A New Plan Part 3

Chapter 173-2

A New Plan

Part 3

 

Mom leaned down and kissed me on the head telling me she loved me too. It just was something she was unsure how to deal with. I completely understood because I too was having a hard time getting the image out of my mind what had happened today. Mr. Stringum apologized for bringing it up when Mom asked him not to talk about killing people in front of my younger brothers. But talking about it was a whole lot different than seeing and knowing that it was real and not something on TV like cowboys and Indians.

Mom shrugged her shoulders and Dad placed his arm around her as we walked out onto the patio, not wanting to stay there too long because it was really getting cold. Sparky, on the other hand, was nice as toasty upstairs in my room in doggy heaven chewing on nice soup bone on my bed and I was pretty sure that Jake's dog and bird or their cat didn’t go without a little pampering.

Sometimes I envied a dog’s life compared to mine, not having to worry about the day to day problems when they have people that love them. I hated to think about the other dogs and cats and the animals like them that don’t get that. But no one can help them all by themselves, yet it did make me feel better knowing that Stringum donates to help the ones that don’t, and I too do what I can even though it doesn’t seem like a lot, I feel better knowing that at least I was doing something.

I rubbed my arms because of how cold it was as I watched the people climb out of the helicopter. Several of them had black bags over their heads and had their hands tied behind their backs, with their bodyguards prodding them along and several of them looked like they had gone a few rounds in a boxing ring, seeing that at least 3 had some sort of black eye or broken nose or some injury, It was the guy in charge that caught my eye as he told his men to take the prisoners to the safe room for now and make damn sure they can’t move or talk to each other. Stated they have had enough little surprises for one day.

I wasn’t sure what he meant until Stringum said. “I thought you said you had captured 5 of their people?”

 

Tony came forward and said. “I did at the time, but two them decided not to come quietly and expired before we could stop them or search them. I dropped them off at one our safe location and until we can decide what to do with them. You must be the Rothwell’s I have heard so much about, I am Tony.” He put out his hand and we each shook it, he said. “Damn it’s cold out here; it feels like it might snow.”

We quickly turned around and went back inside where it was a lot warmer. Tony reached inside his coat pocket and handed Stringum a letter and said. “From the holy idiot, who made me wait two hours before he decided to give a reply? Asking me why you didn’t come in person.”

Tony was no bigger then my grandmother or my father being short just like them, he was also a lot younger then I would have imagined, that he looked no older than 17, but he was in his late twenties. Brown hair tied into a short ponytail in the back that reached his shoulders; brown eyes, short pudgy nose with a long thin mouth, and good looking with a strong chiseled face. He was anything, but what I expected, considering I expected someone older, muscular and wearing black ninja suit with a samurai sword and small arsenal of stars and numb chucks. Not someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt and wearing bright green colored sneakers. He didn’t even have a gun holstered at his side.

Stringum led us back into his study, Having Mom state once more it was way past Jason and Jonathan’s bedtime hearing them both complain, but Mom was Mom said. “It’s been a long day it was nice to meet you Tony, but I need to put my boys to bed, and my husband and I need to get up early if we are going to visit those schools in the morning." Dad said he be right up. Mom nodded and excused herself reminding Jared and me that it was a school night and she would like it if we were in bed by 11.

Stringum said. “That’s right I completely forgot. I don’t think we will be having school tomorrow; I haven’t the materials here, they are all back at the cabin.”

Mom gave a heavy sigh, “I guess it really doesn’t matter if they are changing schools anyway.”

Stringum said. “That depends on when the new block starts and ends in both schools. Just give me one day and we’ll sit down and see where we stand. If I have to higher a private teacher so be it. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Mr. Tomas Adams Dad about it.”

Mom said. “I guess one day isn’t going to hurt them any, besides I rather know they are safe while visiting the schools then worrying about that man getting hold of my sons.”

Tony said. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that Mrs. Rothwell, considering that idiot will be too busy and with me and my team here they couldn’t be safer.” The way he said it sent shivers up my spine, but it was good enough for Mom to set her mind at ease, watching her leave the room with my two younger brothers.

Stringum closed the door and locked it, said. "We have had some new developments that you might be interested to see.”

He quickly led the way back to his High Tec man cave. Which still was amazing to watch as it reviled itself.  Tony didn’t seem surprised by it which stated he has been inside it often enough and it stated that when he quickly grabbed a bag of chips and couple cold sodas, said. “You got anything else in this place besides cold pizza?” 

Stringum said; “sorry, but Gregory won’t be in for a couple more hours at least, and Landan has already emptied the pantry for the winter, but Gregory has assured us that we can count on a nice hot breakfast in the morning. It's kind of been a madhouse all day considering this was the only place I could think of that we would all be safe as we plan how to move forward.”

