In The Defendant's Chair Read online

  “Yes sir,” Bart’s voice reverberated with concern. “I’ll fix that window first thing in the morn. I’ll put in a new seal and that’ll fix her right up.”

  “Thank you, Bart,” Doctor Steward said staring at his pipe in his hand. “Also double check and see how much heat is coming through her vents. I want her room warm. She’s too small to depend on her own heat.”

  Bart nodded and left. Doctor Steward enjoyed his last pipe of the day and with the last puff, a young woman entered the room.

  “I’ll take her to bed sir,” she said. “It’s all ready.”

  “Take care not to disturb her wings. They are very delicate and she has major arteries flowing through them. Any break and she’d bleed to death in minutes.”

  “Yes I know. I’ve cared for her before,” she said smiling. “She’s so light I’m amazed her bones don’t break like her sister’s did.”

  “Yes, it is wonderful she’s so much stronger than Marlow,” he replied tapping his pipe against the side of the hearth. “She was always in such pain.” His voice lowered as he mouthed his last words.

  “Sir,” the young woman said as she picked up the little girl. “She’s not in pain any longer.”

  “Perhaps,” he acknowledged, “but it should never have happened. Not today, not with what we know.”

  “I’ll put her to bed now.” But before the woman left, she turned and stared sympathetically at the elderly man standing alone in thought next to the warm fire. Her heart ached for him.

  * * * * * *

  Charlotte picked up the small green fairy doll and tossed it gently onto her bed.

  “So,” Charlotte whispered. “Where are the others?”

  As she glanced around the room to find her other dolls, her heart longed to be released. Her intense feelings of entrapment were almost more than she could handle. Her small slender fingers grasped firmly around the red fairy doll’s body. As she squeezed, Charlotte felt a sudden urge to escape. Stretching her small frame, she slowly released her wings. It always felt good to allow them to spread out freely in the air instead of having to constantly bind them behind her back. Charlotte looked out her window and studied the treetops. They seemed to be beckoning her, taunting her to fly to them.

  “Charlotte!” A voice yelled from her door. “You’d better hide your wings or else I’m telling.”

  “I don’t care,” Charlotte yelled back. “I’m in my own room. Get out!”

  “I’m telling.” The little girl from across the hall yelled.

  Everyone knew Charlotte’s wings were not to be released into the air.

  “I don’t care anymore,” Charlotte whispered into the glass window. Her breath left a foggy impression as Charlotte wrote a message to no one in particular on the glass window pane with her small slender finger. Help me.

  Chapter 28

  “OKAY,” LACEY WHISPERED. “It’s dark and cold and damp and I’m miserable. So will you please remind me why we are here?”

  “Shhhh,” Carrie hushed as she studied the area through her infrared binoculars.

  Lacey sighed and decided it was time for some hot cocoa. With only a slight glance back at Carrie, she walked into the tree line and headed to camp. But after only a couple of steps, Lacey knew she was in trouble. Without a flashlight or a campfire, everything looked and felt the same. Without hesitation, Lacey turned around to try and spot Carrie again. But the more steps she took toward what she thought was Carrie, the more she feared she was lost.

  “Damn,” Lacey shouted. “Carrie?”

  She knew there were only two things she could do. She could either continue to yell for the girls, or just stand and wait and hope they would come looking for her. Lacey decided to stand and wait. She didn’t need Carrie scolding her again.

  The layers of dew were rising and the night’s chill was seeping through her jacket and chilling her bones. Her legs ached and she wanted a warm bed more than anything right now. But minutes slowly ticked away and felt more like hours. Tears formed in her eyes as memories of her terrible ordeal as a child became hauntingly real again.

  Her thoughts drifted off to her cousins, Melissa and Banner, who were held hostage with her when they were just children. To this very day, Lacey could still recall the scent of Melissa’s blood. As memory became all too real, the recollection of Banner’s urine-soaked pajamas stung her left arm and the odor of Melissa’s blood-soaked hair filled her nose. For twelve long, dark hours, Lacey clung dearly to both of them trying hard to maintain her sanity. She jumped, as a swift breeze stirred and pulled her from her thoughts.

