The 15th Star (A Lisa Grace History - Mystery) (25 page)

“
Me?”

“
By your name.”

Surprise registered on Grace
’s face, “I’ll see if I can help him.”

***

The man had his back to them and was accompanied by a young boy pointing at something out the window. “Look Father! A cat, and he’s wearing socks!” the boy said as he looked up smiling at his father. The man made a soft question to the boy that Grace could not hear. She caught herself smiling at the scene. The man turned to face Bethany and Grace as they entered the parlor. Grace’s smile froze into an expression of shock as she realized who the man and son were.

Bethany led the way into the parlor,
“Sir, this is Grace. She can take the order for you. Mrs. Pickersgill is not receiving visitors today. If for some reason, you’d rather wait for the Missus, you should come back tomorrow. Grace has been working for the Missus many years now, and Mrs. Pickersgill trusts her to take the orders.”

“
I understand. Giving Grace the order is satisfactory. Please leave us to our business.” The Major nodded to Bethany, making it clear she was dismissed.

“
Hello Grace, this is my son—Stanton,” Major Rivers placed his hand gently on the boy’s shoulder to steer him to look at Grace instead of out the window at the cat.

Grace quickly curtsied and lowered her head so she could discreetly wipe at the tears that were gathering in her eyes. Her beautiful son, who looked nothing like her and every bit like his father.

The boy piped up, “There is the most curious cat outside. He came straight up to me and laid right on my shoes. And look, he looks like he is wearing socks. I have never seen such a friendly cat before. Our cats are mousers and they live in the stable. You know why they’re called mousers? Cause they like to catch and eat the mice. Grrrrr.” He made a swiping motion with his hand like it was a cat’s claw.

Grace looked at her son and said,
“That cat is named Socks, because he looks like he is wearing them. He is a most friendly cat.”

Young Stanton smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Son, go outside. You can sit on the front stoop where I can watch you. Don’t dare step off or I’ll tan your hide.”

“
Yes sir,” the little boy said with a smile that showed he was not afraid of his father. He ran out the front door slamming it with a loud bang. Sure enough, Socks the cat came right up to him on the porch and keeled over to let the little boy rub his tummy.

“
Is it possible to get a moment of privacy?” Major Rivers asked quietly as he nodded toward Bethany in the kitchen. Grace nodded her head yes, walked into the kitchen, and asked, “Mrs. Bethany, could you go put the letters in the post? I forgot. Mrs. Mary asked that they go out today.”

“
I could do with a bit of fresh air. I’ll be back shortly,” Bethany said.

Bethany went out the back as Grace walked into the parlor and motioned for the Major to sit in the chair.

“I brought the boy so you would see I mean you no harm.”

“
Thank you,” Grace said.

“
I also wanted you to see there is nothing of you in him. No one would believe any claims you made.”

“
I know,” Grace nodded. “He’s yours and the Mrs. Rivers son through and through.”

“
He’s got a good life, the best of everything.”

Grace nodded again,
“I can see that.
Your
son is a wonderful little boy.”

“
If anyone were ever to threaten him, threaten my family, I will not hesitate to kill. That is just the way things are.” He looked Grace in the eye to see if she got his meaning. “I am not a man of peace, I enjoy—proving who I am. Taking what I want. However, Stanton is meant for better things. He will have the best education money can buy. I expect great things of him. You understand?” Grace nodded again.

I do not think you two will have a chance to speak again. You understand?
” Major Rivers asked yet again.

Grace nodded again and said forcefully,
“I know he ain’t got nothing to do with my life. Today was enough.”

“
Good. I will not be bothering you again and you will
survive
just fine without contacting me.” The Major stood up. “I do need three new flags for my regiment, standards that a man can carry. Have Mrs. Pickersgill send me the bill. Good day.”

He nodded as he walked to the door and let himself out. The little boy on the stoop got up from where he was petting the cat. He grabbed his father
’s hand and waved good-bye to the cat, never glancing Graces’ way, never giving her a second thought, never looking back at his history, his mother.

As her tears spilled over, Grace watched as her son walked away, smiling, happy, chattering to his father. His father was an evil man, but Major Rivers would protect her son at all costs. He was a murderer, yet able to sleep at night. To see Major Rivers act so tender with her son, his son, gave her a sense that he was safe. Now that Major Rivers had seen Grace, he knew she would not be bothering him or his family. Grace knew he would leave her in peace. For a minute she felt the loss of what might have been. The mother she could have been. But her son was all white. No one would have let her raise him. Could he have been as happy being her son? She didn
’t think so. Grace resigned herself to her situation. She must be happy with what she had and not think about the things beyond her reach. This was all she could think of.

