Chapter 61

I

The Dixons arrived at the ship with plenty of time to spare. It wasn’t due to sail until 8am, so they still had 45 minutes to get situated in their stateroom overlooking the water.

They met with the concierge, a statuesque woman named Mariah. “It’s an honor to have the CIA Director and your wife on board for our maiden voyage,” she told them. “If there is anything we can do to make your stay onboard more comfortable, please don’t hesitate to let us know. That’s why we’re here.”

“We’re looking forward to it,” Natasha said pleasantly; “I’ve never been on a cruise, and never been to the Bahamas. This is a new experience for me, and I intend to enjoy every second of it!”

“We’re newlyweds, Mariah,” Darren said. “We were married yesterday in Washington. So pardon us if we seem to be a little more enthusiastic than other couples our age. I waited a lifetime for this woman, and I don’t intend to let her down.”

“Darren!” Natasha said playfully. “We don’t need to be boring Mariah with all the gory details!”

“I’ve been in this industry a while, and newlyweds of all ages are just as enthusiastic as you two are, Mrs. Dixon,” Mariah said. “Our job is to make sure you have fun. By the way, Mr. Director, you and your wife will be dining with the Captain this evening. He insisted upon it when he learned you would be onboard.”

“We’ll be there with bells on, Mariah, don’t you worry about that,” Darren said. “I think I can speak for my wife that we’re looking forward to it.”

“Very good,” Mariah said; “The bellman will show you to your stateroom so you can get settled before we sail. Then you can explore the ship to your hearts content. Even I haven’t seen all the bells and whistles this ole gal has!”

“You said this was her maiden voyage,” Natasha said; “When was she christened?”

“In January, ma’am. January 12th, I believe.”

Natasha just nodded and the bellman arrived to take the Dixons and their luggage to their stateroom.


After they were gone, Mariah let out a huge sigh. This would be the most difficult assignment she’d ever taken on in any capacity. To see an old friend everyday for three weeks and not be able to tell her who she really was.

She had to admit, though, that Natasha looked great. And her new husband was a handsome devil.

Her job was to make sure nothing happened to them. She’d sacrifice her life for her friend.

Even if Vixen doesn’t realize I’m really Kylee, she thought.  

===

Edward was really beginning to hate his life in Hawaii.

Since escaping there to deal with his failures and mistakes, he had bought into the hotel he was staying in. He now had a majority share, and that came with a penthouse suite with a magnificent view of the Pacific.

He moved into the penthouse the week following his purchase of the majority share from the conglomerate that owned it. They would still run the business side of things, while Edward would have the final say in anything major.

He found himself immediately surrounded by beautiful women, hoping the handsome older gentleman would take one of them up to his suite. Edward likened them to gold diggers and paid them no mind. There was only one woman he wanted, that he needed more than anything on this earth.

She was still in Chicago, raising her family, trying to deal with the death of her husband and Edward’s own disappearance.

Often, Edward Marshall found himself on the balcony of his suite, staring out at the gorgeous blue-green ocean, wondering if his life would be different if he could have talked her into coming with him.

But, being the person she was, she had obligations, including 3 children, a job, and a life. How could he have asked her to give that all up for him?

It was his breaking of the promise he made to her that kept him away from her. In his mind, he didn’t deserve her; didn’t feel worthy of her love. He damned himself to hell and back over his inability to keep his word to her.

Still, he thought about her, how she made him feel more free than anyone before her. All things were possible when he stared into her green eyes and felt her lips on his.

Oh, God....Edward!

He closed his eyes, thinking of the last time they made love, when she gasped those words to him during her climax. It was the most beautiful sound in the world to him.

It had been six months since he heard those words; a couple of weeks or so since he last saw her on the beach while he was unknowingly running from the SpineSplitter herself.

Nicoletta, he thought sadly, save me! This life is nothing without you!

Then he had to consider that she had to move on from him, perhaps to someone who could be there for her, and not sitting in a penthouse suite in Hawaii dreaming about her.

He would still be obsessed with her, daydream about her. He decided to look her up on the internet to see if he could find her.

It didn’t take long. He found her right away.

She was the new Chicago Police spokeswoman. An article in the online Times-Tribune in Chicago had a quote from her in regards to a recent arrest.

“According to Police Department spokeswoman Nicoletta Nichols, the suspects were now in custody... ‘We have purposely refrained from making certain details public about the crime, and these individuals felt free enough to brag about their crime spree...’”


