Artiface of Strength Ch. 09

"Hey Beth," Maria called, breaking Beth's reverie, "What do you think of these? They have two pair of this style and Margarita thought it would be fun to play the twins game when we go dancing. What do you think?"

Beth grinned as she remembered that Sam had said that the two of the sisters even smelled the same. "I think you girls are going to drive my two idiots crazy, and that they pretty much deserve it. So, yes the boots will work; so, do we go with jeans or short skirts?"

At the other end of the mall, Tom made an elaborate show of pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, looking at it, and then sighing.

"What do they want now," asked Nick.

"Beth told your sisters about the Roadhouse."

"The Roadhouse," George asked.

"It's a honky-tonk in town. It plays modern country music and has dancing."

"Oh crap," mumbled Nick while George just frowned.

"You two don't dance?" Tom asked slyly.

George snorted, "Not unless someone is shooting at our feet."

"Well, I guess that maybe I could get my brother to take them; he owes me a favour." Tom said slowly.

"We'd owe you!" Nick said quickly.

"Yeah," George added, "We could just hang out at the Resort bar while you are gone."

"Hell," Nick said, "We might just stay in our room if there is a good game on. Did you see the size of that screen in there?

"Well..." Tom said slowly, as if he'd just thought of something, "If Sam and I are going to take the girls off your hands for a night or two, we really need to get serious and go buy you guys some nice evening clothes for when you are in the Resort bar. Heck, you might meet some nice ladies in there. So, grab whatever jerseys that you want and we'll get cracking on finding you some fancy clothes or your sisters will drag y`all to the Roadhouse with them."

Both men immediately grabbed the Derek Carr home jerseys that they'd been eyeing, and followed Tom up to the register. Like taking Candy from her stripper pole, Tom grinned to himself. He then sent his report to Beth and began paying for their merchandise.

Beth held her laughter long enough to get her phone out and pretend to read a text message. She then snorted and told the girls, "Tom threatened your brothers with having to take you dancing unless they beat feet to the gentlemen's store and picked out some suitable clothes. Do you two want to oversee that, or are we going to trust Tom to do it?"

Margarita laughed, "Like we care if those two look like dorks!"

"Let Tom handle it," agreed Maria as she continued to look for the right skirt to go with her boots.

"Oooo, look at this one," Margarita said excitedly!

"Are there two of those?" Maria asked quickly.

Beth ended up being just as happy with the skirt that she found, it was jet black and would set off her boots very well. It was a little bit longer than she had initially envisioned, but it was very blousy, and she knew that it would fly up nicely when she spun, giving the men a chance to think that they were stealing a peek. Now I just need to find the right top for this.

While all of this was going on, Burton Waters was having a very bad day back in Texas. It had started with a phone call from Walker who told him that Medina and Calvillo had taken emergency leave from their jobs and were nowhere to be found. Walker had then weathered the torrent of threats and abuse that Burton had unleashed upon him with aplomb and had calmly informed Waters that he and Phil had indeed visited Calvillo's home and found it to be empty—even his sisters and his pets were gone.

Walker had then checked with the men's employer, and spoken with everyone in their neighborhood who knew them. They'd found nothing more than one old woman who had agreed to gather their mail every few days until they returned. They were at a dead end as neither man had any family in the area, although they had not given up yet. He and Phil were now hitting the area bars, trying to locate any one who may have spoken with the men.

Burton had listened to the solicitor's report with growing anger until he finally snapped and threw his cell phone into a concrete wall, destroying it instantly. The remnants of the phone were still rapidly spinning on the ground when Liz walked into the office unannounced, "Bad day Daddy?" she asked with little evident concern.

Still furious, Burton did not answer her immediately. Liz sat down in one of her father's chairs, saying, "I heard you yell something about Phil and Fresno; were you yelling at Will?"

Burton's eyes narrowed as he came to a decision. "No, Elizabeth, William has disappeared. Even Phil doesn't know where he is."

"But you always send him on stuff like that, Daddy. It isn't unusual for him to disappear for days at a time when he is working for you; you know that!"

"Phil says that he left with a woman, Liz."

"What woman," she spat dangerously.

