Callie's Redemption (Callie's Secret Book 3) Read online

  Frustrated, he called Peter. "None of these women are her, are we done for?"

  "No, do not give up. I have the whole staff working on it now. I will send you more pictures as we locate them. We are checking all the newspapers in Minneapolis, high school and college yearbooks, all the social media sites. I will keep sending you pictures and information as we find them. We will keep digging as long as you wish Senhor Eklund."

  "Alright, I appreciate it, it's terribly important Peter, I care not at all about the cost."

  "Sim Senhor, we will find her." Filipe came out of the shower and found his father pacing the floor anxiously.

  "My sister is here, father, she is close. I know that we have come to the right city. Let's go down to the restaurant and have a good breakfast, we cannot just drive around looking. Perhaps it will come to one of us." Jon nodded smiling.

  "And the young mind works better when the stomach is full, yes?"

  They returned to their room and Jon took a turn in the shower. He had just finished dressing when another group of photos arrived, this time without any details. The fourth picture caught his eye. It was a law school graduation, and there was no missing the ears. He called Peter.

  "It is her, number four, Rice, Madeline Rice. Such a simple thing if we had just told each other. What do you know about her? Yes, alright, text me the address, we are leaving now, we will find it with Google. Thank you, my friend, thank you so much." He dropped his phone in his pocket and grabbed his jacket. "Come Filipe! You can meet your sister's mother." They drove into Saint Paul, following the map on their phone, then hurried into the building that housed Madeline's office.

  "She left for the day, sir." The legal aid seated in the outer office explained. "You could try her phone, but she hasn't been answering. She said she had some sort of an emergency. I wasn't really supposed to tell you that. But, aren't you Jon? She showed me a picture of you once, said you were her long lost love."

  "And what of Callie, her daughter, do you know where I could find her?"

  "Miss Rice doesn't have a daughter. We're close, I would know if she did."

  "That is wrong, of course she has a daughter, Callie is my half-sister." Filipe exclaimed.

  "There is more to this story, but we must find them. I will call Peter again, see what he can find out. Miss, is it possible Madeline said anything at all that might help find her. It really is important."

  "She said not to tell anyone, but she had to go up north, she made it sound urgent. She was mumbling about Mille Lacs Lake. I didn't tell you that, okay?"

  "Is that far from here?"

  "Maybe a hundred miles, maybe not quite. But it's a big lake."

  "Filipe?"

  "A hundred and sixty kilometers, father. Maybe a couple hours or more depending on traffic."

  "Alright, we'll go to this lake. Miss, I need Madeline's number, please. Filipe, text her, perhaps she will see it's me and call. The emergency, it must be about your sister. We have to find them."

  They hurried out of the building, nearly bowling over a slight, graying man with a scruffy beard. They started running to their car, when they heard the man yelling to them.

  "Hey, sorry if this is weird, but I have a friend, Callie Fisher. She has the same crazy blue eyes as you two, never seen any others like it. Can't be a coincidence."

  "We have come from Brazil, to find Callie, and Madeline. But she is gone, some emergency."

  "Probably Madeline is going after Callie. We're not sure, but she may have been abducted. Madeline and Callie are connected, but you probably get that, look at the two of you. Fatty Carson, by the way."

  "We are told she might have gone to a place called Mille Lacs, do you know this place?"

  "Sure, big lake, lots of places they could be."

  "Get in our car Mr. Carson, you can give me directions." They headed north, then back to the west circling the city. Fatty got on his phone.

  "Deeann, if those girls of yours can help, we have to try to figure out who's got Callie. My bet's on Derrick Blackburn. Ozzy Marsh tells me they let him out of the psych ward early. I'm with Callie's biological father and her brother, yeah, no shit. Call Jenny and tell her what's going on so she doesn't kill herself driving down here at ninety miles an hour. There is absolutely nothing she can do, so try to get her to stay where she is. We think Madeline went after Callie, because she's disappeared too, but we'll find them. No, don't call the cops, the last thing we need is for them to get Derrick riled up and start shooting people. I have to go. I'm going to call Ozzy Marsh and find out where the Blackburn's cabin is. We know Madeline went to Mille Lacs somewhere, and I'm pretty sure Blackburn's got a cabin up there." Fatty called Ozzy Marsh, briefly explained what his fears were, and got the address. Filipe frowned.