  “Shit!” Lacey screamed.

  “Lost?” a young voice sprang up from behind her. As she whipped around, Lacey came face to face with a sweet young boy who was about twelve years old.

  “Umm,” Lacey stumbled. “I’m afraid I am.”

  “So why don’t you just yell out or something? Your camp is just over there.” The boy pointed over Lacey’s right shoulder. “I’ve been watching you stand here and was wondering if you were going to squat and pee or something. But you’re just standing here. Kind of frozen.”

  Lacey sighed and gave the young boy a strange look. “Okay, which way to my camp?”

  “Come on, before you really do get lost.” He shrugged his shoulders and walked off in a direction Lacey just knew was the wrong way. But after only a few steps, she was standing next to their large dark tent.

  “How in the world did you—” Lacey began to ask but suddenly changed her thoughts. “And were you going to watch me pee or something?”

  “Don’t ask,” he answered before Lacey could finish her question. “On both accounts.”

  Carrie emerged from the tent smiling. “Found a new friend I see.”

  “Got lost,” Lacey declared before darting into the tent.

  “Thank you,” Carrie said nodding to the young man. “Appreciate your help. I knew exactly where she was, just wanted to see what she would do.”

  “That wasn’t very nice. She was cold and scared.”

  “Just trying to toughen her up a little.”

  “What are you doing way out here anyway?” the boy asked glancing around at their strange and almost empty and dark camp site. “And where’s your fire?”

  “Don’t need one, got a heater inside.” Carrie sipped on her drink and studied the boy. “You from around here?”

  “Yeah, not far,” he said shoving his hands into his pockets.

  “Wanna come in and visit for awhile?” Carrie asked. “We’re safe, we’re not a bunch of crazies or nothing.”

  “Sure,” the boy said following Carrie. “I’m always up for talk.”

  With his arrival, she concluded they must not be the only campers on such a cold night.

  Skyler gave Carrie an evil eye after everyone settled down on the warm blankets and drinking hot cocoa. The boy was of a typical size for a twelve-year-old. Light brown hair cut just below the ears gave him an innocent look. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. Huge eyes with a yellow hue and extra large dark pupils. Carrie couldn’t keep her eyes off them.

  “So, where’s your camp?” Skyler asked, taking a sip.

  “Don’t have one. We live just down the ridge. So, what’re you guys looking for? There’s nothing left after they blew it up.”

  The girls glanced at each other then back at the young boy.

  “Want a cookie?” Skyler asked, holding the package out toward him.

  “Sure, why not.” He took several from the bag and began dunking them into his hot cocoa.

  “You always wander around at night alone?” Carrie asked.

  “Yeah, the sun hurts my eyes. So I go out at night.”

  “What’s wrong with your eyes?” Lacey asked.

  “Nothing, just sensitive. I see better in the dark,” he said.

  Carrie smiled and knew she had to question this kid. But at the same time she didn’t want to frighten him off either.

  “So…” Carrie began innocent
ly. “Who blew up what?”

  “Don’t know the who, but it was a hospital,” he answered, dipping another cookie.

  “Hmmm, really?” Lacey added to coach the boy to say more. “Way up here?”

  “What kind of hospital?” Skyler added.

  “What do you mean?” he replied.

  “Well, where’s all the patients?” Lacey asked.

  “They took ’em away months ago,” he said with cocoa-soaked cookies in his mouth. “Then they boarded the place up. Put up a huge fence and had military people guarding it. Then last week… KA-BOOM. The whole place went up.”

  After sitting his cup on the tent floor, the boy threw his hands over his head almost kicking over his drink. “Oh, I have lost my manners. I’m so sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jonathan Gable Huntington. My friends call me Gabe.”

  “Lost your manners? Well it’s nice to meet you, Gabe,” Carrie said with a smile. She held out her hand and he shook it. “I’m Carrie, and that’s Lacey… who you rescued… and that’s Skyler.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He nodded his head.