Ahh, sweet Nicoletta, Edward thought. You did decide to go back after all.

He went back out to the balcony and whispered his wishes to the wind, hoping that maybe, she’d hear them.

All it took was an open heart.

===

She still thought about Eddie when she least expected it.

Her dreams were still filled with images of them together.

She could still hear his voice in her ears: my beautiful green eyed girl...

Nico struggled to push past Eddie’s memory. She was convinced that she would never see him again, and that he didn’t even give her much thought. Life had to go on, so when Capt. Castillo offered her the Police spokesperson position, Nico jumped on it. No more undercover work; no sitting in a patrol car for endless hours of stakeouts; and she could wear regular business attire instead of a uniform. And it was more money than she was making before as a Sergeant.

She was now Lt. Nicoletta Nichols, Chicago P.D.

This was in addition to the one-million dollars that Eddie gave her. No one, not even her grandmother, knew about the money.

Nico was saving that money for her kids college funds and her own retirement fund.

She loved her new job, but she felt everyday was still a struggle. Not having Steve there as her sounding board was hard. The kids were still adjusting to their father being gone, but were coping well.

And Eddie was always right there, in the back of her mind, waiting patiently for the next opportunity to invade her dreams.

===

II

Julia woke up late that morning. She was surprised she had slept so long.

I thought I was just going to take a nap before the fireworks, she thought as she ran her fingers through the hair that used to be there. Oh, yeah, no hair. Silly me. I forgot.

Instead, she had slept from about 7pm until 10am the following day. And she wasn’t even on medication to help her sleep.

Wonder what I missed besides fireworks? Julia asked herself. Did the kids come to visit and I slept through it?

A nurse walked into her room, saying, “Good morning, Mrs. Summers. You certainly slept a long time!”

“When do I get to go home?” Julia asked.

“Your doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse, a young woman about 23, said. “The CIA Director and his wife came to visit last night, but you were sleeping. They just wanted to let you know they stopped by.”

“Well, damn,” Julia said; “I would have had liked to have seen them before they went on their honeymoon, but I guess I needed the rest more.”

“From what I was told, Mrs. Dixon is very tall and very blonde,” the nurse said.

“That sounds like Natasha,” Julia said pleasantly; “I’m sorry I missed them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the nurse said as she turned to leave.

Julia noticed that the nurse didn’t bring any meds with her. “No medication this morning, nurse?”

“There wasn’t an order for any, Mrs. Summers, but I’ll certainly check on that for you,” said the nurse.

“Let me speak with the doctor first, but thanks for being so helpful.”

The nurse then left and Julia was left thinking, maybe they’re getting ready to release me from this hell.

Not five minutes later, the doctor came in.

“Mrs. Summers, you certainly have friends in high places,” he said.


“What makes you say that?” asked Julia.

“I got a call from Director Dixon yesterday asking that if we were done with you here, to please release you,” said the doctor. “So we’re going to discharge you today so you can spend time with your family who came to town for the Director’s wedding. You’ll need to see a doctor in Chicago, but as far as you being here, we can let you go.”

“Well thank you,” Julia said; “I know I wasn’t the most pleasant patient you’ve had here, but I’m glad to be leaving. I have a ton of apologies to make.”

The doctor gave Julia instructions for follow up care once she returned home, then gave her discharge papers, saying that when “Maj. San Marco arrives, you are free to go.”

Julia only smiled. She didn’t particularly care for this doctor, though she realized that she would miss seeing Sgt. Travis.

“Doctor, would you give my thanks to Sgt. Christine Travis for me?” asked Julia; “She made my stay here bearable.”

“She’s on leave for a month, Mrs. Summers,” the doctor said, “but I will make sure she gets the message upon her return.”

Then he left the room.

Killjoy, Julia thought. He isn’t going to leave Christine a message. She’d have to seek out the sergeant on her own.

Julia would be very surprised how she would find Sgt. Travis. But not really surprised who she would be found with.

===

About an hour later, Nik came through the door of Julia’s room. 


“You ready to go, little sister?” he asked.

“You haven’t called me ‘little sister’ in years, Nik,” Julia laughed. “And yes, I’m ready to blow this joint. Only thing is, I don’t have anything to wear but what I came here with.”

“Well, then you’ll be happy to know that I brought these,” Nik laid out a pair of jeans and a tshirt on the bed, then said, “and your daughters, Kate, Jordan and Niki are taking you shopping,” Nik said, sporting his trademark goofball grin. “We’re all staying here through the weekend. But, before the big shopping trip, Jere and I need to talk to you about the car you were driving when you were found in Virginia.”