  "Who is Jenny, and why is Callie's last name Fisher, instead of Rice?"

  "Bess Fisher and her husband Bob adopted Callie when she was little I guess, they were Madeline's best friends. Turns out Bess is a psychic too, and a really good one, I'm told. She's in Alaska, or she'd probably brain slap that little asshole, Derrick." Filipe smiled.

  "Brain slap?"

  "I don't know how this shit works, kid. I just keep hearing that Bess is nobody to mess with."

  "And Jenny, who is this Jenny?"

  "Callie's girlfriend, fiancé I guess."

  "My daughter is gay, then?" Jon asked.

  "Yeah, isn't that okay in your country?"

  "Of course, we are not a backward society. I am happy my daughter has found love."

  "Good answer. I'd like to live long enough to see their wedding, so slow this thing down, okay?"

  "Nice drugs, Derrick. I had some sweet dreams." Callie said groggily. She could hear Derrick pacing the floor. "Are you doing okay Derrick?"

  "Stop talking to me, I know you're just trying to get in my head."

  "But you taped my eyes shut."

  "My Mom told me that you could paralyze people with those eyes of yours."

  "Not exactly. I'm sorry about what happened to your mother Derrick."

  "You hated her, don't tell me your sorry."

  "I didn't like her, but I've figured out hating people doesn't do anyone any good. I have this gift, and I'm not going to waste it anymore."

  "I have the gift too, you know. Mine isn't like yours, about all it's good for is getting me laid. I was going to screw your girlfriend, you know."

  "Why, just to hurt me? It would have hurt Jenny more. Why would you want to hurt her?"

  "Just shut the hell up. You talk like your whole bunch is innocent, but someone made sure my Mom would die on that road. What the hell was she doing out there anyway?"

  "She wanted to hurt me, Derrick, same way you did. By hurting Jenny. No matter what you think of the Sisters, you have to admit, Jenny's never done anything to you or your Mom. There never was a good reason to hurt her."

  "What are you saying? Did you do it? Did you kill my Mom?" Callie felt him walk up to her, knew he had the gun in his hand.

  "No Derrick, and neither did Madeline. We should end this right now. Stop this, please. I'm not sure how I know, but it's you who will be hurt here, and it doesn't have to be that way. We are a lot alike, you and I."

  "Really, tell me, bitch, how are we alike."

  "I used to be angry at everything, that I was so different, psychic, gay. Now those are all the things I'm happiest about. A friend died, and I wanted to kill someone because of it. I was finally able to let it go. Your mother died Derrick, it was Fate, just leave it at that."

  "We're not the same at all, I have no intention of letting it go."

  "We're both second generation psychics, Derrick. There are a lot more of our kind out there, a lot more. We could make the world a better place. Wouldn't that be better than what you have in mind here?"

  "God, you're good at this. Stop talking. Rice is going to be here pretty soon, and that bitch is going to admit to the world what she did, and she's going to tell everyone all about your Sisters."
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  "Why would she do that?"

  "Because, if she doesn't, I'm going to put a bullet in that pretty blond head of yours. Now shut your goddamn mouth, or so help me, I will shoot you in the foot just for fun."

  "Get in here." Derrick Blackburn grabbed Madeline Rice by the forearm and jerked her into the house. She ran past him to Callie. "Don't touch her, the tape stays on her eyes. She's going to have bigger problems than not being able to see if you don't do exactly what I tell you."

  "Alright Derrick, I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt her." Callie relaxed and tried to visualize what was happening. It came to her clearly, as if she was viewing the room through Madeline's eyes. Derrick was pacing back and forth, waving his gun around wildly, motioning to his laptop.