  “You go to school around here?” Carrie asked.

  “No, home school,” he said, going back to dunking another cookie into his cocoa.

  “You live with your parents?” Lacey asked.

  “It’s just me and my mom. I don’t have a dad… that I know of.”

  “Shit happens,” Carrie added.

  “Carrie!” Lacey and Skyler shouted together.

  “He’s just a kid!” Lacey declared.

  “I’m old enough to know what shit happens means and it does happen. I may be just a kid, but I’m not stupid.”

  Their talk continued. It didn’t take long before the girls discovered his mother had worked at the hospital as a surgical nurse. He was home schooled and didn’t have any friends other than the children from the hospital, and now that the hospital was gone, the critters in the forest were his only companions. The more they talked, the more Carrie wanted to meet his mother. He continued to explain that his mother was offered a job at another hospital, but she didn’t want to leave their home. There was no explanation or discussions, she simply told him they were not going to leave, and that was that.

  “Well,” Carrie finally said. “It’s late and you’d better be getting home. How about if we come and visit tomorrow?”

  “How about if I come back here and get you once the sun goes down? I’ll introduce you to my mom,” he said with his eyes wide and a huge smile.

  “Sounds cool to me,” Lacey beamed.

  After a few more goodbye words, the boy was gone and their campsite was quiet again. Carrie pulled out her laptop and emailed a short note to Devon, her boyfriend. She wanted to know everything and anything about a boy named Jonathan Gable Huntington who had extraordinary and intriguing eyes.

  Chapter 29

  THE LARGE BLACK limousine pulled to a stop in front of Stonefield Castle Hotel that stands high on the Kintyre peninsula, Scotland. Immediately, three butlers ran to cater to the inhabitant’s needs. The driver who was wearing military apparel stood at rigid attention after opening the black shiny door. A highly decorated US Navy military doctor exited with his aide following suit. The driver saluted the doctor as the two butlers hustled to retrieve the luggage. The third butler stood stiffly with his hands clasped together. The dirt crunched beneath the doctor’s feet as he walked toward the old gray and black marble stairs.

  “May I show you to your room, sir,” the butler asked without blinking or moving a muscle.

  The doctor nodded and they followed the man indoors. Three new butlers ran to service the white limousine that pulled up behind the first. A US Army general emerged this time with a harsh face and a very tired body. As she stood, she used her hands to help stretch out her back.

  “Ma’am,” the butler said opening her car door. “May I show you to your room?”

  “Actually, I’d much rather be shown the way to the bar and my bags taken to my room if you don’t mind.” She winked at the butler as she climbed the steps. After closing the car door, the butler smiled.

  The same scenario continued for the remainder the day with various government and military doctors from around the world arriving one by one. The financial world was also represented by several of the world’s richest men. The global capitalist elite were present for this highly secret and secluded meeting of the Order of the Skull and Bones. Even a select few of the world’s leaders, past and present, arrived with their assistants and documents in tow. In all, more than sixty representatives from various businesses and governments arrived to represent their company, their country or themselves.

  With the liquor warming her veins, Lee enjoyed a hot shower and a change of clothes. She had no idea why she was here other than she was a replacement for someone who couldn’t make it. The view from her room was a spectacular panorama overlooking Loch Fyne, a sea cove on the west coast of Scotland. Lee had never experienced a more breathtaking sight. White jagged rocks peaked through the trees and the waters beyond were a dark reflective blue. Glancing around her room she spotted what she was looking for, the hotel brochure. As she scanned through the pages, Lee discovered the castle was built in 1837 on sixty acres of woodland and was once the family home of the Campbell’s. But now, it was a thirty-three room hotel offering all that was the best in Scottish hospitality. Lee tossed the book onto her bed and glanced out the window again.

  “Where is my itinerary?” she said as she pawed through her briefcase. “Ahh, here it is.”

  After reading through the lines, Lee was happy she was free until dinner at six. There was a meeting scheduled tomorrow at one in the afternoon. But, a note at the bottom urged the guests to mingle and get to know one another.