“What car?” asked Julia.

“We’ll talk about that later, okay?”

“Yeah, whatever, Nik,” Julia said. “Just get me the hell out of my own personal ring in Dante’s Inferno!”

“If you would like to change, we’ll leave when you’re ready.”

After she changed clothes, they left. Julia was never so glad to get out of anywhere as she was to get out of the Government Employees ward at Walter Reed.

===

“When’s Mom going to get here?” asked Rachel impatiently.

“When she gets here, Rachel,” Miri said. “Why are you so impatient?”

“Because I didn’t get to go to the hospital and see her like you did, Miri,” Rachel said, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

“Girls,” David growled at his granddaughters, “that’s quite enough, thank you.”

“Sorry, Granpa David,” Miri said.

Rachel said nothing.

“I know this has been hard for you to not see your mother,” Jordan said; “But she’ll be here soon, and we’ll spend the whole day with her. We’re going to have a great time.”

“Promise, Nonna Jordan?” Jaime asked. “We’ll get to spend the whole day with Mom?”

“She needs clothes, and we’re going to take her shopping with Niki and Aunt Kate,” Jordan said. “It will be fun. You do like shopping, right?”

“Yeah,” Jaime said; “But why doesn’t Mom have clothes with her?”

“Because she left with what she wore the night she disappeared, and she doesn’t have any other clothes with her,” Jordan explained. “Uncle Nik took her a pair of jeans and a shirt from her closet at home and took them to her when he went to pick her up at the hospital.”

“Oh,” Jaime said.

“I like shopping,” Rachel said. “Can Aaliyah come? Please?”

“I think Aaliyah’s family is leaving today,” David said. “After her father and Uncle Nik talk to your mom. But I think we could at least ask.”

“Maybe all the Donovan girls could come, and you guys can hang out here or do something on your own,” Jordan suggested.

“I’ll go call Jere and ask,” David said.

Zach looked at his baby sister and asked, “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” asked Rachel.

“Get your way.”

“I don’t know, brother,” Rachel said.

“Right, Rach,” Zach said; “and I’m Santa Claus.”

“Zach, shut up,” Miri said. “At least you get to hang out with the guys today.”

“Yeah, and you don’t!”

Jordan just rolled her eyes. She was remembering similar conversations between her kids. The boys were especially bad at the one-upmanship game. They were still goading each other at nearly 19 years old. Though since being around a lot of the family, they’ve been perfect gentlemen. Even Tracy Kay Donovan was impressed. She had last seen them when they were about four.

Soon, Julia would be there and Jordan was going to give her a hug her daughter would never forget.

===

III

Julia got into the rented car that Nik had and they went to a hotel just west of the White House.

“Where are we going, Nik?” she asked.

“To see Jere and talk about the car you were driving when you were found in Virginia Beach,” was all that Nik said.

“Is this where the kids are?”

“No, your family, Jordan and David, Niki and Drake, and my family are at another hotel,” Nik said; “Jere made his reservations too late to be in the same one, so they’re staying where we’re going. Joe and his family are there as well.”

“Oh,” was all that Julia said.

She didn’t really like the sound of that. Usually, Nik was up front and honest with her. I must be in some deep shit for Nik to act like this towards me, she thought.

They arrived at the hotel, and Jeremiah was waiting in the lobby. He gave Julia a hug and said, “It’s been a long strange trip, little sister, but it’s almost over.”

Julia seized on that and asked, “Okay, you two, what’s up with all this ‘little sister’ shit?”

“I got us a meeting room,” Jeremiah said; “It’s not just going to be the three of us, Julia. FBI and Darren’s Number Two will be there, too.”

For the first time since she had been working for the government, Julia felt scared. What are they going to do to me? she thought.

“Wait!” Julia said before the three of them entered the meeting room; “Will one of you give me some idea what I’m about to walk into?”

“Jules,” Nik said; “do you know what they found in the car you were driving?”

“Nik, I don’t remember anything before waking up at Walter Reed,” Julia said.  

“Sis, they found weapons that could have wiped the Commonwealth of Virginia off the fuckin’ map!” Jeremiah said; “One of the things they’re going to ask you is where in the hell did you get a rocket launcher and a high powered sniper rifle?”