  "We're going to make a video, hell, we'll make a couple of them. Sit down, and start talking to the camera. You're going to tell the whole internet exactly what you did, how you prevented Jane and my Mom's other friends from seeing that she was going to have that accident. And you're going to tell them all about being a psychic, and how the group changes Fate. All of it, tell it all."

  "And if I refuse?"

  "First, I'll shoot her in the fucking foot, like I've been threatening to do all day. Then, if you don't talk you'll see what it's like to lose one of the people you love the most. I should just kill you both and be done with it, but I'd never get out of jail, and contrary to what you've heard, I'm not that crazy."

  "Derrick, please stop this. It's not going to end well for you." Callie pleaded.

  "Talk into the mic, bitch, and look at the camera." Madeline made a brief statement. Yes, she had psychic abilities, yes, she had used those abilities to be sure Teresa Blackburn died, and yes, she was part of a secret society that worked to manipulate Fate. Derrick watched her, walking back and forth, obviously agitated. He made her repeat it a couple of times, sending it out on several different websites. "Now, do it again, name names. You need to tell the world who all the Sisters are."

  "Don't Madeline. Enough Derrick. Shoot me in the foot."

  "Are you fucking crazy? I will, you know."

  "You can't Derrick, go ahead, try."

  "Alright psycho, watch Madeline, I'm shooting her in the foot, then, if you don't talk to the camera, the next one goes right between her eyes."

  "Put the gun down, Derrick, please. I can't make you put the gun down, I don't know why, but you can't pull the trigger, I know that for sure."

  "Callie, no! The girls will be alright, don't do this." Madeline begged. Derrick lurched over and stood in front of Callie, taking careful aim at her foot. Ten seconds passed, but he hadn't pulled the trigger.

  "Alright, I'm done fucking around." Derrick screamed backing up. He raised the gun and aimed it at Callie's face, squeezing the trigger.

  ***

  They parked the car at the end of the driveway, checking the address against the one Ozzy Marsh had gotten from his father, and walked the hundred yards back to the house. The two Escalade's were parked close to each other, preventing the men from being seen from the house.

  Fatty glanced at the two blond haired men, Filipes eyes had faded to a lighter blue, and he seemed to be staring into the distance. He spoke.

  "He has a gun, he is threatening them with it, and he will use it, I can feel it. There is a door, behind him, from the basement I think."

  "How the hell do you know that?" Fatty looked at him.

  "She is my sister, it is a strong connection."

  "I have a gun, just the one." Fatty volunteered, pulling it out. "I can hit what I'm shooting at, if I can get in there."

  "Perhaps there is a door or window unlocked somewhere, some way into the basement. If they are in this front area, I will go around and try to find a way in. Filipe, stay here. Do not be foolish, like with the boats. Mr. Fatty, wait five minutes, if I cannot get in, I will come back. If you hear shots, come in however you can and shoot this man. I will overpower him, unless he kills me first."

  "I should sneak in, with the gun."

  "She is my daughter, it is my risk to take, and I am a large man. I will kill him with my hands if I must."

  "Alright, go ahead. It's a walk out, so maybe there's a door or window open down over the hill. I'm going to sneak closer behind these vehicles. Filipe, try that mind trick again, maybe I'll have to rush him if it seems bad."

  ***

  Jon Eklund ran into the woods and down the small hill to the lower level of the house. He carefully tried the sliding glass door, but it was secured. There were several windows along the front and he found one that slid up quietly. He climbed inside cautiously, being sure not to bump the lamp standing close by. He slipped his shoes off and snuck across the hardwood floor to the steps. The steps went up to a small landing, and he crept up slowly so as to be perfectly silent. He could hear Derrick Blackburn, ranting about the internet, then fuming at Callie, but he had no idea which direction the man was facing.

  He waited for a minute, trying to judge by Derricks voice which direction he was turned, then heard Madeline begging for Callie to stop whatever it was she was doing, then Madeline screaming again, she sounded desperate. Sure his daughter was about to die if he didn't act Jon Eklund threw the door open and lunged through it.

