I finished my assignment and walked out to see Megan's fiancé on the other side of the street. He was staring at me. He had no words only a piercing gaze. I wanted to slap him but I had other matters to attend to. Cleo wanted to drive so I let her. The window is tinted so I had no worries. I closed my eyes to switch places. I took a few deep breaths. I saw a deep Amazon jungle and a inland Taipan fell on me. It slithered round me and slithered away into the trees. I saw a python wrapped itself until I can't tell where it begins or ends. The tangled mess unraveled Cora. She was hopping with delight and I promised to show her how to appear out of a pile of spiders or cockroaches. She was so happy. She was eager to learn. Sis came out and insisted Cora get a few minutes of fresh air. I recommended she try that after we get Cleo out of the car. She might pull the trigger. Her psycho brother just came and she lost it. I am letting her drive so she can chill. Cora wanted to see the old family videos and Sis had them all ready. I gave Cora a hug as Sis jumped into Alligator infested waters. She swam several feet before a tentacle of a giant squid came out of the swamp and dragged her into the depths. Cora was curious. I promised her that she was unharmed.
I woke up to see Cleo staring at me. I gave her a hug and apologized for facing the creep by herself. I wish I was there for emotional support. She grinned as she accelerated the car. We drove till we arrived at the next location. Tanya was there and she had some bad news. She showed Cleo body cam footage. The collective is going after the guy who saved her life in Kandahar. She was there to assist a drug bust. Her men were gunned down and she was almost raped. But some brave soldier saved her. She don't know his name but she recognized him even after all these years. Tanya explained how he had proven some men were drug mulls and he is supposed to testify. But they are trying to make sure he does before he enters the street. I was deputized so I got a Marshall's badge and was told to be part of the group which will decide how he will reach the court room. She came too since she owes him her life. She and I got a pat down before we were allowed in the briefing room. It was a dusty office with two people. One was fuming. The other was trying to light a cigarette.
I smiled, "How about transporting him in a bag. I have friends in the court house who will happily allow unchecked baggage through for a price. Usually they will do it for tickets to the Madison Square garden. We can take the service entrance. It is unguarded and the safest bet. Everyone will be looking for a man walking around but no one will check a suitcase. I doubt they have x-ray scanners. You can transport him in a cleaning lady's trolley. Then move him to the laundry room and place in a suitcase. Then go to the front desk as a guest asking if they have lost your bag. One of my friends can pretend to be a worker be can come with the case and apologize for the delay. You are out in a few minutes. No one in their right mind would believe he is inside the case. You can use the service elevator." They looked at one another and agreed. We had to rehearse the scene over and over again before we implemented. Cleo pretended to be a guest staying in the hotel for one day claiming her house was being fumigated. I paid the maid to switch clothes with her and she got him out a day earlier.
So when the bad guys came the Marshall were waiting. It was like a scene from a war movie was being reenacted. I came with the patrol officers. The fifth floor looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off. The wall had exploded. The furniture was turned into a jigsaw puzzle. We arrested one but the others got away. He was taken through the back door. The boys were informed so they were extra careful. We managed to get him to the precinct. I called Devon and she told me that Cleo hasn't arrived. My throat felt sour as I asked Tanya to find her. I was sure she had turned traitor. She told me that Cleo was with Bane. She and the client are safe. I told her that Devon is expecting him so he can be transported out of here. I had the enterprise track her and I went to collect him. She was happy to see me. I got to wear a disguise. I had to dress up as a delivery drive of a pretend refrigerated truck. I had to wear blonde wig, false tattoos and tomboy outfit. I took him away and made sure he was delivered to Adam. He was the given prosthetic face features before he was sent to the train station. He stayed there for an hour and was transported by bus to his next location.
Cleo explained that her half brother had convinced someone to follow her. So she took a detour. We got in the car and I got to see the tail. The enterprise has snipers on their payroll so I called it in. We stepped out and he was shot in the head. Cleo took a deep breath as she sat back in. Tanya was being careful as she agreed that Cleo wasn't very forthcoming lately. The enterprise agreed. So they decided to find a way to remain anonymous. I drove her to the penthouse and drove to help the abuse victims. Megan called and complained her fiancé wasn't adventurous enough. She wants to hold off on the wedding till she was sure he was the one. She was taking him for granted. I told her not to toy with him since the man she described come once a thousand years. She should marry quick. If he was my fiancé I would take him to city hall and marry him post haste. I looked up to see her fiancé a few feet away. He was amused by my assessment. I bowed with respect and he was surprised. He lowed his head to show respect. I gave him a candy bar. Megan made the monumental mistake of saying he was one dimensional. I told her to take her pills and see a therapist. He was punctual, courteous and pays attention. Also hard working. Men like that are going extinct. She should consider herself lucky.
