CHAPTER THREE

January, 2044

Tracy Kay Donovan was freaking out.

She had heard the mayday her son, Winter, had sent, and feared the worst: that her father didn't survive being shot.

She worried that Joe and/or Winter, or a member of the Danica Antonia's crew were also injured. She stood at the window in her office waiting nervously for the boat to appear. However, the first thing she saw when she and her sister, Tara, went to the dock was an ambulance. Then Tracy lost it.

"Tara, it's true! Daddy's gone! I need to see Joey! I need to see Winter! I need to see someone who can tell me what the hell went on out there!"

"Tracy Kay!" Tara Pembrooke-Cash said sharply; "You getting all upset isn't going to provide you with the answers you're looking for! Calm the hell down, girl, would you?"

But Tracy was beyond that. She wouldn't calm down until she saw her father, husband and son. In that order. She would soon get her wish.

The boat pulled into its berth and Winter jumped out to secure it to the dock. He hadn't seen his mother and aunt yet, instead concentrating on tying up the boat, and not the fact that his grandfather's body lay on the deck. He was trying, and failing, to reconcile the fact that someone had ordered that his father be eliminated, and that his grandpa gave his life to save him. Willingly, without a thought to his own safety.

The paramedics came on board to get Grandpa Frank's body, and to check to see if Joe would be okay. Winter heard his father say, "My father in law was just murdered, I am NOT okay, got that?"

Winter went to go look for his mother, and saw her and Aunt Tara standing near the office. He broke into a run toward them, calling, "Mom! Auntie Tara!"

Tracy looked up and saw her older son sprinting toward her. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least Winter was okay, she thought.

As he got closer to her, however, Tracy saw that Winter was anything but "okay".

"Mom..." he said as he got to where Tracy and her sister stood. Tracy noticed the odd catch in her son's voice. That told her everything she needed to know: her father was gone, her husband and son were hurting. And that it would be she who would make the arrangements for her father's burial.

"Mom," Winter began, "Grandpa Frank, he's gone!" He then broke down, and his mother took him into her embrace, despite the fact that at just a shade over six-foot-seven, he dwarfed her.

When he had composed himself, Tracy asked what happened out on the boat. Winter told her everything, even the fact that it was he who killed the two men who had shot at the boat,  intending to kill his father, but got his grandpa instead.

"You did what you were trained to do, Winter," Tracy said; "You protected the family and the business. Your grandfather... he protected you and your dad."

"I will find the bastards who ordered a hit on Dad," Winter said; "And if I have to break the law to do it, then I will."

"Winter, don't talk like that," his mother said; "Let the police do that."

"I won't let Grandpa be collateral damage, Mom," said Winter. "The police will investigate then it'll be dropped and Grandpa Frank will be forgotten."

Tracy didn't push the issue, deciding that when Winter was calmer, she and Joe would talk to him about his plan for revenge.

But Winter Donovan would not be denied.

===

"Senator Donovan, there's a call for you on line two," said Nik's secretary Jessikah Massengill.

Jeremiah turned around and asked, "From whom?"

"Your brother, sir," Jessikah said.

"Jess, you know I'm just Jere when it's just the two of us, right?"

"Yes," Jessikah said; "But you never know who's listening. They're not going to care that you're my cousin."

"True," Jeremiah said; "So, did Joe say what he needed?"

"He told me that there's been an incident in Kittery that you may want to be aware of," Jessikah said. "He didn't go into details."

"Okay, Jess," said Jeremiah, "I'll take it in here. Thanks for telling me."

"Anytime, Cuz!" laughed Jessikah as she left Jeremiah's office.

Punching line two, Jeremiah said, "Joe, what's up? You told Jess that it's something I may need to be aware of."

"Jere," Joe began, "Frank was murdered this morning by someone whose intentions were to kill me. Winter took them out."

"Wait, someone killed your father in law? And meant to kill you? And Winter killed them?" Jeremiah said in disbelief.

"Yes, Jere, and I think it has to do with your decision to run for President," Joe said. "Winter's talking crazy about revenge."

"I think the idea is to target people close to me so I'll drop my bid for the Presidency," Jeremiah said; "And you know I won't do that. Frank wouldn't want me to. If anything, he's probably the reason why I'm going to go through with it. I will NOT be intimidated!"

"I know you won't, but if they  were willing to try and kill me, what makes us certain they won't try for you, or Jasmine, or one of your kids?"

Jeremiah sighed. He knew this was coming. He hated knowing that Frank Pembrooke gave his life for what he believed in. He knew that Joe and his family were hurting now. And Danica just had a new baby, he thought. How is this going to affect her?