  Callie was in Derrick's head. He pointed the gun at her foot, fully intending to shoot. But when he couldn't, when he just didn't seem able to pull the trigger, he lost it. He was done, he would kill her as they had killed his mother. He aimed directly at her, and squeezed the trigger. At least he thought he did. He was sure he had squeezed the trigger, but there was no noise, no concussion as the bullet tore into Callie Fisher's face, it was all in his head. He had an instant to wonder about it, when the basement door, to his left and behind him flew open and a large blond man jumped at him.

  He got the gun up, and again thought he had pulled the trigger, then the man was on him and they were wrestling for the gun. This time there was a noise, he felt the gun buck in his hand, and saw the flash of light, or the sensation of it, as the bullet entered his brain.

  ***

  Callie sat still as her biological father carefully peeled the tape from her eyes, and she got her first real look at him. Her eyes stung from the tape and the sudden light, and tears ran from her eyes. Jon took it as relief, and wrapped her in a reassuring hug. She clung to him for a full minute, then saw Filipe and did the same. Fatty and Madeline were trying to stop Derrick's bleeding. Within a few minutes an ambulance was shrieking its way up the long driveway and loading Derrick in it, followed by an entourage of police cars. It took quite a while to sort things out. Jon sat beside Callie, in handcuffs.

  "You were very brave, daughter."

  "He couldn't shoot me, I took that away from him, but I wasn't sure what would happen. I was afraid for you and Madeline. You might want to say Hi to her, after all these years. I have to call Jenny, I have a feeling I'll be in big trouble once she figures out I'm alright."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Madeline Rice became an internet sensation overnight. The videos of her claiming to be a psychic and running a group of women that were changing the fate of the world, quickly went viral. It was even more entertaining that she had a government job. It became fodder for late night comedians and she was invited on three of their shows to demonstrate her abilities, all tongue in cheek of course. The fact that she worked as a lawyer, and held a government job, just made the punchlines easier to come by.

  Of course, the reality that she had been coerced into making the tapes at gunpoint wasn't lost on her supervisors, and there were no repercussions, no public shaming as Jonathan Marsh had once hoped for. But his help during the search for Callie wasn't lost on Madeline, and the court rewarded him, letting him off with a fine and a two year suspension of his license to practice law, leaving Ozzy Marsh to run the practice.

  Bob and Bess Fisher returned early from their trip to Alaska, flying home the first time the boat put into land. It wasn't a psychic thing, but a p
hone call that made them hurry back. Jennifer wouldn't let Callie out of her sight, and Callie wanted to be in the Cities, spending time with Jon and her newfound brother. News of the incident had even reached Alaska, and there was a lot to talk about. After a day of rest, Bob went back to the hardware, and Callie and Jennifer went back to Minneapolis.

  "What are you doing home?" Callie asked when she found Danielle sitting on the couch. "I thought you were planning to stay at Anna's until you were all healed up, or maybe forever."

  "I had to come home and get the whole story about Derrick, straight from you. He's still hanging on, right?"

  "Yeah, still in the ICU, they're still not sure. Between you and I, I think he'll make it."

  "Madeline said you took his abilities away."

  "Probably that bullet, hard to believe you can survive something like that. The world is a safer place now."

  "Nothing to do with you then?" Jennifer walked in, dropping her bags at the base of the steps.

  "She isn't admitting to anything. She just walks around smiling and happy all the time. Not the Callie Fisher I know." Callie ignored her.

  "So, where's Anna?"

  "Probably on her way to work, where she's happiest. I know you guys like her, but, it's just not going to work out."

  "Oh my God, are you okay?" Jenny rushed to her, ready with a hug. Danielle smiled.

  "Thanks Jenny, but I'm fine. We both spent so much time remembering how great it was, it was hard to admit that it isn't great anymore. You two are so lucky. It's hard to find that perfect someone, and have the timing be right. It was mutual, we'll be fine." Callie nodded toward Jenny.