"He was with the same one that he was with that night at the Resort; she works for our target."

"So, he's working then?" she replied, still far from calm.

"Liz, I'm not sure about that; even Phil doesn't know this time."

"Are you suggesting that he is cheating on me?" Liz snapped, staring daggers at her father.

"Elizabeth, you two have been legally separated for well over a year now. Isn't it possible that he might be on a date?"

"Not if he ever wants to see the kids again," she snapped back.

"Liz, I really need to speak with him, and he isn't answering any of his calls. Can you..."

"Yeah, he will take my call. He always answers it if it is about the kids."

"When will you talk to him?"

"Let me calm down and give it some thought before I open my mouth; can you get one of your spooks to get me a report on that woman first? I'll call him when I know what I'm going to say. Fair enough?"

"Yes, Liz; I think that would be fine."

Burton watched his daughter stomp out of his office and he wondered if she might indeed be tough enough to succeed him at the head of the family empire. She handled that much better than he had expected that she would. She hadn't flown off the handle; instead, she had immediately started to plan her next move. Maybe he wouldn't need William Yazzie after all. Getting rid of the Indian trash might make all of this worthwhile. Burton smiled at this, and for once, his smile was real.

Ja-mul drove old Willy directly through the compound and to John's office. He hadn't asked for directions; like everything else, he'd known the way without being told. Sam, looking out the window and seeing the old truck pull in, remarked, "Hey boss, your shaman is here, and it looks like he is parking in your parking spot."

"Of course he is."

"You never actually park there."

"Still...it's my spot Damn it!"

"Don't tell me; tell your shaman."

"C'mon Sam, let's get this over with; let's go greet our new Di-yin," John said with resignation in his voice.

"Why bother? It looks like he is coming right directly to us anyway."

"Of course he is," John sighed, reaching for his beer.

And all of this was true. Jamal set the old truck's parking brake, calmly exited old Willy, and walked directly into John's office. Florence and William grinned at one another and then just followed their grandfather, looking forward to the upcoming show. Ja-mul entered the home and then turned immediately right into John's private sanctum, speaking colonial-era Abenaki as he entered the room.

"John Billington, Samoset... I'm pleased to meet the two of you. I've been honored to follow your lives in the dream time."

Both men's eyes goggled. Neither had heard Sam's native language in centuries; indeed, neither was even certain that anyone still spoke it.

Ja-mul waited a moment for either of them to respond, but when neither said a word, he continued, "Most people who have heard of you two have had to look you up on Wikipedia or in some dusty old book, but I've gotten to see the real story. Where is Tisquantum? I had so looked forward to meeting him too!"

Not thinking clearly, Sam replied in his dimly remembered Abenaki, "He took some people down the hill."

"Ah yes, the Chimariko from Fresno."

John's head spun and he looked to Florence.

"No father, I have no idea what he just said, but whatever it was, it is probably best just to believe it. It seems to be less painful that way."

John looked back to Ja-mul, but the old man wasn't saying any more, he was content to wait for the Alpha to catch up. After a moment, John grimaced and said, "Okay, I don't want to believe you, but I do. What are you here to tell us?"

"Can I switch to English now?" Ja-mul asked, "I think the only word they caught was Wikipedia."

John nodded again and Ja-mul switched back to modern English.

"Alpha, the Goddess has sent me. She wants me to tell you that she is very proud of everything that you and your Betas have done for Were society, but unfortunately, now is the time of the changing. There will be one last battle, and this time, there is no guarantee that any of us will survive, but that you should know that she is proud of you no matter what happens."

"What does she require of us?"

"Nothing specific John Billington, she just wants you to continue to live your lives as you have been living them. She says that if it is meant to be, you will win, and if it isn't, you won't. Live with your honour, and die with it intact."

"We don't have to change anything?"

"Why would she want you to change anything, John?"

"But you are here." John replied.

"John, I'm a shaman, not some sort of Puritan Pastor. The Lady loves you and likes how you live your lives. I am just here to reassure you that you are upon the right path... and to be honest, I think getting to be here for the fun is part of my reward for raising this one in the ways of the People," he said, pointing at William.

