opened. It had contained not only a list of people to contact, but instructions on where to obtain his will. “He will tell his wife, then perhaps she’ll tell her daughter. Then we’ll call JT Collins-Ross and inform him as well.”

A name that wasn’t familiar to the Secret Service was that of Christine Travis. Her information was also listed on Jacob Ross’ list. “Bring up any information we have about her,” the head agent said. “I have a feeling I know who she is, but let’s be sure.”

Within seconds, Christine Travis’ picture, information, and contact info appeared on a large screen.

“Christine Travis, Sergeant, U.S. Army; currently attached to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She’s a nurse, single, born September 11, 2001. She’s five-foot-eleven, blue eyes, red hair. Lives in Arlington,” the agent read. “She was a close friend to Mr. Ross during the last three months of his life. Whether there was a relationship between them, or just friendship, our information does not state.”

“We will contact her in that case. If Mr. Ross thought enough of her to include her, then we should inform her of his passing,” said the head agent. The others agreed.

But something about Sgt. Travis bothered the head agent, though he did not give voice to his concerns.

She looks just like my daughter-in-law, he thought. Could she be Brittyn’s missing twin? Same height, hair color, coloring, about the same weight. Same fucking birthday! This is too weird to be a coincidence.

He decided that he would pursue it at another time.

===

IV

Kathryn woke with a start. She looked over at the bedside clock and saw that it was eleven in the morning. She had not only slept through the time she got the girls up for school, but her ten-am appointment with Cameron as well. Christian was already up and working in his home office.

She got her robe on and went to see Christian.

“Why didn’t you wake me to get the girls ready for school?” she asked him from the doorway. “I missed my appointment with Cameron, too.”

“Cameron called and rescheduled for tomorrow, saying an emergency with another patient would cause her to miss her appointment with you,” Christian said; “And you did get up and get the girls off to school. I figured you were tired and let you sleep in after the girls had left.”

“Why don’t I remember getting up, then?”

“You slept like a rock last night,” Christian said; “It’s rare that you sleep so soundly. You must have been tired.”

“Even so, I’d remember getting up at 7am,” Kathryn said.

Not if I was the one who got up with your precious little bitches, sister! Kathryn heard in her head. I am going to take over your boring little life and live my life as you. I’d like to see you or Cameron or Christian try and stop me!

Go away, Chastity!

Your girls have no idea it was I who got them up for school this morning, Chastity taunted Kathryn; no clue at all. And I’m going to make Christian forget all about you! He’ll gladly back my organization again after I get done fucking with him!

He’ll see right through you!

Wanna bet, sister!

Then that laugh. Kathryn would be happy if she never had to hear that laugh ever again.

She had no idea that her fondest wish would come true sooner than anyone thought.

===

Several hours later, Kimber was getting closer to pushing her son out into the world.

Julia had gone home after about four hours, so it was just Kimber, Jamey, and some nurses. Kimber had gotten an epidural, so the pains were not as intense as they had been. But, the medicine was wearing off and Kimber could feel everything.

After three hours of being told not to push, it was finally time to push. “Now, Kimber,” her doctor said, “when the next contraction begins, Jamey will help you sit up so you can push. Hold it to the count of ten, then relax. This might take a while, so don’t wear yourself out these first few times.”

It took two more hours for Andrew James Draiman-Duncan to be born, but as soon as he was out, Jamey cut the cord and placed the still wet infant on Kimber’s chest.

Kimber couldn’t stop crying. Her son was perfect! Dark brown curls, and lots of them. He was a big boy, and when they weighed him later, she couldn’t believe that she had given birth to a nine-pound, fourteen ounce child!

“Well, hello there, bruiser,” she said softly; “you’re certainly a big boy, aren’t you? This must be a Terranova thing, because I doubt the Draimans had big guys like you.”

“Hey!” Jamey said playfully, admiring his son; “I was no slouch in the birthweight department you know! But not even I was almost ten pounds at birth!”

“All my Terranova uncles were all over six feet tall,” Kimber said; to her newborn son, she said, “You’re gonna dwarf grandpa, Drew, I know you are!”

“How tall is your dad, anyway?” asked Jamey.

“Five-eight or nine, I don’t remember,” Kimber said; “He’s a little taller than me and Niki.”

“We should call Niki and Drake and your brothers and tell them Drew is here.”

Kimber looked lovingly at her son. “Naah, let’s just enjoy him for a while before we tell anyone.”

Jamey nodded in agreement.

===

At eleven that night, just as they were heading out to the airport, David’s secure phone rang.

“Maybe it’s Jamey calling to tell us that the baby’s arrived?” Jordan said, not bothering to hide her excitement.

David looked at the display. All it said was “US GOVERNMENT”. He knew it wasn’t the call they’d been expecting.

“It’s not Jamey, Jord,” he said; “It’s someone from the government. I wonder what they want this late at night?”

Flipping the phone open, David said, “Draiman. Talk to me.”

“Mr. Draiman, this is Agent Parkerson with the Secret Service. We have been informed that Jacob Ross passed away very early this morning, Washington time.”

What, David thought; Jacob is dead?

“Have his children been informed?” was all he thought to ask.

“We have other agents making those calls now,” Agent Parkerson said; “I’m the lead agent in charge of Mr. Ross’ detail. I felt it was my duty to inform you of his passing.”

“Thank you for calling, Agent Parkerson,” David said and closed out the call.

“Have Julia and JT been informed of what, David?” asked Jordan. “It’s about Jacob, isn’t it? He had a Secret Service detail.”

“Jord, Jacob died this morning. His body finally gave out.”

“Oh, my God!” Jordan said; “I think this is worse than when I’d been told he died before Julia was born.” She buried her head in her hands and sobbed for the first man who loved her so completely; for the man who gave her their only child together; for the friend he was after everything was over.

David put his around Jordan’s shoulder and pulled her to him and allowed her to cry against him.

He couldn’t believe that the man who was willing to give his life at any time for him was truly gone. David had always said that Jacob, then known as Morbus the Sickness, was indestructible. His body had taken an extraordinary amount of abuse, and still managed to live nearly seven decades. His friend since before the beginning of the Occupation, when he was still known by his birth name of Jacob Rossman.

At least he and Christine will finally be together, David thought as he comforted Jordan; she had a longer history with Jacob than even he did. A relationship that brought forth a child. An extraordinary child, now a mother herself.

“Jord, we’re going to have to tell Julia her father is gone,” he said.
Jordan looked up at David, tears still streaming from her eyes, and said, “Let me tell her.”

“Fair enough,” he agreed. “So, today we’ve had a death and possibly a birth. It’s just the cycle of life, Jordan. It happens every day. Not to us, but maybe it’s just our turn to feel it firsthand. Let’s get to the airport now.”

Jordan nodded and David started the car up the sloped driveway that led to the street.

===