"Joe, I can't leave Washington right now, but I am so sorry that Frank is gone. I liked him and his salty Mainer seadog personality. Please extend mine and Jasmine's condolences to Tracy and the kids. And let me know when the funeral is, because I will be there!"

"Thanks, Jere," Joe said. "Tracy's making the arrangements, and I just got off the phone with Kendree. She's devastated as you might expect. She and Carter are making plans to come up from Boston. She is going to call Danica, but you know that she had her baby girl a couple of days ago."

"I'll call Julia and let her know," Jeremiah said; "She'll tell David and Jordan, I'm sure."

"I know who else Julia will tell," Joe said; "God help anyone who gets in JT Collins-Ross' way, even if he IS the fucking director of the CIA!"

"You know, we used to be so scared of Morbus when we were kids," Jeremiah said; "But you know, JT scares me even more as an adult. All that power he has at his disposal," Jeremiah sighed, then continued, "including my youngest daughter."

"Jere, Aaliyah scares me more than Morbus ever did," Joe said; "Her and Rachel."

"I know that's the God's honest truth!"

===

"Sir, we killed the wrong guy."

"Excuse me?"

"We didn't get Joseph Donovan. The old man pushed him to the deck of the boat and took the bullet. He's dead, as is our assassins. Donovan's son took them out."

"Donovan has a son? I thought he just had daughters."

"Donovan and his wife adopted two brothers eleven years ago. Winter Matthew and Wyatt Charles; ages 16 and 14. Winter is the older of the two. This kid is huge! He's nearly half a foot taller than his father."

"Send me information about the Donovan brothers, especially this Winter kid. What do we already know about them?"

"Mixed race, stands over six-seven; born December 21, 2027 in Haverhill, Massachusetts to Renda and Matthew Rodgers. They were eliminated twelve years ago, and the brothers were placed in a children's group home. Not a very good one at that. Older kids terrorized the Rodgers boys, often in violent ways."

"When did the Donovans become aware of them?"

"Mrs. Donovan couldn't have any more children, and they wanted a son. IVF  didn't work for them, so they looked to adopt. They registered as foster parents and the Rodgers brothers were placed with them. When the group home wanted to separate the brothers, the Donovans insisted on adopting both of them."

"Find out about Winter particularly, because I'm sure the boss would like to know what he is up against with this kid."

"Will do. You know the bossman isn't going to be happy that Joseph Donovan is still alive. He'll probably have us target another member of his family."

"Donovan's oldest daughter just had a baby. She will be vulnerable."

"We'll work on it."

===

"What do you mean Grandpa Frank died?" Briana Costner asked her mother.

"It was sudden and couldn't be helped, Briana," Danica said. "It happens sometimes. I might not be able to go to Kittery for the funeral because Kendra is a new baby, so you and Daddy will have to go."

"What if I don't want to go, Mama?"

"I don't think Daddy should go alone, do you?" Danica asked the seven year old. "Grandpa Joe and Gramma Tracy will be there. Uncle Winter and Uncle Wyatt will be, too."

"Oh," Briana said; she paused then asked, "I won't have to look at a dead person, do I?"

"No, Briana," Danica said; "I don't think Gramma Tracy and Auntie Tara would let that happen."

"Okay," Briana said, and left the room. Danica just stared after her.

She couldn't believe that her grandfather was gone. He lived a long  life, she thought; still on the boat at 81 years old. He saved Dad and Winter's lives!

She teared up and thought of all the good times she spent with Grandpa Frank. The summer that she and Sandy spent with him  where Sandy got sunburned...

"I have to tell Sandy," Danica said aloud to no one but Kendra, who slept away unaware of the drama that thrust itself in to their lives.

===

"Rachel," Aaliyah said to her cousin and best friend on the phone, "Grandpa Frank died this morning."

"What?" Rachel asked, not believing it; "From what? He's strong as an ox!"

"Dad said he had been shot on the boat saving Uncle Joe's life!"

"Who would shoot a gentle man like him?" Rachel asked.

"Someone who doesn't want Dad to run for President, that's who!" said Aaliyah.

"I got a feeling that 'Toni Cantrell' is going to have something to say about that," Rachel said.

"Fucking right I am!" Aaliyah said. "That is, if Winter doesn't beat me to it. He killed the people who shot Grandpa Frank!"

"Wow!" Rachel said; "We might have to recruit him. I had heard he was good, but damn!"

"He's a year and a half younger than we are, so we're just going to have to wait on that, I think," Aaliyah said.