Stringum quickly brought the videos on the monitors and once more we watching what happened, but this time it was like just watching a TV show after seeing it happen over and over again. It was like it was no longer real anymore. Tony eyes fixated as he watched the High Priestess being replaced with a double. He rewinds it several times, and couldn’t wrap his head around it, said. “Well that something I didn’t expect, so what do you think happened to her?”

Stringum said. “Good question,” Tony asked if wouldn’t mind if he made a copy of the tape. Stringum had anticipated that by handing him the copy and that he had prepared as well as everything else we had discovered. Stringum said. “Lock up when you are done. I am going to have a nice long hot bath, and climb into a nice warm bed with a very beautiful woman.”

Dad told me, Jared, not even think about it, noticing the time and how late it was. I quickly stated that I wasn’t in the mood for sex not after watching that tape over and over again. In fact, I doubted I would be for a while before Jared and I would be in the mood anytime soon, but the hot bath did sound good.

So I grabbed 4 bags of chips and several sodas and made my way to the service elevator, with Stringum and Dad. Stringum pushed the button and asked Dad a personal question. How would he feel about him marrying Dr. Sars?

It surprised him and me, long enough to indicate it had shocked Dad, but Dad was calm as a cucumber said. “Why? Have you been considering doing it, because of what that church believes in?”

Stringum didn’t answer right away but answered. “Yes and no. mostly because I am tired of being alone, Dave thinking of proposing to Jody and if she accepts which we both know she will. It will leave me with nothing more than an empty house and an empty life. I have been thinking about it for a long time. I am just curious to know what you think because of she…”

Dad said. “Black?" Stringum nodded Dad said. “If you love her and you make each other happy. Skin color has nothing to do with it; after all, it is the 80s.” It was no big secret that Jody and Dave were considering marriage. Dad we were expecting it to happen, was just concerned because Jody can never have children.

Yet nothing says they couldn’t adopt if they wanted to. We all knew he could support her and take good care of her, Dad mutter softly. “My little girl is all grown up. Where did the time go?” Dad said. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning, I have to be at work by 5 and Karen needs a chance as well to say her goodbyes. I don’t know how long that will take, considering we have got quite fond of the people we work with.”

Stringum said. “We will have the entire day, I’ll leave a note for Gregory our chef to put together something for us and leave a wake-up call say 4 or so, just call and tell them that you’ll be in before 7 to give you and your wife plenty of time get ready.” Dad nodded and opened the door to our suite so Jared and I could go right on in. Mom was still up typing up her work, she had tears in her eyes stating she had been crying.

Mom looked up and quickly put on a happy face telling Dad to give her 30 minutes that she was just finishing her work so they wouldn’t fall behind and think she didn’t care. Dad kissed her on the head and said. “It will be change for all of us; personally the more I think about it the more I like it. We have been in one place too long.” I cringed when I looked at my watch noting it was only 9:30 and I hadn’t called my mother or my grandmother since Friday.

Stringum had promised them I would call today, he wasn’t concerned about me calling them from his estate because he wanted them to trace the call to make it seem I am everywhere, but not where they think I am.

So I told Jared to run us a bath as we both parked our wheelchairs and gave a sigh of relief not needing them to walk the room, we only needed them for long distance and Stringum’s estate was huge and counted as long distance. Picked up the phone and called my grandmother first. Knowing she usually goes to bed around ten.

I wasn’t surprised as she answered on the 2nd or 3rd ring stating she must have been pacing the kitchen floor waiting for my call. I said. “Grandma it’s me,”

She said. “Me who?” Knowing perfectly well who it was and stated; “oh, this must be my grandson who doesn’t think he needs to call his grandma who has been worried sick about him.”

I gave a heavy sigh kicking off my slippers and balled up my socks as I make 3 point shot and miss the hamper. Then laid on my stomach and said; “sorry, but it’s been a while, but things are a little hectic at the moment.”

I gave a location that Stringum told me to give, which was Saint George Utah. Telling her that I had been on the road a lot, She nearly took my head off when I told her that asking what in the hell I was doing clear up there. I said. “Running?”

Which was mostly true. Kicking my legs back and forth as I lay on the bed, listening too her ask about school and how I was doing. I said. “School is school grandma, I miss going to classes and being with other students and I miss participating in my events. In fact, Mom and Dad are thinking that it might be best if we moved up here; so I can go to school like normal kids.”

I waited for the explosion when she said. “Clear up there, how and the hell am I going ever see you.”

I said. “Your not, Mom and Dad would have to bring you or I’d have to come down there. Besides if I went with the Downing’s like I should have done, you would never see me again and you know it. And before you ask no my mother doesn’t know yet, but she will when I call her.”

Grandma said. “I know, but I miss seeing you, and I would have missed seeing you if you had gone with them. Are you still planning to come to visit me during your break?”