Julia knew the only place that those kind of weapons were stored was in the basement of Ryan’s parents house in Riley, Minnesota. She and Ryan started stockpiling them after she returned from Great Lakes and before Miri was born. When Julia was on bed rest, Ryan took over the operation in the event that the Occupation became all out war.

I was in Riley? she asked herself; then the car must have been...

“Jules, they’re waiting for us,” Jeremiah said; “They will have questions, and they’ll want answers. You’ve been granted immunity, so they’re not going to throw you in prison or anything. That was one of the things that Darren Dixon insisted on. That you have immunity.”

Julia looked at Nik, then at Jeremiah.

“Even if they don’t throw me in prison, I’m in a heap of trouble, aren’t I?”

“Just talk to them, Jules,” Nik said gently. “You might be surprised.”

Julia sighed and they walked into the meeting room.

===

As she was seated, the head of the FBI, and Darren Dixon’s Assistant Director fired questions at her.

“How did you get the weapons, Mrs. Summers?”

“Why did you have such powerful weapons at your disposal?”

“Who were you chasing that required such firepower?”

Julia just looked at them and said, “First of all, I have an approximate three week gap in my memory. It’s called lacunar amnesia. I may never remember anything about that stretch of time. I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability, but please don’t push me. It won’t make me remember anything more.”

“Mrs. Summers,” said FBI Director Gagnon, “We’re aware of your diagnosis. Personally, I think it’s a crock of shit, but we still need you to answer these questions for us.”

“With all due respect, Director Gagnon,” Julia said; “I don’t think too highly of you, either. I’ll answer the questions to the best of my ability. You’ll just have to be happy with that.”

The FBI Director just looked at the petite woman who sat before him. He had the feeling he just pissed her off. Gagnon 1, Summers 0, he thought to himself.

“So, Mrs. Summers, where did you get the weapons we found in the car?” he asked with a sneer.

“What were you doing during the Occupation, Mr. Director?” asked Julia.

“I was with the Resistance, of course.”

“And as part of being with the Resistance, did you stockpile weapons to use against the New Army?”

“Of course we did. What does this have to do with what I asked you?” Gagnon asked.

“Because my late husband, Ryan Summers, and I did the same thing,” Julia said; “We stored weapons in the basement of his mother’s house in Minnesota. She didn’t know what’s what her son was doing. It would have made her nervous. And yes, we stored sniper riles there. The rocket launcher was a later addition. You might want to ask Jacob Ross about that. He’s the one who gave the authorization for Ryan to take it. Unless of course, you don’t want to follow up with the man once known as Morbus the Sickness.”

Damn, Gagnon thought; Tied one all.

“Why did you take the rocket launcher?” asked CIA Assistant Director Gary Scott. He was a small man of about 60 years of age with red hair. He reminded Julia of a really ugly clown, complete with a big nose that dominated the man’s face. Makeup wouldn’t have helped this man, clown or otherwise.

“I don’t remember that, Mr. Assistant Director,” Julia said; “I don’t remember anything about being in Riley, Minnesota. The last time I remember being there was for my husband’s burial.”

“I see,” Scott said, though Julia was sure he didn’t.

“Who were you chasing with all that weaponry?” This from Gagnon.

“I have no idea,” Julia said. “I really and truly don’t have any idea, Director Gagnon. A ghost apparently because I obviously didn’t find them.”

Summers 2, Gagnon 1, he thought.

“Your hair, Mrs. Summer? Or rather, the lack thereof?” asked Scott.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Julia replied; “All I know is that it was apparently at my request. To whom, or why, I don’t remember.”

Gagnon sighed audibly, thinking, Summers: Game, Set, Match.

Nik had to suppress a laugh. Jeremiah just shot him a dirty look. Nik returned the look as if to ask, “What?”

“If there aren’t any more questions, gentlemen,” Julia said; “I haven’t seen my family for a month. I missed my sister’s wedding, and I have a pregnant sister back in Chicago on bedrest. Oh, and I owe my parents a huge apology. So if I may please leave?”

“We haven’t discussed any punishment,” Gagnon said.

“No charges, remember, Frank?” Scott said; “By order of the CIA Director. She’s being punished enough not being able to remember what she did. That should be good enough for you.”

“Okay, Mrs. Summers, you are free to go, but try to stay out of trouble, would ya?” Gagnon said.

“I can’t promise that, Director Gagnon,” Julia said; “But I will try and be a good girl. Now, I have some children to see and parents to plead mea culpas before. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”

Julia got up, walked out of the meeting room with Nik and Jeremiah hot on her heels.

===