*

***

*

Chapter 18 - Claggett’s Brewery

“
Are you ready to go?” Ray said to Keiko and Julian, “it’s not safe to be here. Let‘s find the star, or just get out of here.”

“
Are you serious? Leave without the star and the letter?” Keiko looked at Ray, she continued, “We can’t leave! You have some guys outside on guard, right? We
have
to get the star. It shouldn’t take long and I am not leaving without it.”

“
Let’s get looking,” Julian said.

“
I‘d rather not have to shoot while you two are here. Where to, Keiko?” Ray said.

“
It’s got to be in the big room, along the far wall, ” Keiko said. She hurried to the pick Julian had left on the floor earlier and went to the back wall. “I’m not leaving without the star. If they find it, it’s gone forever. I can’t risk it. I have to know what the letter says.”

Ray sighed got out his cell and sent a text to his buddies on the outside.
“Okay let’s help,” Ray said.

He turned to Julian,
“My team will warn us by phone or by siren if anyone approaches the building. I was afraid she would be this stubborn so I’ve got guys in the four buildings surrounding us. I think Rivers feels you guys are shut up for the night, but you never know. You’re both lucky he’s a politician and not a pro. You‘d both be dead by now or we would have had a hell of a shoot-out.”

“
You’ve got to be kidding, those guys wouldn’t have gotten a shot off before I’d have twisted their limbs into a braid. I think in your advanced state of retirement you’ve forgotten whom you’re talking to,” Julian said.

“
How come I’m the one who had to release you from your rat trap then?”

“
I wanted you to feel useful. Give you something to do. I was using my time exactly the way I wanted to.”

“
I could see.”

Keiko counted off the thirteen blocks and two up from the bottom. She started digging at the mortar ignoring the guys
’ one-upmanship of who was tougher. She just kept hammering at the mortar turning it into smeddum.

“
Here give me that,” Julian said to her.

Keiko didn
’t look at him and kept digging.

“
Come on don’t make this our first fight. You know I‘m stronger. I can get it done faster.”

Keiko stopped and looked at Julian. She knew he was right.

She handed him the pick. He grabbed it and pulled her close. Risking
your
life just isn’t worth it to me. If they show up, we leave,” he whispered, “Okay?”

She looked into his eyes,
“I’m sorry. It’s not just the star to me. It’s what Grace
suffered
. I want the world to know. It’s important we don’t forget all the pain. So many suffered.”

Julian looked down at her and smiled sadly,
“I know.”

Keiko smiled back. She forgot she was talking to someone whose ancestors had suffered so much.

She said, “I’m sorry.”

“
It’s all right. Now let me get to work.”

Ray laid down his jacket in front of the wall to catch the powdery mortar as Julian started digging it out.

Ray said to Keiko, “If we have to make a quick get away, we can scatter the mortar and they might not notice a loose brick or two. After all, they think it’s buried under the floor. I brought a smoke bomb to help confuse them on our way out.”

Keiko kept looking nervously up the stairs and then paced to the hall they had originally entered from. Now that she wasn
’t actively working, digging the star out, or being held by Julian, fear was sinking in. Ray stood quietly waiting.

Keiko stopped pacing and went to stand next to Julian. She got down and started digging on the other side.

“What are you going to do with the letter once you find it?” Julian asked.

“
Well, archive it,” she paused, “Oh I forgot, Rivers has hacked into the system. I’m not sure. We should get Doc involved, but I don’t want to put him in danger. Can we go to the police without proof? Can we trace his trail…”

Julian and Keiko looked at each other,
“Jacks,” They both said in unison.

“
Do you think he could be in danger now?” Ray asked.

“
I don’t know,” They said at the same time.

“
If this wasn’t life or death it would be funny, you two on the same wave length,” Ray said shaking his head.

“
We need to warn Jacks. We have to contact him and make sure he’s okay.” Keiko insisted,

“
I’ll get my buddies on it right away.” This time Ray made a call.

“
Ray, any suggestions on what to do when we retrieve it?” Julian asked while he kept digging.

“
Well, we can send the content out and make it viral,” Ray said thinking, “but we have to find away to keep the letter safe until you can have it authenticated by the experts in the field. Who would that be?”

“
Doctor Writer,” Julian said.

“
How do we go about getting in touch with him?”

The brick started to loosen and Julian hit it even harder.

The brick cracked in half and Julian wedged his pick in the crack to pry out the loose end. It came out. Keiko knew they were so close. Half a brick away.