I said. “Dad said it was still on the table for now at least. I can’t tell you which day because I don’t know yet. We are in the process of moving and Dad starting a new job and things are just so busy.”

I asked regarding if my mother was home or with the Cranny’s grandma said far as she knows she was at home, but she doesn’t have a working car anymore.

I twirled the phone cord in my hands and said. “Sounds like nothing changed, so how is she getting around?” Grandma stated that Cranny’s had loaned her one. As much as I hated them, well mostly Paul, and had to admit that it was a good thing for her to find someone she could rely on.

Yet what bothered me the most was that she was spending more time with them then my brother or my two sisters. Mostly my brother; I quickly end the call telling her I loved her and I’d call in a couple of days or so. Not telling her or anyone that might be listening when I was; then dialed my mother.

The phone rang several times before someone answered it, and had to be Susan, she said “Oh it’s you. What the hell do you want you homewrecker?”

I said. “None of your damn business. Now let me speak to Mom or you can deal with her when Grandma finds out that you refused to let me talk to her.”

She said. “What’s in it for me, I understand you're rich, I could think of a few things that I would like to have. Like a nice dress for the coming dance at school and few other things.”

Mom asked. “Susan, who are you talking too?”

She said. “A telemarketer.”

Mom said. “Hang up and tell them not to call here again.”

Susan gave me a raspberry and hung up the phone, telling me not to call here again. I redialed the number and Mom picked it up and yelled into the phone. “We told you never to call here; you people have some nerve calling us day and night.”

I yelled. “Mom it’s me.” Mom stopped cursing and said, “Sorry, you have no idea how many calls we have gotten lately, please tell me that wasn’t you, your sister hung up on.”

I said. “Depends on what you're going to do to her?”

Mom cursed. “Susan, I swear, never mind. You do realize its’ been almost three days since I have heard from you. Not even your grandmother has heard a single word.”

I quickly apologized. Giving her the same spill, after she said she’d been up to the Vincent’s house and there was a for sale sign on the gate and it was chained shut. And the Rothwell home looked like nobody has been there for months.

That furniture has been covered with drop cloths, that the only thing that was still working was the alarm system. When cop cars pulled up and tried to arrest her for trespassing on private property. She nearly spent the whole day down at station house until Captain Kenly rescued her.

I moved the phone to my other ear and turned over on my back noting it felt so good not to be sitting in that wheelchair. Mom asked how I was doing; again something I couldn’t really talk about. So I said. “Same as last time you saw me, the only difference as you already know, I am not in Highland anymore, in fact, according to Mom and Dad we might be moving to Saint George.”

Noticing the snow falling from my window telling me it wasn’t even close to the warmer weather they were having, waiting for my mother to explode. And right on queue, she did. Informing me there is no way she could drive up there to see me.

I stated that I knew about her car situation. That Dad told me he would either bring me down there or bring her up here to see me. I didn’t tell her I was considering buying her car, because I didn’t want her to think I had won the lottery.

Already Susan has assumed that she was entitled to my windfall of cash and I knew my mothers spending habits. So I decided to see what Mom and Dad and Stringum would say about it first. I knew if I bought her a car it wouldn’t be brand spanking new, it would be nice used one at best. Just as I told my grandmother regarding if my plans had changed regarding our home visit,

I quickly told her the same thing that it was still on the table, but the details still needed to be worked out. I quickly ended the call, so I wouldn’t have to keep answering question that I couldn’t answer. I felt bad about lying to the people I love, but it was either that or put them in danger.

The only difference was I told Mom I’d call her on Thursday with those details that according to Dad that he was considering, not promising anything, but she might get the entire weekend plus all of next week; depending on the school situation.

Mom said she got her fingers crossed and her toes telling everyone in earshot that I was coming home. Hearing Susan complains about it, telling her Dad won’t like it. Mom said. “Tuff s**t, he can go to hell for as I care.”

Aaron said. “He’s really coming Mom?”

 

Mom said. “Yes and we're going to have tons of fun because I won’t have school next week.” She said returning to me. “You just made my day son; I was so worried that you had forgotten about me and your brother.”

I said. “Mom, how could I? I can’t wait to introduce you to my mermaids. We just need to work out the details, but for now, pretend I am giving you and Aaron lots of hugs and kisses.”

I hung up the phone hearing Mom waiting to see who was going to hang up first. Which was usually me, and to think not more than a year and a half or so, I much rather have kissed a snake then her. Jared said. “You do realize your mothers going to freak out when she sees your new hairdo? Not mention the wheelchair.”

I said. “Yea, but it is what is.” Quickly climbed into the tub, Jared asked if he wanted him to stimulate me. I shook my head said. “Sorry bro, I just want to sit here and not think about sex, because every time I do I think of what happens today.” He sighed with relief and moved closer to me so I could hold him in my arms as we closed our eyes letting it relax us.