"Yeah, but we could use someome like him,"  Rachel said; "And I've always liked both Winter and Wyatt. Wyatt's shy like Uncle Joe is."

"Right now, Uncle Joe is one pissed off dude."

"I wonder if Mom knows yet," Rachel said.

"Probably," Aaliyah replied; "And she's not happy about it."

"Oh I know she's not," Rachel said; "And Uncle CIA Director won't be, either."

Aaliyah laughed; "Rach, you know that Uncle JT isn't going to like that little moniker you've given him, but that's between us."

"Blame Zach for that," Rachel said, laughing as well; "That was his doing, after all!"

"Sounds like a very Zach thing to do," Aaliyah said.

===

"A.R.M." Julia said.

It was the answer to the question that her stepfather asked about who might be responsible for the death of Joe's father in law.

"Why do you think it's them?" David asked.

"Because intimidation and elimination are their stock in trade, just like the Illegal Government was when I was a kid," Julia said. "They can't stand the fact that a qualified Mixed race man is running for President."

"Haven't they been under the radar for years now, though?"

"That's what they want you to think," Julia said; "They're in survival mode. Once their numbers are up, they'll be back to make life a living hell. That's not going to happen if I have any say in it."

"Stay out of it, Julia," David said. "Let the younger generation you helped train take care of it."

"Fat chance of that, David," Julia said. "Especially if they mess with one of my kids."

"Julia, your kids are some of the most highly trained weapons handlers in the country, if not the world," said David, knowing his words were falling on deaf ears. Just like your mother, you are, he thought. "And your half-brother IS the CIA Director, after all."

"True on both counts, but I can still wield weapons with the best of them, and you know that. I never stopped training, even now," Julia said. "When I'm not at the hospital or sleeping, I am training. If you don't use it, you lose it, and Peter trained me better than that. I took on a lifelong committment to it when I was just a child. Just like medicine in a way."

"You're going to turn into your father if you don't watch it," David warned. Good God, a female Morbus is all this country needs! he thought.

"Is that such a bad thing?" asked Julia; "He saved your ass more times than you can count, if memory serves."

"Touche," was all David said in reply. "By the way," he continued, changing the subject, "your mother really likes the portable massager you gave her for Christmas. She's sleeping better now than she has in years."

"Is she feeling better overall?" asked Julia.

"She has her moments," David said; "but her illness really took a toll on her health."

"I should come down to Austin and give her a check up," Julia said thoughtfully; "I'm glad that I'm now able to practice medicine in Texas, too. Is she there?"

"She's sleeping right now," David said, thinking about the woman who had been his wife for the better part of thirty years. Jordan's cancer was in remission, but he still worried. It was the same cancer that took three of her four brothers from her. She often asked her husband why she survived lung cancer and John, Luke and Mark did not. He never had a good answer for her.

"Maybe it's best that she rests, then," Julia said. "Have her call me when she's up to it, okay?"

"Will do," said David; "Will you be going to Frank Pembrooke's funeral?"

"I plan to," Julia said; "Joe and Tracy are going to need all the support they can get. They still have the boys at home."

"I didn't get to know Frank well," David said; "but he was a decent man with strong values. I am sorry that he had to leave this world in such a violent manner."

"Well, I understand that Joe's son Winter is vowing revenge."

"I hope his parents are going to talk him out of that line of thinking," David said; "He's still just a teenager."

"Only a year and a half younger than Rachel," Julia said.

===

Hmm, he thought as he read the news that Jeremiah Donovan would not be intimidated into quitting the race for the Presidency due to the death of his brother's father in law.

"The recent murder of my brother, Joseph's, father in law will NOT make me quit the race for the White House," Jeremiah had been quoted by the newspaper that he worked for as a journalist prior to his running for the Senate out of Illinois; "Whoever is behind this heinous act will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not only for murder but for candidate intimidation. All qualified candidates should be allowed to run for office without reservation or fear of retaliation for doing so. This is not a third world country and we are not a dictatorship..."

You talk a good game, Senator, but you'll never find the people responsible. Your nephew killed them.

Richard Pike had the perfect cover. No one would believe that he was the one who hired the men who killed an old man. A senator putting hits out on those who obscure his path? Preposterous!

He just wanted Jeremiah Donovan out of the race.

His thoughts then turned to a certain redhead of his acquaintance, and the things he had planned for her. He grew hard with his sick lust. Even though she wasn't what he usually fancied, he'd been following her for years, and his lust for her was stronger than ever. He didn't care that she was now married and had a child. When the time was right, Jameson Summers Walters would be his.

And she would have no say in the matter whatsoever.

===