Ray answered his vibrating cell.
“They’re on the way back. We got a minute or two, tops.” They heard the sirens of the ambulance as it pulled into the street, some kind of diversion Ray had set up, followed by gunfire. Outside.

Keiko whispered,
“Hurry,” gently placing her hand on Julian’s back, because just touching him was reassuring.

Ray lit the smoke bomb, and dropped it in front of the hall leading toward the coalscuttle doors. Smoke started to fill the room obscuring their sight of the stairs.

Julian tugged at the last bit of brick and finally after what seemed like forever, it fell out. Gunshots rang out. Someone was firing blindly down the stairs. Keiko could hear the shots ricocheting off the walls.

“
Julian!” Keiko said.

Only a few seconds had passed. Julian stuck his hand back in and tugged out a package. He shoved it down his shirt and took the gun he still had in his ankle holster. Keiko reached back and took out her gun too. Keiko prayed she wouldn
’t have to use it.

Ray picked up his jacket with the loose mortar and rolled it up. He headed right towards the thickest smoke by the entry to the hallway. Keiko picked up the two pieces of brick and shoved them back in place.

They heard the thugs coming down the steps into the basement. A couple of shots hit the wall behind them. Smoke was obscuring their sight and the gunmen’s. Ray motioned for Keiko and Julian to follow him back into the tunnel. Ray started shooting back towards the stairs. Julian grabbed Keiko’s hand and pulled her into the tunnel. Past the smoke, it was pitch black. Ray whispered, “Get out, I’ll hold ‘em back. My crew is coming in from behind. Julian, get her safe!” With that, Ray went back to the first turn in the tunnel. It seemed like forever that they were taking twists and turns to get out of the dark. Finally, they hit the space where the wall ran out. Keiko could see faint light from the crack around the coalscuttle door. Only enough to know where it was. Not enough light for them to see each other. Several gunshots rang out. The echo down the hallway was the way she imagined it would sound if you set off several large firecrackers in a cave. Keiko prayed that Ray and his guys were safe. She had never been so frightened in her life. Julian squeezed through the coal door, checked that the alley was empty, shoved the coalscuttle door open, and then jumped back down to push her up and out. He left the door open, took Keiko’s hand, and pointed away from where they had left his Dad’s car. He ran, pushing Keiko in front of him, shielding her with his body as they heard another volley of shots ring out from the basement of Claggett’s Brewery.

Keiko didn
’t drink but if she ever wanted one to calm her nerves, it was now.

When they had run a couple of blocks, they came out on a heavily traveled street. Julian pulled her in a building entranceway, and put his gun back before anyone could spot it. Keiko did the same.

Julian took Keiko and put his arm around her shoulder, “Walk with me like we’re in love,” he said.

She held onto Julian tight. Her heart reminding her with every beat how close they had come to losing their lives. They were safe for now. Julian continued up the street to a populated area full of restaurants and nightlife. He looked at Keiko,
“Are you hungry?” She looked in his eyes, “You‘re kidding right?”

“
No. I’m starving, aren’t you?”

“
But we’re being chased by killers. And what about your Dad?”

Julian snorted,
“Are you kidding? He loves this stuff, that’s why he was a working spy for all those years. Tonight was amateur night compared to some of the assignments him and his buddies had in the last war. I haven’t seen him this happy in ten years. Let’s eat. Here, it’s the last place the guys chasing us will look, and it will give you a chance to see the prize.” Julian’s arm squeezed her shoulders.

They came up to an Italian restaurant and Julian held open the door for her.

“Hello sir. Good to see you again,” The maitre de said as he looked at Julian then nodded to Keiko.

“
We’d like a booth in the back for some privacy please.”

The maitre de seated them in a booth at the back.

“Two Cokes please,” Julian ordered for them.

“
I didn’t know if you drank or not, but I thought it’s better if our minds are clear.”

“
No, I don’t drink,” Keiko said, “do you?”

“
No. Too many relatives on the reservation are alcoholics. I saw it destroy them. If I never have the first drink, I’ll never have to worry if I am an alcoholic,” he said as he stretched out his long legs and drank his Coke.

“
I can’t believe we are just sitting here after what just happened.”

“
Don’t you want to see the star?”

“
Of course. Let’s see it,” Keiko said.

“
Hold your horses. It’s been two hundred years, it can wait a little longer.”

The waiter showed up to take their order,
“Were only taking orders for another fifteen minutes, just wanted to let you know.”

Julian spoke up,
“Two cheese pizzas.”