  “Who cares,” she said as she glanced in the mirror. “I’m Lady Campbell today and I don’t mingle.” Lee laughed as she danced around her room. “I only wished,” she said as she ran back to the window, “I only wished.”

  Chapter 30

  MADDIE AND NATE waited patiently while the person at the ticket counter examined the names and the identifications before boarding.

  “This was much easier before they started putting pictures on tickets,” Maddie said as they waited their turn.

  “Maybe, but it wasn’t as safe,” Nate added.

  “Tickets please?”

  “Here you go.” Maddie handed hers and Nate’s to the woman.

  The tickets sucked one at a time into a slot and one at a time their faces displayed on the screen along with their names.

  “Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Sce—Sce—I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay, it’s Scelestus, pronounced Sel-ed-tus,” Maddie said with a grin. “It’s hard to figure it out if you’re reading it.”

  “Where’s it from?” the airline employee asked.

  The dictionary, Maddie wanted to scream, but knew better.

  “My grandparents were from Greece,” Nate answered.

  “Well have a great flight Mr. and Mrs. Scelestus.”

  “Thank you,” Maddie replied.

  Nate and Maddie laughed as they walked hand in hand down the ramp to board the plane to Washington state.

  * * * * * *

  “Aunt Maddie, Uncle Nate,” Tyler yelled as she ran down her front steps.

  Maddie held tight to her young niece and kissed her on the side of the head.

  “You’re looking wonderful,” Nate said with a smile.

  “Oh Unc,” Tyler laughed. “You always know how to flatter. Come on, I have the spare room all ready for you.”

  Nate pulled the luggage behind him following the hugging women into the house.

  “It’s great to be off the plane,” Maddie stated.

  “It’s great to have you here,” Tyler almost yelled and giggled at the same time. “I have missed everyone way too much.”

  “I bet you have, sweetie,” Maddie added.

  Nate headed for the back bedroom as Tyler and Maddie s
at down at the kitchen table to catch up on family gossip. Sitting the luggage down next to the closet, he heard a rustling from outside the bedroom window followed by a pounding or hard knock. He pulled aside the drapes and watched as a shadow of a man ran through the backyard and hopped over the fence.

  “Wonderful,” he said letting the drape fall back into place. “Just wonderful.”

  * * * * * *

  The doorbell rang. Tyler giggled and shoved the bowl of butter into the oven and the hot potatoes into the refrigerator.

  “Well, I can see Caiden is more than just a coworker.” Maddie laughed as she pulled the steaming potatoes from the refrigerator and switched them with the butter.

  “Why would you say such a thing?” Tyler asked as she put the dishrag into the microwave and shut the door.

  “Before you burn down the house, why don’t you go say hello to Caiden and introduce him to your uncle? I’ll finish in here,” Maddie said shaking her head holding back a laugh.

  “But…” Tyler protested and Maddie pushed her out of the kitchen. Maddie laughed as she put the kitchen back into some order.

  It seemed introductions were not necessary when Tyler reached the living room. Caiden and Nate were already deep in conversation. She glanced over at the hallway mirror to make sure she was good, and after a few adjustments strolled toward the talking men.

  “Hey,” Tyler said.

  “Hi.” Caiden jumped up to greet her.

  When Tyler walked toward him, Caiden took her hand and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “How’s it going, Sweets?”

  Tyler smiled and took his arm. “Uncle Nate, how do you like my friend and co-worker, Caiden?”

  “He is a very nice young man,” Nate said. “I’ll check on dinner and let you two talk.”

  “I like your Uncle,” Caiden said as the two sat down. “He’s easy to talk to, not like my dad.”

  “Yeah, he’s pretty cool,” Tyler replied. “Sweets… is that my new name?”

  “When we’re alone,” he winked. “If that’s okay with you. I did some thinking after dinner the other night and it was wrong for me to say what I did. It was a date. I was anxious to be with you. I hope you don’t mind.”