Ja-mul then turned his head and looked into his grandson's eyes before continuing, "I've led a lonely life Will, but I don't regret a moment of it, nor do I regret any of the choices that I have made. Getting to be a part of this makes it all worthwhile. If we are to die, we will all die together."

"Grandfather, you can't tell us what is coming?"

"No, it would change how you all respond to your challenges, and how you respond to them has to be clean from any influence. Just act with honor, and do your best for those you love."

John turned to William with a questioning look.

"He never tells lies, Alpha. Oh, he distorts...and scams...and cons, but he never actually lies and that sounded more truthful than he normally does.

Ja-mul laughed at this, but he didn't say anything.

John then looked to his Beta, but Sam merely shrugged. Then John turned back to Ja-mul and asked, "You seem to know everything else, where should we put you?"

Ja-mul answered immediately, "There is a small, unoccupied cabin just south of the medical area. Put me in there so that those wishing to speak to the Goddess during difficult times can find me when they want my help."

John looked to Sam and said, "Do it. Give him whatever he wants or needs, but see if you can get it done before dinner, remember, tonight's the party."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to that," smiled Ja-mul. I'm dying to see someone order 'venom', maybe even more so after what I saw last night."

John sent a questioning look to Florence.

"Tell you later," she promised.

"C'mon Di-yin," Sam said in Abenaki. "Let's go find you a bed so we don't miss any of the party. I may not have heard my native tongue in four hundred years or so, but that doesn't mean that I want to miss out on roast pork and beer."

"Some things are sacred," Ja-mul replied in the old tongue as the two of them left John's office laughing.

What the Hell did you two bring me? John sent to the couple before him.

Careful father, we think he might be able to hear our sendings, Florence sent before switching to speech. "But I'm not completely sure about that either. The more I think about it, the more I think that he just knew that we could send, and just guessed what we were probably saying to one another.

"What on Earth have we done to deserve this?" John asked in exasperation.

"Clean living?" William offered with a grin.

John sent a look that would have burned a lesser wolf's fur, but William merely grinned before saying, "Come on Alpha, wouldn't you rather he was on our side?"

John began to snap at William before pausing instead. He took a long cleansing breath and then said, "Okay, my young Alpha-to-be, I understand it. I don't like it, but for some reason, the Goddess thinks that we deserve him. You just make sure that you try to read between his lines for us, and then explain to me what he is actually saying. Do you understand me? Can you do that?"

"Umm...yes Alpha, but what do you mean 'Alpha-to-be'?"

John looked to Florence, "Beth told me that he had no idea, but she also said that she suspected that you do. When were you going to tell him?"

Florence blanched, clearing unwilling to have this conversation right now.

"Come on daughter, don't sugar coat it for him. Lay it out for him; give the poor fool fair warning."

Florence nodded and then turned to William, taking his hand. She looked into his eyes and said, "Will, you ran me down."

"Yeah...so?"

"I didn't let you."

"Again... so?"

"No one can run me down."

"You've lost me darlin'."

"It's like a challenge. If you can run me down, it also means that you can likely take me in combat, and I'm number two. I actually came pretty close to beating John."

William's face showed that he was beginning to add it up, and that he wasn't happy with the sum, "But I don't know anything about being a wolf!"

John interrupted, "Son, I think that you do, and evidently Ja-mul and the Goddess made sure of it. That old bastard that just left here, he seems to have spent most of his life making sure that you were ready."

"Oh God," gasped William.

"Goddess," corrected both John and Florence.

"Yes, I met her; she just told me that I had to take care of Florence." William responded.

"You... met her?" John gasped.

"Ja-mul fed us something father, some sort of hallucinogen, but I think that everything we went through was real. We all spoke to her independently. She told me that I should live my life honestly and without fear."

"And what did she tell you?" John asked William.

"She said to take care of those that I love and that I'd be fine. She put it in more flowery terms, but that's what it boiled down to."

"And what did she tell Ja-mul?"

"Like he'd tell us," William scoffed.

"Of course not," John grumped before changing gears and saying wistfully, "Do you think he'd let me talk with her... I've worked so long."