I reminded her of my three husbands. The first was a womanizer who was going to divorce me so he can fool around. I divorced and married DD. He was sweet, smart and funny. Megan reminded me that he was rich. I frowned, "I knew Dan since high school. He had nothing. He was the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He got married before I had a chance to express my feelings. I married Dimka. He was interested in every woman but me. I am still learning to be enough. Then came Gus. We grew up together. He was in constant torment. He was in pain. He had seen horrors. He wasn't very rich but he enriched my soul with his presence. He was a simple nurse working at a hospital. He would work till the end of his shift and he would come home tired to his bones. But he was still a gift. You have been given the present of the century. Marry him or he will find someone else." She scoffed, "Nonsense. He isn't going anywhere. Besides I am trying to keep my options open." I shook my head, "Don't put your legs on two boats dear. You will fall and it will hurt. I have never met your fiancé but from what I have heard he is gold" the man stared at me with surprise. The four men next to him stared too.
Megan wasn't helping, "I want a marriage like yours. Rich husband, travel whenever and a different car everyday." I shook my head, "Megan money isn't everything. I am rich but I would donate every last cent if I can have Dan and my son. Even I have them for a second I would die a happy person." Megan brushed it off, "They are dead dear. Move on" I was furious, "Tell that to my heart. I loved them with all my heart. To watch helplessly as they were gunned down by psychos is not something I can get. Believe me I wish I could wish away my feelings. I wake up wishing I never met Dan. At least I would be spared this pain." My blurred and I felt someone press something into my hand. I kept blinking till my vision cleared. It was a tissue. I thanked the man as I wiped my face. Eleanor came and gave me a hug. She held on to me and Adeline yelled at Megan for being so insensitive. I held on and cried. Finally Diane gave me a hug and we walked inside. Megan's fiancé and his buddies came in to listen to the ladies.
I gave them a progress report on their abusers. How the lawyers got them an ironclad restraining order. I even got them apartments with police officers as neighbors. They were sleeping better. Afterwards we cooked and ate. Diane asked me if she could stay with me. I escorted her to my car. I drove her to the penthouse and I tucked her in my room. Cleo wanted to know what was going on. I explained about her abusive relatives. I was just hiding her till she feels safe. She is not an inconvenience. Neither is she. Cleo smiled, "Thanks" I sat down and started sketching. I drew a meadow struck with drought. Dead branches reaching out into the heavens pleading for water. The earth was cracked. The leaves dried up and blowing away in a gust of wind. Skeletons scattered here and there. A vulture flying above hoping to find food which is no longer present. The next one was of an abandoned room. The door had so many cracks on it. It felt like it was held together with glue and wishful thinking. Light came through the cracks. The wall was faded and looked like it wanted very much to collapse. A glimpse of the basement as the floor had caved in.
I had started sketching spiderwebs. Diane came and saw the drawings and she was surprised, "You're Z" Cleo was curious, "Who is Z?" Diane retorted, "Have you been living under a rock. Z is the secret artist who sells her painting and gives the money to charity. There is biding wars for her work. I have been studying modern artists and she is well loved by the rich since biding for her work means mileage for the soul. I am among those who have seen her work in office buildings and private estates. She never follows a theme. She paints what she feels. Most of her paintings go up to seven figures. Is that for an art gallery. Is there is going to be a biding war. Which charity gets the money?" I took a deep breath, "This is my personal sketchbook. The paintings for the charity is in the next room. The movers will come to collect in an hour. I am trying to clear my head." Cleo stared till the doorbell rang. The curator came and I had to explain each painting. The first was an abstract one with strokes of peacock blue, silver and black. I explained it was the depth of women's persona. The next was a breathtakingly beautiful and lush garden with a red scarf flying freely in the air. I named it someday. It represents the moments we move past our problems to see the beauty around us. After he left Cleo was grinning ear to ear. So was Diane. I sat down to sketch a woman wearing a viking garb with cuts all over her exposed skin. She looked tired but alert.