"You'd have to ask him, Alpha," William answered, "but I don't see why not. It sounds like she is very proud of you and your efforts on all of our behalves."

"Five hundred years," John mumbled to himself. He was lost in a memory.

At about the same time that Ja-mul had exited his truck, Beth had led her charges back into the Resort. She'd managed to keep the humans running all day long and had gotten all four of them good and drunk on the trip back. Her next move would be to make sure they got to the restaurant and were plied with heavy food and lots more alcohol to insure that they'd be in bed early. She knew that the entire pack was eagerly looking forward to tonight's blow-out for Florence and William, so Beth had done her conniving best to make sure that the humans would be out on their feet by the time the party started. Technically, keeping an eye on their human charges would probably fall to Oliver or Stan, but in reality, some of the human staff would likely be pressed into service to physically watch the Fresnans while the party was going.

"Beth!" a friendly voice called out.

"Carol!" Beth responded gaily as she embraced her old friend. "I didn't know that you would be here already!"

"Ha! I made Jeff take the first train."

"So where is the grumpy old... oh, hi Jeff," Beth said, pretending to have missed him.

"Same bitchy Beth," Jeff laughed, "and Tom too I see, and four new friends too. Introduce me to your new friends, Beth!"

While he was speaking words of greeting to Beth, he was also sending to her, "These are the humans who we are supposed to talk with?"

"Yes," she sent back as she made the verbal introductions.

"Do you want me to assign a couple of my warriors to watch them while your people attend the party?"

"I knew I loved you Jeff!"

"Keep your hands off my man, bitch!" Carol sent laughing.

The humans were quickly hustled off by two of Jefferson's younger wolves, a young mated pair who had never met anyone from the Billington pack, and who had no real interest in attending the party. Watching four drunken humans seemed like an easy duty to them. This made it easy for Beth to direct Jeff and Carol into the pack S.U.V. and the four were promptly headed back to the compound while laughing and renewing old friendships.

Carol spent the first half of the trip reminiscing and enjoying old stories and laughter, but then she asked with a sly smile, "So...Beth... this human that Florence found, is he sexier than John?"

Tom and Jefferson hadn't gotten to their advanced ages by being stupid; both of them shared a look with one another and then bit their tongues, vowing to stay out of what was coming.

"Sexier than John? Hmm..." Beth delayed.

"Oh come on girlfriend, we all know that you are still hoping to land the stubborn old bastard."

Beth's eyes swept from face to face, with both men studiously avoiding her eyes while Carol just stared back at her with a Cheshire-like smile.

"Now Beth, before you lie, you need to think about who is in this car with you. All of your oldest friends in the world except for the idiot."

"Hey, that's my brother that you are talking about," Tom objected half-heartedly.

"Then you already know that he's an idiot," Jeff mumbled.

Carol snapped, "Shut up, you two! Now, spill it Beth."

"Yeah William is okay I guess, Florence loves him," Beth replied slowly.

"And John?" Carol pushed.

"Same old John," Beth replied.

"So...He's too stupid to see what is right in front of his face; that same old John?"

Tom started to defend his Alpha, but Carol shot him a look that promised intense pain if he opened his mouth. He took the hint, and instead began adjusting the vents on his side of the car, doing his best to play off his shiver of fear as one from being cold.

"Smart wolf," Jeff mumbled.

Beth stared back at Carol, wishing there was some way to avoid answering her friend's probing, but she knew that even if she could get out of the moving vehicle, her friend would not let her escape for long.

"No Carol, nothing has changed," Beth replied resentfully, knowing full well that this wouldn't end the interrogation.

"Beth, you've loved him for over two hundred years. You've loved him since before he even turned you. Why don't you push him?"

"He's not my mate, damn it!" Beth said heatedly. "The Goddess has never seen fit to give him to me. What good would it do without that?"

"Have you asked her to?"

"Of course I have," Beth yelled back, her voice breaking. "Every fucking night for the last hundred years!"

"So have I," replied Carol, reaching out to hug Beth. "But now, with the lady sending Florence a human warrior for her mate, doesn't it look like maybe John will finally be set free from his duties? Five hundred years of service, don't you think that the Lady has someone special for him?"